WHY CANADA?
     

Canada is one the leading G•7 Nations and the second largest country in the world with a population of approximately 30 million people. It is a highly developed country, with excellent working conditions, an outstanding education system, a very high standard of living and a health care system ranked one of the best in the world. The United Nations has ranked Canada the best place to live for five consecutive years. Their surveys are based on quality of life, educational opportunities, unemployment , crime rates, and life expectancy.

Canada is a country composed of immigrants from practically every country in the world. Canada's success is largely due to the contributions made by these immigrants. Each year, Canada welcomes more than 200,000 new immigrants. The diversified backgrounds and cultures are what makes Canada unique. Multiculturalism is promoted to help maintain this unique "melting pot".

No matter where you come from, once you are a landed immigrant you have all the rights of a Canadian citizen. These rights are protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Should you wish to become a citizen, you can do so after you have lived in Canada for three years. As a Canadian citizen, you can apply for a Canadian passport and you are eligible to vote.

 
FACTS
 
• Population 32,270,500 (2005)
• Second•largest country in the world (Russian Federation is the largest)
•10 provinces and 3 territories (capital cities are in brackets).
• Capital city of Canada • Ottawa (Ontario)
•Emblem • maple leaf
•Flag • red and white with a red maple leaf
•Canada's birthday is on the first of July.
•Animal • the beaver
•Motto • "From sea to sea"
•National anthem • "O Canada"
•RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) • the national police force
•There are six time zones
•Democratic system of government
•Parliament of Canada is in Ottawa, Ontario
•Canadian dollar (Can$). One Canadian dollar equals 100 cents. There are coins of 1, 5, 10, and 25 cents as well as 1 and 2 dollar coins. Paper currency comes in denominations of Can$1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100.
•Canada is on the continent of North America. •Canada has the world's longest coastline.
•Total area of 9.9 million square kilometers (3.8 million square miles). This includes 755,170 square kilometers (291,571 square miles) of water. The country touches 3 oceans—the Atlantic, the Arctic, and the Pacific—and its coastline is 243,791 kilometers (151,473 miles) long.
The first people were the Aboriginal people.
•Canada was named by the French explorer Jacques Cartier (1535).
•The name "Canada" comes from the Huron and Iroquois word "Kanata" meaning "village".
•Forests, plants, animals and fish are some of Canada's renewable resources.
•Minerals, metal, natural gas, and oil are some of Canada's nonrenewable resources.
•Hockey is the national sport of Canada.