История канады на английском языке с переводом. Canada - Канада (2), устная тема по английскому языку с переводом. Топик. Канада — общие сведения

Canada is the world’s second largest country by total area. It is situated in North America and borders with the USA. The country also shares sea borders with Denmark and France. It consists of 10 provinces and 3 territories. Canada is a developed country, one of the wealthiest in the world. It is well-known for its cultural and ethnical diversity, as well as for numerous national parks and historic sites. The country is bilingual: English and French are officially accepted languages. The capital of the country is Ottawa, but the largest city is Toronto. Other prominent cities are Montreal, Calgary, Quebec and Vancouver. Every year millions of tourists visit Canada to explore its sights. A must-see list contains Niagara Falls, the Rocky Mountains, the Great Lakes, the CN Tower, Banff National Park, Whistler, Churchill, Nova Scotia and many other interesting places.

Some of the most significant natural attractions in Canada are situated right on the border with the USA. Niagara Falls in Ontario is perhaps the first sight that people picture when thinking of Canada. This place receives more than 12 million visitors a year. It is not only one waterfall; it’s a collective name for three waterfalls at the border of Canada and the USA. The largest one, called ‘Horseshoe Falls’ is located on Canadian side. That’s why some people call it ‘Canadian Falls’. The Rocky Mountains are on the list of Canadian top attractions. It’s a major mountain range in western North America. The Canadian segment of this range is more commonly called the Canadian Rockies. The highest peaks are Mount Robson and Mount Columbia. The area of the range is protected by parks. The Great Lakes are a series of interconnected freshwater lakes at the Canadian-US border. There are 5 lakes which connect to the Atlantic Ocean through the seaway. The largest of them, Lake Superior, is considered to be the largest continental lake in the world.

The tallest free standing structure of Western Hemisphere is also situated in Canada. It’s the CN Tower in downtown Toronto. It’s a signature icon of city’s skyline and a symbol of the country. Tourists are attracted to this tower to get a bird’s eye view of Toronto. Banff National Park is one of the most famous attractive tourist destinations in Alberta, the province of Canada. It’s not only a national treasure, but one of the parks in the Canadian Rockies. Visitors can hike, ski, camp, fish, ride a bike and simple relax there. The well-known Lake Louise is also within the park’s border. Tourists, who are in fond of winter sports, will appreciate the resort town of Whistler . It’s one of the best ski destinations in the world. The scenic view of the area becomes even more spectacular thanks to two mountains: Whistler and Blackcomb. Churchill in Manitoba draws huge crowds of visitors every year. It’s a small town on the Hudson Bay shores, which is known as the Polar Bear Capital and Beluga Whale Capital. It is also one of the best spots to catch a glimpse of Aurora Borealis. Nova Scotia is rather attractive for tourists. Located almost halfway between the Equator and the North Pole, it is the second-smallest province in Canada. It includes Cape Breton Island and more than 3,000 islets. Nova Scotia has many ethnic museums and heritage centers. It is also home to two national parks: Kejimkujik and Cape Breton Highlands. One of its frequently visited sites is the iconic Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse.

Canada (2)

Canada is situated on the north of Northern America, washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the east, the Pacific Ocean in the west, and the Arctic Ocean in the north and in the northeast by the Baffin Bay and the Davis Strait, which separate it from Greenland, In the south and in the north Canada borders on the USA. It is a land of vast distances and rich natural resources. Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the British crown. Canada"s territory is the world"s second largest country, surpassed in size only by Russia. It includes many islands, notably the Canadian Arctic Islands, also called Arctic Archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. Economically and technologically the nation has developed in parallel with the US, its neighbour to the south. The total area is about 10 million sq km. Canada is slightly larger than the US. It is an important manufacturer, and its major cities, such as Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg are centres of commerce and industry.

The climate of Canada varies from temperate in the south to subarctic and arctic in the north. The highest Canadian point is Mount Logan 5,959 m. The population of Canada is about 32 million people. There are two state languages: English and French. English is spoken by 60 % of population; French is spoken by 23 % of people.

Most of Canada"s inhabitants live in the southern part of the country and vast areas of the north are sparsely inhabited. The country is divided into ten provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan) and three territories (Northwest Territories, Yukon Territory, Nunavut Territory). The third territory called Nunavut, to be carved from the present Northwest Territories, was created in 1999.
The name Canada is derived from an Iroquoian term meaning «village».

Among the great rivers of Canada there are the Saint Lawrence River, draining the Great Lakes and emptying into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence; the Ottawa and the Saguenay rivers, the principal affluents of the Saint Lawrence River; the Saint John River, emptying into the Bay of Fundy.

The government type is confederation with parliamentary democracy. The capital of Canada is Ottawa.

Canada became independent from the United Kingdom on July, 1, 1867. Legal system is based on the English common law, except in Quebec, where civil law system based on the French law prevails.

The racial and ethnic makeup of the Canadian people is diversified. About 35 percent of the population is composed of people of the British origin. People of the French origin total about 25 percent of the population. The vast majority of French-speaking Canadians reside in Quebec, where they make up about three-fourths of the population; large numbers also live in Ontario and New Brunswick.

