北美洲國家。面積：約9,976,185平方千米。人口：約31,081,900(2001)。首都：渥太華。英國人和法國人後裔占該國人口半數以上，德國人、意大利人、烏克蘭人、華人、荷蘭人、美洲印第安人和愛斯基摩人(因努伊特人)的後裔則構成重要的少數民族。語言：英語和法語(均為官方語言)。宗教：天主教、新教(加拿大聯合教會和加拿大聖公會)。貨幣：加拿大元。加拿大可劃分為幾個自然地理區：以哈得孫灣為中心占全國面積近4/5的大片內陸盆地，由加拿大地盾、內陸平原及五大湖-聖勞倫斯低地區組成。盆地邊緣是幾個大部為高地的區域，包括北極群島境內的山脈，有落基山脈、海岸山脈和勞倫琴山脈。境內最高峰位於育空地區的洛根山。加拿大的5條河流——聖勞倫斯河、馬更些河、育空河、弗雷澤河和納爾遜河均居世界40條最大河流之列。除與美國***有的蘇必利爾湖和休倫湖外，加拿大的大熊湖和大奴湖又屬世界11個最大湖泊之列。境內也有若幹島嶼，包括巴芬島、埃爾斯米爾島、維多利亞島、紐芬蘭島和梅爾維爾島以及許多小島嶼。加拿大與美國的疆界長6,415千米，是世界上最長的不設防疆界。加拿大的市場經濟相當發達，主要以出口為主並與美國經濟保持著緊密聯系，這使它成為世界上最富有的國家之壹。加拿大是議會制聯邦，兩院制。國家元首是英國君主，其代表為加拿大總督，政府首腦為總理。最初的居民是美洲印第安人和因努伊特人。大約公元1000年古代斯堪的納維亞的探險者就來到此地，考古發掘證實在紐芬蘭有他們的遺跡。早在公元1500年，英國人、法國人、西班牙人及葡萄牙人就在紐芬蘭附近海域開始漁業考察。1534年卡蒂埃首次進入聖勞倫斯灣，法國遂提出對加拿大的領土要求。1605年在新斯科舍(阿卡迪亞)建立起壹個小拓居地，1608年尚普蘭也曾到過魁北克。皮毛交易對早期殖民地的開拓有促進作用。為對付法國人的行動，英國於1670年成立哈得孫灣公司，英法兩國為爭奪上北美洲腹地相持達壹個世紀之久。1713年法國人在安妮女王之戰(西班牙王位繼承戰爭)中失利，被迫將新斯科舍及紐芬蘭割讓給英國。七年戰爭(法英北美殖民地爭奪戰)導致法國人1763年被逐出北美大陸。美國獨立戰爭後，加拿大人口中增加了壹些從美國逃來的效忠派分子。由於到達魁北克的效忠派分子越來越多，英國遂於1791年將該殖民地分成上、下加拿大省。1841年英國將上、下加拿大省合並。加拿大人的擴張主義導致了19世紀中葉的聯邦運動。1867年成立加拿大自治領，其範圍包括新斯科舍、新不倫瑞克、魁北克及安大略。此舉對促進加拿大的發展至關重要。聯邦成立後，加拿大開始了向西擴張的時期。伴隨加拿大進入20世紀的繁榮，由於英國人與法國人社區間不斷發生的沖突而受到很大影響。1931年通過的《威斯敏斯特條例》，承認加拿大是不列顛的平等夥伴。由於1982年《加拿大法案》獲得通過，英國給予加拿大對其憲法的完全控制權，並切斷了兩國間仍然保留的法律聯系。法語加拿大人的騷動是壹個主要問題，20世紀後半葉要求魁北克分離的運動不斷發展。1992和1995年兩次要求魁北克在政治上有更多自治的公民投票表決都遭到拒絕，但這個問題依然沒有解決。1999年加拿大成立了新的紐納武特地區。
Canada
Country of the North America. Area: 3,849,674 sq mi (9,970,610 sq km). Population (2002 est.): 31,244,000. Capital: Ottawa. People of British and French descent constitute more than half the population; there are significant minorities of German, Italian, Ukrainian, Chinese, Dutch, American Indian, and Inuit (Eskimo) origin. Languages: English, French (both official). Religions: Roman Catholicism, Protestantism (United Church of Canada, Anglican Church of Canada). Currency: Canadian dollar. Canada may be divided into several physiographic regions. A large interior basin centred on Hudson Bay and covering nearly four-fifths of the country is composed of the Canadian Shield, the interior plains, and the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence lowlands. Rimming the basin are highland regions, including the Arctic Archipelago. Mountain ranges include the Rocky, Coast, and Laurentian mountains. Canada's highest peak is Mount Logan in Yukon Territory. Five of Canada's rivers
the St. Lawrence, Mackenzie, Yukon, Fraser, and Nelson
rank among the world's 40 largest. In addition to Lakes Superior and Huron, both shared with the U.S., Canada's Great Bear and Great Slave lakes are among the world's 11 largest lakes. The country also includes several major islands, including Baffin, Ellesmere, Victoria, Newfoundland, and Melville, and many small ones. Its border with the U.S., the longest demilitarized border in the world, extends 3,987 miles (6,415 km). With a developed market economy that is export-directed and closely linked with that of the U.S., Canada is one of the world's most prosperous countries. It is a parliamentary state with two legislative houses; its chief of state is the British monarch, whose representative is Canada's governor-general, and the head of government is the prime minister. Originally inhabited by American Indians and Inuit, Canada was visited с AD 1000 by Scandinavian explorers, whose discovery is confirmed by archaeological evidence from Newfoundland. Fishing expeditions off Newfoundland by the English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese began as early as 1500. The French claim to Canada was made in 1534 when Jacques Cartier entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence. A small settlement was made in Nova Scotia (Arcadia) in 1605, and by 1608 Samuel de Champlain had reached Quebec. Fur trading was the impetus behind the early colonizing efforts. In response to French activity, the English in 1670 formed the Hudson's Bay Company. The British-French rivalry for the interior of upper North America lasted almost a century. The first French loss occurred in 1713 at the conclusion of Queen Anne's War (War of the Spanish Succession), when Nova Scotia and Newfoundland were ceded to the British. The Seven Years' War (French and Indian War) resulted in France's expulsion from continental North America in 1763. After the American Revolution Canada's population was augmented by loyalists fleeing the United States, and the increasing number arriving in Quebec led the British to divide the colony into Upper and Lower Canada in 1791. The British reunited the two provinces in 1841. Canadian expansionism resulted in the confederation movement of the mid 19th century, and in 1867 the Dominion of Canada, comprising Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario, came into existence. After confederation, Canada entered a period of westward expansion. The prosperity that accompanied Canada into the 20th century was marred by continuing conflict between the English and French communities. Through the Statute of Westminster (1931), Canada was recognized as an equal partner of Great Britain. With the Canada Act of 1982, the British gave Canada total control over its constitution and severed the remaining legal connections between the two countries. French Canadian unrest continued to be a major concern, with a movement growing for Quebec separatism in the late 20th century. Referendums for more political autonomy for Quebec were rejected in 1992 and 1995, but the issue remained unresolved. In 1999 Canada formed the new territory of Nunavut.