CANADA IN BRIEF Throughout Canada's history, millions of immigrants have helped to build this country. Canada is a land of many cultures where the liberal immigration policy of the Government encourages immigrants to retain their own culture, while adopting the local Canadian culture.  The Government of Canada provides support and encouragement to ethnic organizations to provide language and cultural classes for the children of their community, in order to remember their country of origin and promote cultural diversity.

In a country as large as Canada, the idea of equality and freedom are very important. The value of this idea has been incorporated into the Canadian Constitution, titled the "Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom". Even a Landed Immigrant has the freedom and right to purchase property immediately upon arriving in Canada; a privilege not enjoyed in many other countries.

The Government of Canada is committed to sustainable economic development, but not at the expense of the environment. The Government is very committed to the mental and physical health of all citizens, particularly its children.  Appropriate child development is of the utmost importance in Canada.

Newcomers influence Canada and our collective identity. While each ethnic group has its cultural differences, we each share one important common quality that strengthens our society. Optimism. Canada is a young, dynamic and democratic country. Canadians are hardworking, technically inclined, efficient and work to improve their lives and society.

Other information about Canada:

> History of Canada
> Canadian Weather
> Canadian Economy

HISTORY OF CANADA

Canada is a land of many cultures, due to its liberal immigration policy. Canada is known as a "nation of immigrants" because all Canadians - except the "First Peoples" - share common immigrant origins.

The Original Inhabitants

Before the French and the English arrived in Canada, there were groups of Native Indians in every region of the land. The First Peoples in Canada developed unique cultures based upon their geographic location and means of survival. In the central plains, where groups of families cooperated in hunting buffalo, they followed the animal herds and resettled often. The Indians of the Pacific Coast fished from the sea and were able to develop permanent villages. In the North, the Inuit lived by he sea in the winter and traveled inland in the summer.

Over the years, Canada's First Peoples have worked to raise the awareness of their identity among Canadian Governments and citizens. They have also worked to apply their distinctive rights to lands and resources and to govern themselves within Canadian society.

The Beginnings of Multiculturalism

European explorers first came to North America in the 15th and 16th centuries. However, these Explorers did not settle the area that is now Canada until the 17th century. The British and the French were the first two European groups to move here in large numbers. Each group brought its own language, system of government, laws and culture.

Canada was born as a nation in 1867 when Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick joined together. This act is celebrated each year on July 1, as Canada's official birthday. The name Canada may have come from the word "Kanata" in the language of the Huron-Iroquois Indians, which means a "village" or "settlement".

The first Canadian Immigration Act was passed in 1869. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, advertising brought immigrants from Europe. Some settled in towns and cities, and others provided labour for factories, mines and lumber camps. Many were farmers who turned the western prairie into rich wheat fields. The building of the national railway by immigrants joined the East and West coasts and opened the interior for settlement.

Immigration from Around the World

Not all immigrants came to Canada from Europe. Blacks came from Africa as slaves in the 18th and 19th centuries and when slavery ended in Canada, Blacks travelled here to escape from slavery in the United States of America.

Asians - primarily Chinese and Japanese immigrants -- settled in British Columbia and other parts of western Canada.

After each of the World Wars, people came to settle in Canada as refugees from Europe. More immigrants also came to Canada from the Caribbean and Pacific Rim. All of these newcomers have contributed to build Canada's peace time economy.

Canada's experience during and after the Second World War raised the awareness among its people of the need for refugees and their families to be together.

All of this has been reflected in Canada's immigration policies. Many people fleeing civil wars, political unrest, and natural disasters have come to Canada. Today, Canada is home to immigrants from every part of the world. In 1992, people from more than 200 countries sought refuge in Canada. The majority were Asians, Africans, South Americans and Central Americans. One out of every four people in Canada comes from an ethnic background other than English or French.

Canadian Values

Canada is a distinctive country. The values and way of life of every person influence every one who comes here to live. At the same time, newcomers influence Canada and our collective identity. Although our citizens have differences, we share many important qualities that strengthen our society. Optimism. Canada is a dynamic and democratic country. Canadians work to improve their lives and society.

