Canada
Updated: Oct 2, 2022
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Country Name
Canada
Location
It is located in the northern part of North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, Canada's southern border with the United States is the world's longest bi-national land border.
Canada is the second-largest country by total area.
Capital
Ottawa.
Reason for Naming the country
The word "Canada" comes from the St. Lawrence Iroquoian word Kanata, meaning "village" or "settlement".
In 1535, indigenous inhabitants of the present-day Quebec City region used the word to direct French explorer Jacques Cartier to the village of Stadacona. Cartier later used the word Canada to refer not only to that particular village but to the entire area subject to Donnacona (the chief at Stadacona). By 1545, European books and maps had begun referring to this small region along the Saint Lawrence River as Canada.
Flag
The Canadian flag was adopted on February 15, 1965.
Canada’s national flag consists of three vertical stripes of red and white.
There are two red vertical stripes on the hoist and fly sides and one white stripe in the center which is wider than the red stripes on either side.
The red color is used to symbolize prosperity and hope.
The white color is used to reflect the equality of the nation, while also representing peace and tranquility.
There is also an 11-pointed red maple leaf centered in the middle of the white band. This maple leaf represents the cultural heritage of Canada and the vast natural resources found within its borders.
A nickname for the flag is “L’Unifolie,” French for “the one-leafed", it is also known as the Canadian flag or the Maple Leaf flag.
Flag Facts:
- The flag of Canada is similar to the flag of Peru.
Language
Canada has two official languages: English and French.
English is the mother tongue of about 59% of the population while French is the mother tongue of about 23% of the population.
18% of the population has more than one mother tongue or their mother tongue is not English or French.
Only In Quebec, French is the official language.
Canada is also home to a large immigrant population, which has conserved its native languages. Because of this, a large number of minority languages are used in Canada today. The most widely spoken of these languages are Spanish, Italian, and German.
Other minority languages spoken in this country include Cantonese, Punjabi, Arabic, Dutch, and Tagalog.
Religion
Canada is religiously diverse. A majority of Canadians are Christians who identify as Roman Catholic, making up approximately 39% of the population. 29% identify as Protestants, which are further divided into a variety of branches including Adventists, Anabaptists, Anglicans, Baptists, Calvinists, Lutherans, Methodists, and Pentecostals. 24% of Canadians are currently atheists or agnostic, and these do not follow any religion at all.
The Islamic religion comes in second place after Christianity by more than 2.5%, followed by Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism.
The majority of Canadians consider religion to be unimportant in their daily lives but still believe in God.
Freedom of religion in Canada is a constitutionally protected right, allowing individuals to assemble and worship without limitation or interference
Currency
Canadian Dollar (CAD).
Time Zone
Canada has 6 standard time zones with 6 corresponding Daylight Savings Time (DST) time zones.
-02:30 GMT to
-08:00 GMT.
Government Regime
Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy.