CANADA

Canada is the second largest country in the world. It occupies all of the continent north of the United States except for Alaska. Canada is bordered in the north by the Arctic Ocean and in the south by the United States. The highest peak in Canada is Mont Logan, near the Alaskan border. The chief rivers are St. Lawrence, the Ottawa, the Nelson, the Mackenzie, the Fraser, the Columbia and the Yukon.

More than 25 million people of different national live in Canada. Canada’s population is 48% of British origin, 31% of French origin, 1% Indian and Eskimo and other minorities. English and French are both official languages.

Some four-fifth of the population live within 200 miles of the U. S border. All the largest cities, e. g. Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Ottawa (the capital), and Quebec are situated near Canada’s southern border.

Canada is rich in raw materials including gold, silver, nickel, uranium, copper, zinc, coal, natural gas and oil. One-third of the country is covered with forest. Canada is the leading exporter of wood and wood products. Canada’s highly developed agriculture produces wheat, dairy products, fruit, fur, tobacco and vegetables. Fishing is also an important export industry. The standard of living is very high in Canada. The country is export-directed. The chief industries are food products, steel and iron, paper goods, transport equipment, metal products, industrial chemicals, petroleum refining etc.