Portal:Canada

Sunday, December 15, 2024

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Introduction  

Flag and Arms of Canada

Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's second-largest country by total area, with the world's longest coastline. Its border with the United States is the world's longest international land border. The country is characterized by a wide range of both meteorologic and geological regions. With a population of just over 41 million people, it has widely varying population densities, with the majority residing in urban areas and large areas of the country being sparsely populated. Canada's capital is Ottawa and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

Canada is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy in the Westminster tradition. The country's head of government is the prime minister, who holds office by virtue of their ability to command the confidence of the elected House of Commons and is appointed by the governor general, representing the monarch of Canada, the ceremonial head of state. The country is a Commonwealth realm and is officially bilingual (English and French) in the federal jurisdiction. It is very highly ranked in international measurements of government transparency, quality of life, economic competitiveness, innovation, education and human rights. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration. Canada's long and complex relationship with the United States has had a significant impact on its history, economy, and culture.

A developed country, Canada has a high nominal per capita income globally and its advanced economy ranks among the largest in the world by nominal GDP, relying chiefly upon its abundant natural resources and well-developed international trade networks. Recognized as a middle power, Canada's strong support for multilateralism and internationalism has been closely related to its foreign relations policies of peacekeeping and aid for developing countries. Canada is part of multiple international organizations and forums. (Full article...)

Featured article -

Moraine Lake and the Valley of the Ten Peaks

Banff National Park is Canada's first national park, established in 1885 as Rocky Mountains Park. Located in Alberta's Rocky Mountains, 110–180 kilometres (68–112 mi) west of Calgary, Banff encompasses 6,641 square kilometres (2,564 sq mi) of mountainous terrain, with many glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine landscapes. Provincial forests and Yoho National Park are neighbours to the west, while Kootenay National Park is located to the south and Kananaskis Country to the southeast. The main commercial centre of the park is the town of Banff, in the Bow River valley. (Full article...)

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See also: historic events and sites

Featured biography -

Portrait c. 1809, possibly by William Berczy

Major-General Sir Isaac Brock KB (6 October 1769 – 13 October 1812) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Guernsey. Brock was assigned to Lower Canada in 1802. Despite facing desertions and near-mutinies, he commanded his regiment in Upper Canada (part of present-day Ontario) successfully for many years. He was promoted to major general, and became responsible for defending Upper Canada against the United States. While many in Canada and Britain believed war could be averted, Brock began to ready the army and militia for what was to come. When the War of 1812 broke out, the populace was prepared, and quick victories at Fort Mackinac and Detroit defeated American invasion efforts. (Full article...)

More featured Canadian biographies

See also: historically significant biographies

Selected panorama -

Panorama of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, photographed from top of Union Bank Building in 1907

Winnipeg photographed from top of Union Bank Building, 1907

Credit: W. A. Cooper

National symbol -

The National Flag of Canada (French: Drapeau national du Canada), often referred to simply as the Canadian flag, consists of a red field with a white square at its centre in the ratio of 1∶2∶1, in which is featured one stylized, red, 11-pointed maple leaf charged in the centre. It is the first flag to have been adopted by both houses of Parliament and officially proclaimed by the Canadian monarch as the country's official national flag. The flag has become the predominant and most recognizable national symbol of Canada. (Full article...)

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Selected vital article -

The culture of Canada embodies the artistic, culinary, literary, humour, musical, political and social elements that are representative of Canadians. Throughout Canada's history, its culture has been influenced firstly by its indigenous cultures, and later by European culture and traditions, mostly by the British and French. Over time, elements of the cultures of Canada's immigrant populations have become incorporated to form a Canadian cultural mosaic. Certain segments of Canada's population have, to varying extents, also been influenced by American culture due to shared language (in English-speaking Canada), significant media penetration, and geographic proximity. (Full article...)

