A Few Canadian Facts

Here are a few facts about Canada.

* United Nations consistently lists Canada as one of the best places to live in the world. Four years in a row, the United Nations chose Canada as the best country in the world in which to live based on their evaluation of the quality of life in 174 countries using various indicators such as education, medical care and safety.

*2nd largest country in the world with approximately 32 million people.

* There are ten provinces and three territories within the boundaries of Canada. Here is a list of the provinces and territories and their capitals.

Provinces :
Alberta (Edmonton), British Columbia (Victoria), Manitoba (Winnipeg), New Brunswick (Fredericton), Newfoundland and Labrador(St. John's), Nova Scotia (Halifax), Ontario (Toronto), Prince Edward Island (Charlottetown), Quebec (Quebec City), Saskatchewan (Regina)Territories : Yukon (Whitehorse), Nunavut (Iqaluit), Northwest Territories (Yellowknife.)

* According to the 2006 Canadian Census, there are over a million Aboriginal people living in Canada. They include:

Three Aboriginal groups : First Nations, Métis and Inuit

Eastern Canada : the Maliseet, Algonquin, Iroquois, Micmac, Huron and Ojibwa
The Plains : Blackfoot, Cree and Assiniboine
Pacific Coast : Kwakiutl, Bella Coola, and Haida
Northern regions : Dene, Tsimshian and Slavey peoples
Arctic region : the Inuit

Canada is the home of many great inventions, including: basketball, the electric light bulb, the electric range, the electron microscope, standard time, the television, the telephone, and the zipper.

Although it’s the second-largest country in the world, Canada is one of the least densely populated. According to Statistics Canada, the population in 2006 was about 32,623,500 people — an average 3.5 inhabitants per square kilometre. Most of Canada’s population — 80% — lives less than 250 kilometres from the U.S. border.

I'm very lucky to live in Canada. It is one of the best countries in the world in which to live, according to the United Nations. Though it is a young country, it has much to offer the people who live here as well as visitors from other countries.

Have a great week.