Economy of Canada
- In 1988, Canada enacted North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with US. Mexico joined in 1994.
- Service (75% of Canadians), Manufacturing, Natural Resources = Canada’s Three Main Types of Industries
- Largest trading partner = USA
- Canada and US have the world's largest undefended border.
- Over 3/4th of Canadian exports is for the USA
- The Peace Arch, inscribed with the words “children of a common mother” and “brethren dwelling together in unity,” for US/Canada ties
Regions of Canada
Regions
- The Atlantic Provinces
- Central Canada
- The Prairie Provinces
- The West Coast
- The Northern Territories
- National Capital Region (NCR) = Ottawa (located on Ottawa River).
- Ottawa = 4th largest metropolitan area (4700 sq km)
- 10 provinces and 3 territories
- Population of Canada ~ 34 million people
Atlantic region = Newfoundland and Labrador (St. John’s), Prince Edward Island (Charlottetown), Nova Scotia (Halifax), New Brunswick (Fredericton)
Central Canada = Ontario (Toronto), Quebec (Quebec City)
Prairie Provinces = Manitoba (Winnipeg), Alberta (Edmonton), Saskatchewan (Regina)
West Coast = British Columbia (Victoria)
North = Nunavut (Iqaluit), Northwest Territories (Yellowknife), Yukon Territory (Whitehorse)
Newfoundland and Labrador:
- Most easterly point in North America
- Has its own time zone
- Oldest colony of British Empire
- Fisheries, Coastal Village Fishing
- Off-shore oil and gas extraction
- Labrador has hydro-electric resources
Prince Edward Island:
- Smallest Province
- Known for beaches, red soil, agriculture (potatoes)
- Birthplace of confederation
- Connected to Canada by longest multi-spam bridge in the world (Confederation bridge)
Nova Scotia:
- Most populous Atlantic province
- Rich history as "Gateway to Canada"
- Shipbuilding, Fisheries, Shipping
- Halifax is the largest East coast port
- Halifax is Important in Atlantic trade, defence
- Halifax has Canada's largest Naval base
- Celtic and Gaelic traditions sustain a vibrant culture in the province
New Brunswick:
- Situated in the Appalachian Range
- Founded by United Empire Loyalists
- Second largest river system on North America's Atlantic coastline - St. John River system
- Saint John is the largest city
- Only official bi-lingual province
- 1/3rd of the population is French
Quebec:
- 8 million people in Quebec
- St. Lawrence River
- 3/4th speak French as first language
- Main producer of pulp and paper
- Largest producer of hydro electricity
- Pharmaceuticals and aeronautics industries
- Montreal = largest French speaking city in the world after Paris
- Quebec films and works of art have international stature in La Francophonie (association of French-speaking nations)
Ontario:
- More than 12 million people
- Toronto = largest city in Canada AND country's main financial center
- Many work in Service or manufacturing industries
- Niagara region is known for vineyards, wines, fruit crops
- Founded by United Empire loyalists
- Ontario has the largest French speaking population outside of Quebec
- 5 great lakes = Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Superior (largest freshwater lake in the world)
Manitoba:
- Agriculture, Mining, Hydro-electric power generation
- Most populous city = Winnipeg
- Most famous street intersection in Canada = Portage and Main
- 14% of Ukrainian origins and over 15% of Aboriginal population
Saskatchewan:
- Once known as "Breadbasket of the world" | "Wheat Province"
- 40% of arable land in Canada
- Largest producer of grains and oilseed
- World's richest deposits of Uranium, Potash
- Regina (Capital) = Training Academy of RCMP
- Saskatoon (largest city in Saskatchewan) = Headquarters of mining industry, educational, research & Tech center
Alberta:
- Most populous prairie province
- Largest producer of oil and gas
- Lake Louise in the Rocky Mountains
- Province and the lake named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta (4th daughter of Queen Victoria)
- 5 National Parks including Banff (est. in 1885)
- Rugged badlands have world's richest deposits of prehistoric fossil and dinosaur finds
- Also known for agriculture, vast cattle ranches, one of the world's major beef producers
British Columbia
- Canada’s western most province
- Population of 4 million
- Port of Vancouver = Gateway to Asia-Pacific
- 1/2 of goods produced are forestry, lumber, newsprint, pulp & paper products
- Also known for mining, fishing, fruit orchards, wine industry
- Most extensive park system with over 600 parks
- Largest Asian communities (Chinese and Punjabi are most spoken after English)
- Victoria is capital, a tourist center and headquarters of Navy's pacific fleet
Yukon:
- Thousands of miners came to the Yukon during the Gold Rush of the 1890s
- The White Pass and Yukon Railway opened in 1900
- White pass and Yukon railway operates from Alaska to Whitehorse
- Coldest temperature ever recorded in Canada (-63 degrees C)
- Mt. Logan = Highest Mountain in Canada (named after William Logan, geologist)
- William Logan is one of the greatest scientists of Canada
Northwest Territories:
- Made from Rupert’s Land and North-Western Territory.
- Capital = Yellowknife (population 20,000)
- Yellowknife is called "Diamond Capital of North America"
- More than 1/2 of population is aboriginal (Dene, Inuit and Métis)
- Mackenzie River (4200hm) is the second largest river in North America after Mississippi and drains an area of 1.8 million square km
Nunavut:
- Nunavut means "our land' in Inuktitut language
- Established in 1999
- The capital is Iqaluit
- The 19-member Legislative Assembly chooses a premier and ministers by consensus.
- The population is about 85% Inuit
- Inuktitut is an official language and the first language in schools.
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