More Canadian vital articles

Selected picture -

Montreal City Hall Jan 2006
Credit: David Iliff

More information
Featured Canadian picture

Current events  

December 11, 2024 – Russo-Ukrainian War

The Parliament of Canada approves the allocation of CA$764 million (US$587 million) in military aid to Ukraine. (Ukrainska Pravda)

December 3, 2024 – Red Sea crisis

The Government of Canada officially designates the Yemen-based Houthi movement as a terrorist organization due to the group's attacks on civilian and military vessels in the Red Sea. (Al Jazeera)

November 20, 2024 – November 2024 Northeast Pacific bomb cyclone

Two people are killed and more than 570,000 people are without power when a bomb cyclone makes landfall over the West Coast of the United States and British Columbia, Canada. (CNN) (NBC News)

November 15, 2024 –

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers go on strike after failing to renegotiate their contract with Canada Post. (AP)

October 25, 2024 –

A man fatally shoots two of his family members before killing himself in Huntsville, Ontario, Canada. (CTV News Barrie)

Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government announces that Ontario is planning to ban international students from medical schools in the province beginning in 2026. (Pelham Today)

Past Canadian events

Did you know -

• ... that Ron Tiavaasue was born in Samoa, grew up in New Zealand, played college football in the United States, and now plays professional football in Canada?
• ... that Moses Judah Hays leased a block of buildings to the Canadian Parliament after its seat was burned down in 1849?
• ... that an ancient Canadian archaeological site was discovered during the construction of a dump?
• ... that the shores of Kesagami Lake in Kesagami Provincial Park (northern Ontario, Canada) are surrounded by "exceptional" peat cliffs reaching 4 metres (13 ft) in height?
• ... that the 2012 Olympic women's soccer semifinal between the Canadian and the American national teams was called "the greatest knockout match in major-tournament football" since 1982?
• ... that research conducted in 2020 found that squirrels are "nearly ubiquitous" on college campuses in the United States and Canada?
• ... that Canadian architect Barry Downs contributed to the redevelopment of the Expo 86 site in Vancouver, the largest private development in North America at the time?

More Did you know facts

Featured list -

The Prince of Wales Trophy, also known as the Wales Trophy, is a team award presented by the National Hockey League (NHL). Named for Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII and then Duke of Windsor), it has been awarded for different accomplishments throughout its history. (Full article...)

More featured Canadian content

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History	Year list (Timeline) Pre-colonization New France (1534–1763) British Canada (1763–1867) Post-Confederation (1867–1914) World Wars and Interwar Years (1914–1945) Modern times: 1945–1960 1960–1981 1982–1992 since 1992 Topics Constitutional Crown and Indigenous people Economic Etymology First Nations Former colonies and territories Immigration Military Monarchical National Historic Sites Persons of significance Territorial evolution Women
Provinces and territories	Provinces Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland and Labrador Nova Scotia Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan Territories Northwest Territories Nunavut Yukon
Government	Law Constitution Monarch Governor General Parliament (Senate House of Commons) Prime Minister list Courts Supreme Court Military Local government Foreign relations Law enforcement
Politics	Elections LGBT rights Multiculturalism Cannabis
Geography	Regions (west to east) Pacific Northwest Western Canada Great Plains Canadian Prairies Northern Canada Canadian Shield Great Lakes Central Canada The Maritimes Eastern Canada Atlantic Canada Topics Cities Earthquakes Islands Mountains National Parks Great Lakes Regions Rivers Wildlife Volcanoes
Economy	Agriculture Banking Bank of Canada Dollar Communications Companies Energy Fishing Oil Stock exchange Taxation Tourism Transportation Science and technology Social programs Poverty
Society	Education Healthcare Crime Values
Demographics	Topics Canadians Immigration Languages Religion 2011 Census 2016 Census Population Top 100s Metropolitan areas and agglomerations Population centres Municipalities
Culture	Architecture Art Cinema Cuisine Festivals Folklore People Holidays Identity Literature Music Online media Protectionism Sports Theatre
Symbols	Coat of arms Flags Provincial and territorial Royal Heraldic
Article overviews	Index Outline Topics
Research	Bibliography Historiography Historians Surveys

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WikiProject Canada data
Featured content - Popular pages - Vital articles

Top	High	Mid	Low	NA	???
68	915	12,731	134,692	74,241	19

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