A key factor for success as a multicultural society is compromise and co-operation. Canadians understand and value compromise and national cooperation. In a country as large and diverse as Canada, people must be able to ignore small conflicts in order to live happily and peacefully

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CANADIAN WEATHER

Most of Canada has four distinct seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Temperatures and conditions differ from season to season and vary from one extreme to another. In summer, Canada can be very hot, and in the winter you could freeze if you are not properly dressed.

The best way to cope with Canada's changing weather is to be prepared. Read or listen to weather reports in newspapers, or on the many radio and television stations available. You can then dress yourself and your children for comfort no matter what the weather.

Canada measures temperature using the Celsius (Centigrade) thermometer, while the United States uses the Fahrenheit scale.

Spring

Spring is a rainy season in most parts of Canada and it starts on March 21. The average daytime temperatures rise steadily, but nights remain cool. In southern Canada, the first flowers usually bloom in March. New leaves do not appear on the trees until April or May. However, spring may arrive up to two months earlier in Vancouver and Victoria. These cities on the southern West Coast have the shortest and mildest winter in Canada.

Summer

Summer officially begins on June 21, but July and August represent the "summer" season for most Canadians. In summer the weather is usually very warm in most parts of the country. In southern Canada, daytime temperatures normally stay above 20 degrees Celsius, and can sometimes rise above 30 degrees.

Autumn

Autumn in Canada is also called "Fall". Autumn begins when the first frost occurs overnight, and is most common after the mid-September. By late September and early October, the leaves of trees change colour and fall to the ground. Only trees with needles (coniferous trees) stay green all year around. Autumn can be a very rainy season. Snowfall begins usually in November in most areas, except in the southern region of the West Coast.

Winter

December, January, February and March are Canada's winter months, and the temperature usually stays below freezing (0 degrees Celsius) day and night. Temperatures in some parts of the Canada can drop below -25 degrees Celsius.

In Vancouver and Victoria, the temperature only drops below freezing for a few days at a time in the months of December and January, while the rest of Canada will most likely have snow on the ground from late December to the middle of March.

Winter is colder and lasts longer the further north you travel. In the winter months, the wind-chill temperature is often much lower than the actual air temperature. The wind-chill temperature warns you about how cold the air feels when it is windy.

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CANADIAN ECONOMY

With a population of more than 30 million, and a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of more than $830 billion in 1997, Canada is one of the world's largest economies. As a member of the G-7 group of leading industrialized countries, Canada enjoys an enviable standard of living, an excellent infrastructure, a highly educated and skilled-labour force, and a well-deserved reputation as a successful trading nation. Canada has a diversified economy. Resource industries such as forestry, mining, energy, agriculture and fishing are an important source of jobs and wealth. Canada is also recognized as a world leader in high technology areas such as communications.

The Canadian economy is strong. Since 1994, growth, low inflation, stable unit labour costs, improved cost competitiveness, record exports, and a healthy level of business investment have characterized Canada's economic performance.

Among the G-7 countries - the most developed economies in the world - Canada ranks highly in per capita purchasing power.  As well, Canada continues to maintain one of the lowest inflation rates in the world.

Looking ahead, both the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the International Monetary Fund say that Canada will be among the fastest-growing industrial economies in the coming  years. Canada's economy is responding to the challenge of global competition and changing needs. More and more jobs involve working with people and information. Service industries are increasingly important throughout the World, and this sector is flourishing in Canada.

Canada has always been known for the sophistication and strength of its financial markets. The Canadian financial services sector is made up of a variety of institutional players and markets. Each of Canada's federally chartered Banks provide numerous, and in many cases, competing products and services to domestic and foreign customers. It is stable, sophisticated and internationally competitive. The financial sector employs over half a million people, or about 3.5 percent of working Canadians, and contributes about 8 percent to Canada's GDP.

With assets in excess of $1 trillion, chartered Banks form the heart of Canada's financial services sector. They have approximately 8,000 branches throughout the country and an active presence in about 60 foreign countries. The country's six largest banks rank among the top 100 banks worldwide. Canada has therefore, lots of opportunities for business and career enhancements.

The "Dollar" is the basic unit of money in Canada. The most common paper bills are the $5, $10 and $20, but $50 and $100 bills are also used. Canadian coins include the: penny (one cent); nickel (five cents); dime (ten cents); quarter (twenty-five cents); one-dollar coin (called the "Loonie", $1); and, a two-dollar coin (called the "Toonie", $2).

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