Geography
Canada is the world's second largest country with a land mass of 9,970,610 square kilometers, spanning across six time zones and occupying 41% of the area of North America. Canada spreads over an immense territory between the Pacific Ocean in the West and Atlantic in the East. To the South of Canada lies the United States, to its Northwest lies Alaska (United States), and to its Northeast lies Greenland. The Arctic Ocean defines the Northern limits of Canada.
Canada has 10 provinces and three territories, each with its own capital city.
Provinces and Territories
Alberta
Capital City:Edmonton
Alberta's official flower is the Wild Rose, and the motto of the province is "Fortis et Libre" ("Strong and Free"), both of which reflect the independent attitude of many Albertans.
Alberta is the second westernmost province next to British Columbia. It has an area of over 600,000 square kilometers and is home to more than two million people. Alberta is bordered to the east by the province of Saskatchewan, to the west by the Rocky Mountains and British Columbia, to the north by the Northwest Territories and to the south by the state of Montana in the United States.
Alberta's coat of arms is designed to convey the natural diversity of the province, with both the mountains and wheat fields given prominence. It also reflects the abundance of energy, forest and agricultural reserves that contribute to the province's high level of growth and prosperity.
British Columbia
Capital City:Victoria
British Columbia is Canada's westernmost province and one of North America's most mountainous regions. Because of its coastal location, it is considered a gateway to the Pacific and Asia. It is also bordered by the province of Alberta, the Yukon Territory and several American states, including Alaska. BC enjoys a relatively mild climate, with crocuses often blooming as early as February.
BC continues to attract Canadians and foreigners alike: 40,000 people settle in the province each year, and its population now exceeds 4.6 million. Vancouver, the largest dry cargo port on the Pacific Coast of North America, is home to more than 2.4 million people, which makes it the third-largest Canadian city. It has the second-largest Chinese community in North America. In addition, more than 302,000 BC inhabitants are from India and 38,000 from Japan.
Situated on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, just 85 miles northwest of Seattle, USA, is Victoria. The 367,770 inhabitants of this provincial capital enjoy a "sub-Mediterranean" climate with moderate weather year-round. Government and tourism are the two main employers in Victoria
Official Website of British Columbia
Manitoba
Capital City:Winnipeg
Manitoba is an important center for a number of ethnic groups. It is one of three Prairie provinces and is located in the center of Canada bordered by Ontario, Saskatchewan, Nunavut, Hudson Bay and the United States. For many years, most Manitobans were of British origin. But changes in migration and immigration patterns have produced a province where no ethnic group is numerically dominant. There are over 700 organizations in the province that support new Canadians and Canadian immigrants. About 50 per cent of Manitoba's 1.3 million people live in metropolitan Winnipeg, the provincial capital. The second-largest city is Brandon, in south-western Manitoba.
The name Manitoba likely comes from the Cree words "Manitou bou", which mean "the narrows of the Great Spirit." Manitoba is also home to the International Peace Garden - the world's largest garden dedicated to world peace.
New Brunswick
Capital City:Fredericton
New Brunswick is a seaside province in eastern Canada with a diverse and fascinating cultural heritage. It borders Nova Scotia, Québec and the American state of Maine. Almost rectangular in shape, it extends about 322 kilometers from north to south and 242 kilometers from east to west. The province of New Brunswick is bordered by water on most of three sides, including the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Northumberland Strait, and the Bay of Fundy. The Bay of Fundy, located on the eastern end of the province, generates tides up to 54 feet, the highest in the world.
The population of New Brunswick is approximately 756,800, approximately 31 per cent of which is French-speaking. This is due largely to the 500,000-strong Acadian community living in New Brunswick. Acadia was originally a French colony dating back to the 1500s.
Official Website of New Brunswick
Newfoundland & Labrador
Capital City:St. John's
Nestled into the north-east corner of North America, facing the North Atlantic is Newfoundland, Canada's most easterly province. This province consists of two distinct geographical entities: Newfoundland and Labrador. Its historical settlers ranged from the 16th century Basque whalers to the famous Viking warriors. The province's present population of 528,448 is largely descended from settlers from south-western England and southern Ireland, who immigrated to Newfoundland in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The pattern of settlement was mainly determined by the fishing industry, a population distribution that has persisted to this day. The Avalon Peninsula and north-eastern Newfoundland, the traditional base for the fisheries, continue to be the most heavily populated areas. St. John's, the historic commercial center and capital of the island, is the province's largest city, with a population of approximately 205,000.
Official Website of Newfoundland and Labrador
Northwest Territories
Capital City:Yellowknife
Find the 60th parallel on a map of North America, look northward, and you will see the Northwest Territories, bordered by the Yukon to the west, the prairies to the south, and Canada's newest territory, Nunavut, to the north and east. With the creation of Nunavut on April 1, 1999, the area of Northwest Territories was reduced from close to three and a half million km2 to less than two million km2. Approximately 44,291 people inhabit this region, and most live in small communities. Yellowknife, the capital, has a population of more than 19,000. Mining drives the territory's economy. Because of its northern locale, the Northwest Territories is often referred to as 'the land of the midnight sun'. During the summer months, there is almost continuous daylight as the sun seldom sets, while winter sees almost complete darkness.
Official Website of Northwest Territories
Nova Scotia
Capital City:Halifax
Nova Scotia's 580-kilometre-long peninsula is surrounded by four bodies of water the Atlantic Ocean, the Bay of Fundy, the Northumberland Strait and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Its geographic location, together with large, ice-free, deep-water harbours, have been key factors in the province's economic development. The province thrives on its harmonious relationship with the sea - its endless coastlines are dotted with rustic fishing villages and lighthouses.
