Is Canada A Country?

A country is a geographic region with a distinct national entity, political characteristics, legal jurisdiction, and defined boundaries. A country might be sovereign or occupied by another country.Most countries are sovereign states that govern themselves. A country is formed by the merger of several states, separation from another country, or the ownership of unclaimed land. Countries are run by governments through a system of governance.

Is Canada A Country?

Canada is a country in North America. It is located north of the United States. Canada is made up of three territories and ten provinces. Canadian territory extends from the Pacific in the east to the Atlantic in the west and northwards into the Arctic. Canada's 3.85 million square miles makes it the second largest country after Russia. The US-Canada southern border is the longest bi-national land border. Canada is governed by a parliamentary system of governance but the Monarchy of Canada forms the foundation of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches. Although the office of the Canadian monarchy is different from the monarchy of the United Kingdom they are held by the same person by virtue of Canada being a former colony of the UK. Queen Elizabeth serves as the head of state while the Prime Minister serves as the head of government. The Governor General represents the Monarch in the country.

History Of Canada

The Indigenous people of Canada are the Inuit, First Nations, and the Metis. The early settlers are thought to have migrated from Siberia by crossing the Bering land bridge 14 millenniums ago. In the late 15th century, Italian explorer John Cabot reached the Atlantic coast and by the early 16th century, Portuguese and Basques had established whaling and fishing outposts along the coast. In 1534, Jacques Cartier claimed the territory adjacent to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and named it New France. In 1538, Humphrey Gilbert established the First English colony in North America . In the early 17th century Samuel de Champlain established the first European permanent settlement. The Southern boundary with the United States was demarcated after the American War of Independence that also led to a major migration of British loyalist to the Canadian side of the border.

Modern Canada

Present-day Canada is a developed country. It is the tenth largest economy with a GDP of about $1.56 trillion. Slightly more than 35 million people live in the country with Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta accounting for 90% of the population. Ottawa is the capital city but Ontario is the largest. The provision of public service is among the best in the world and the country ranks high in the global livability index. A majority of the people in the country are Canadian (32.32%), English (18.34%) Scottish (13.93%) French (13.55%) and Irish (13.43%). English and French are the official languages of Canada.