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P:CA

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

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Introduction

Flag and Arms of Canada

Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's second-largest country by total area, with the world's longest coastline. Its border with the United States is the world's longest international land border. The country is characterized by a wide range of both meteorologic and geological regions. With a population of just over 41 million people, it has widely varying population densities, with the majority residing in urban areas and large areas of the country being sparsely populated. Canada's capital is Ottawa and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

Canada is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy in the Westminster tradition. The country's head of government is the prime minister, who holds office by virtue of their ability to command the confidence of the elected House of Commons and is appointed by the governor general, representing the monarch of Canada, the ceremonial head of state. The country is a Commonwealth realm and is officially bilingual (English and French) in the federal jurisdiction. It is very highly ranked in international measurements of government transparency, quality of life, economic competitiveness, innovation, education and human rights. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration. Canada's long and complex relationship with the United States has had a significant impact on its history, economy, and culture.

A developed country, Canada has a high nominal per capita income globally and its advanced economy ranks among the largest in the world by nominal GDP, relying chiefly upon its abundant natural resources and well-developed international trade networks. Recognized as a middle power, Canada's strong support for multilateralism and internationalism has been closely related to its foreign relations policies of peacekeeping and aid for developing countries. Canada is part of multiple international organizations and forums. (Full article...)

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Featured article - show another

Northern terminus of glacier in July 2006

The Illecillewaet Glacier /ˌɪləˈsɪləwət/ is a glacier in British Columbia, Canada. It is located inside Glacier National Park in the Selkirk Mountains, a sub-range of the Columbia Mountains. After the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) near the glacier's terminus, and the building of a hotel nearby, the glacier became a prominent tourist destination in the Canadian west. Easily accessible by road and railway, it is one of the most-studied glaciers in North America. Its retreat over the last one hundred years has been extensively documented. (Full article...)

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See also: historic events and sites

Featured biography - show another

McAdams in 2016

Rachel Anne McAdams (born November 17, 1978) is a Canadian actress. After graduating from a theatre degree program at York University in 2001, she worked in Canadian television and film productions, such as the drama film Perfect Pie (2002), for which she received a Genie Award nomination, the comedy film My Name Is Tanino (2002), and the comedy series Slings & Arrows (2003–2005), for which she won a Gemini Award. (Full article...)

More featured Canadian biographies

See also: historically significant biographies

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Wintery sunrise (and sunset) at 3PM in January over March Lake, Yukon

Credit: grampymoose

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National symbol - show another

Royal Coat of Arms of Canada

Canadian heraldry is the cultural tradition and style of coats of arms and other heraldic achievements in both modern and historic Canada. It includes national, provincial, and civic arms, noble and personal arms, ecclesiastical heraldry, heraldic displays as corporate logos, and Canadian blazonry. (Full article...)

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The wildlife of Canada or biodiversity of Canada consist of over 80,000 classified species, and an equal number thought yet to be recognized. Known fauna and flora have been identified from five kingdoms: protozoa represent approximately 1% of recorded species; chromist (approximately 4); fungis (approximately 16%); plants (approximately 11%); and animals (approximately 68%). Insects account for nearly 70 percent of documented animal species in Canada. More than 300 species are found exclusively in Canada. (Full article...)

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Blue Jay – Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada
Credit: Mdf

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Current events

February 3, 2025 – Second Trump tariffs: 2025 United States trade war with Canada and Mexico; Canada–United States relations; Ontario Premier Doug Ford announces Ontario will end contracts with the Starlink program unless the United States lifts its tariffs on Canada. (BBC News); Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces that U.S. tariffs would be delayed by at least 30 days, following a call with United States President Donald Trump. (DW)
February 1, 2025 – Second Trump tariffs: Canada–United States relations, Mexico–United States relations, 2025 United States–Canada–Mexico trade war; United States President Donald Trump signs an executive order imposing a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico. (NBC News)

Past Canadian events

Did you know - show another

... that a Sunday afternoon phone call to Ken Battle laid the foundations for the Canadian Child Benefit program?
... that Mount Churchill, a volcano in Alaska, distributed ash as far as Europe and may have driven migration from Canada to southwestern North America?
... that the relative rarity of the radiodont Titanokorys (video featured) in Marble Canyon suggests that the deposits in which it was found may represent the outermost edge of its distribution in life?
... that Banner in the Sky inspired a Canadian dentist to climb the Matterhorn?
... that when Ralph Sazio, a Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductee, visited Boston University to scout a player, he became so impressed by Dave Viti that he signed him instead?
... that the shores of Kesagami Lake in Kesagami Provincial Park (northern Ontario, Canada) are surrounded by "exceptional" peat cliffs reaching 4 metres (13 ft) in height?
... that Canadian running back Chase Brown ranked second in American college football with 1,643 rushing yards in 2022?

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Canada's national parks are protected areas under the Canada National Parks Act, owned by the Government of Canada and administered for the benefit, education, and enjoyment of the people of Canada and its future generations. National parks are administered by Parks Canada, a Crown agency operating under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. The goal of the national parks system is to set aside lands representing the country's 39 distinct natural regions described in the National Parks System Plan, primarily to protect the ecological integrity of the land, and secondarily to allow the public to explore, learn about and enjoy Canada's natural spaces. (Full article...)