With an area of 55,491 square kilometers, Nova Scotia is larger than Denmark, although somewhat smaller than Scotland, after which it is named. Over 80 per cent of Nova Scotia's population of 942,926 trace their ancestry either wholly or partly to the British Isles. Those with French origin rank second: 18 per cent of residents have some French ancestry. The largest concentration of population is found in the Halifax metropolitan area, which has a population of 403,131.
Official Website of Nova Scotia
Nunavut
Capital City:Iqaluit
The establishment of Nunavut, which means "our land" in Inuktitut, represents a landmark event in the history of Inuit and Canada. On April 1, 1999, Nunavut became Canada's newest territory, encompassing the central and eastern Arctic regions -- nearly one-fifth of Canada's land mass. Originally part of the Northwest Territories, Nunavut's creation was first proposed in the mid-1970s as part of the Inuit land claim.
Nunavut has a population of about 35,944 - of whom 85 per cent are Inuit and 60 per cent are under the age of 25. Close to one-fifth of this population lives in the Iqaluit community. Winter is close to nine months long in this region, with snow covering the ground for most of the year. Mining, shrimp and scallop fishing, hunting and trapping, arts and crafts production are the key industries. Tourism is also a growing industry, with major attractions such as Auyuittuq National Park, and the chance to experience Inuit culture first-hand. Three new national parks will be created under the terms of the Nunavut land claim settlement.
Ontario
Capital City:Toronto
Ontario is home to the world-famous Niagara Falls and Canada's capital - Ottawa. Ontario is bounded by Québec to the east, Manitoba to the west, Hudson Bay and James Bay to the north, and the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes to the south.
Canada's second largest province, Ontario covers 1.1 million square kilometers and boasts over half of a million lakes and 60,000 kilometers of rivers. Overall, it is an area larger than France and Spain combined and has a population of over ten million people. In Toronto, one can find a variety of cultural and economic activities as well as the CN Tower - the world's tallest free-standing structure. Ontario's Francophones play an essential part in the province's cultural life and are the largest language minority. The name "Ontario" is generally thought to be derived from the Iroquois word Skanadario, meaning "beautiful water".
Prince Edward Island
Capital City: Charlottetown
Canadian history is alive and celebrated in Charlottetown. The 1864 Charlottetown Conference was the first meeting that eventually led to the proclamation of the Dominion of Canada in 1867. Because of this meeting, the City of Charlottetown is now known as the "Birthplace of Confederation". It is just 280 kilometers (or 170 miles) from "tip to tip" so it's quite possible to explore every nook and cranny. Rich soil and a temperate climate make Prince Edward Island an ideal place for mixed farming. Half of its land is under cultivation, earning it the nickname, "the Garden Province". It is renowned for its red soil, sand dunes and 800 kilometers of beaches.
In 2014, the population of Prince Edward Island was 146,283. Charlottetown, with a population of 36,094, is the Island's only urban center. Prince Edward Island's population is quite young - about 38 percent of the people are under 25.
On May 31, 1997, Prince Edward Island celebrated the official opening of the Confederation Bridge. The 12.9-kilometre bridge spans the Northumberland Strait and offers easy access from the mainland to the Island beyond ferries and air travel.
Official Website of Prince Edward Island
Québec
Capital City: Québec City
Québec has an area three times that of France and seven times that of Great Britain, making it the largest of Canada's provinces. Bordered by Ontario, New Brunswick, Labrador (the mainland portion of the province of Newfoundland) and the United States, Québec has an area of 1,450 680 km2.
Almost 80 per cent of Québecers live in urban centers located along the banks of the historic and scenic St. Lawrence River. Montréal and its suburbs have a population of three million and is renowned for both its rich history and its modern and lively cultural activity. Québec City is the province's capital and third largest city. Out of a total population of over eight million, more than five million people living in Québec are of French origin, and French is the mother tongue of 80 per cent of Québecers. Since 1970, immigration has been an integral part of this province's cultural and economic wealth. Between 1986 and 1991, 78 per cent of the gains in Québec's population came from people with origins other than French, British or Aboriginal.
Saskatchewan
Capital City:Regina
Saskatchewan is dubbed the "bread basket" of Canada and is famous for its prairies and wheat fields. Located in the western part of Canada, Saskatchewan is bordered by Manitoba, Alberta, the Northwest Territories and the United States. The province is almost rectangular in shape and is 651,900 km2 in area.
Saskatchewan's population stands at about 1.1 million, or 3.1 percent of Canada's population. The people of Saskatchewan come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, which is why the provincial motto is "From many peoples, strength". The never-ending stretches of land and vast skies also make this province well-known for its beautiful sunsets.
Official Website of Saskatchewan
Yukon Territory
Capital City: Whitehorse
Bordering Alaska, the Yukon Territory is fairly large in area (483,450 km2) yet only 35,874 people call it home. The Yukon is in the north-west corner of Canada. Its capital, Whitehorse, is home to 60 per cent of this population. The territory's other major centre, Dawson City, was one of largest Canadian cities west of Winnipeg in the late 1800s during the famous Gold Rush days. It is now an important historical site for the Yukon. The Yukon got its name from a Hudson's Bay trader, who called it "Yu-kun-ah", or "greatest river", referring to the historic river that runs through the Territory. The Yukon Territory is above the Arctic Circle, and an abundance of wildlife can be found there - from the great polar bear to the caribou. Like its northerly neighbour, the Northwest Territories, the Yukon is also the "land of the midnight sun" during the summer months.
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