French-speaking Canadians maintain their language, culture, and traditions, and the federal government follows the policy of a bilingual and bicultural nation. During the 1970s and 1980s the proportion of Asians among the Canadian population increased, and today those who count their ancestry as wholly Asian make up 8 to 10 percent of the population. More than two-thirds of the Asian immigrants live in Ontario or British Columbia. The remainder of the population is composed of people of various ethnic groups, such as German, Italian, Ukrainian, Netherlands Dutch, Scandinavian, Polish, Hungarian, Greek, and Native American. Blacks have never constituted\a major segment of the Canadian population. Indigenous people make up nearly 2 percent of Canada"s inhabitants.

The largest religious community in Canada is Roman Catholic. Nearly half of Canadians who are Roman Catholic live in Quebec. Of the Protestant denominations in Canada the largest is the United Church of Canada, followed by the Anglican Church of Canada. Other important Protestant groups are the Baptist, Presbyterian and Lutheran. Nearly 2 percent of the population are Orthodox. Muslim and Jewish adherents each number about 1 percent. A substantial number of Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs have been brought to the country in recent years by immigration. Nearly 13 percent of Canadians claim no religion.

Канада (2)

Канада расположена в северной части Северной Америки, омывается Атлантическим Океаном на востоке, Тихим океаном на западе и Северным Ледовитым океаном на севере и на северо-востоке, заливом Баффина и проливом Девиса, которые отделяют ее от острова Гренландия* На юге и на севере Канада граничит с США. Канада является землей огромных расстояний и богатых природных ресурсов. Канада стала самоуправляющимся доминионом в 1867 году, сохраняя при этом связи с британской короной.

Канада является второй по величине страной в мире, уступая по размеру только России. Ее территория включает много островов, особенно канадские Арктические острова, также называемые Арктическим архипелагом в Северном Ледовитом океане. Экономически и технологически нация развилась параллельно с США, своим южным соседом.

Общая площадь территории - приблизительно 10 миллионов кв. км. Канада немногим больше, чем США. Страна является важным производителем, а ее главные города, такие как Торонто, Монреаль, Ванкувер, Оттава, Эдмонтон, Калгари и Виннипег являются центрами торговли и промышленности.

Климат Канады меняется от умеренного на юге до субарктического и арктического на севере. Самая высокая точка Канады - гора Маунт Логан - 5959 м. Население Канады - приблизительно 32 миллиона человек. В Канаде два государственных языка: английский и французский. На английском языке говорят 60 % населения, на французском языке говорят 23 % населения.

Большинство жителей Канады живут в южной части страны, а обширные северные области практически не заселены. Страна разделена на десять провинций (Альберта, Британская Колумбия. Мантоба, Новый Брансвик, Ньюфаундленд, Новая Скотия, Онтарио, Принц Эдвард Исланд, Квебек, Саскатчевань) и три территории (Северо-западная территория, территория Юкон, территория Нунавут). Третья территория Нунавут была создана в 1999 году путем отделения от уже существующей Северо-западной территории.

Название Канада происходит от ирокезского термина «деревня».

Среди самых больших рек Канады - река Святого Лаврентия, текущая из Великих озер и впадающая в залив Святого Лаврентия, Оттава и Сагенай, основные притоки реки Святого Лаврентия; река Сейнт Джон (Святой Джон) впадает в залив Фанди.

Тип правительства - конфедерация с парламентской демократией. Столица Канады - Оттава. Согласно административному делению в Канаде есть 10 провинций и 3 территории.

Канада стала независимой от Великобритании 1 июля 1867 года. Юридическая система основана на английском общем праве, кроме территории Квебек, где преобладает система гражданского права, основанная на французском законодательстве.

Расовый и этнический состав населения Канады разнообразен. Приблизительно 35 процентов населения составляют люди британского происхождения. Люди французского происхождения составляют приблизительно 25 процентов от общего числа населения. Подавляющее большинство французоговорящих канадцев проживает в Квебеке, где они составляют примерно три четверти всего населения; многие живут в Онтарио и Новом Брансвике.

Говорящие на французском языке канадцы хранят свой язык, культуру и традиции, а федеральное правительство следует политике двуязычной нации, основанной на двух культурах. В течение 1970-х и 1980-х годов среди канадского населения возросло количество азиатов, и сегодня те, кто считают свое происхождение полностью азиатским, составляют от 8 до 10 процентов всего населения. Более двух третьих иммигрантов-азиатов живут в Онтарио, или Британской Колумбии. Остальная часть населения представлена людьми различных этнических групп, таких как немцы, итальянцы, украинцы, голландцы, скандинавы, поляки, венгры, греки и коренные американцы. Чернокожие никогда не
составляли существенную часть канадского населений- Местные народы составляют почти 2 процента от общего числа жителей Канады.

Самым большим религиозным сообществом в Канаде является римско-католическое сообщество. Почти половина его членов проживает в Квебеке. Из протестантских сообществ в Канаде самым большим является Объединенная церковь Канады, за которой следует Англиканская церковь Канады. Другие важные Протестантские сообщества - баптисты, пресвитериане, лютеранцы. Почти 2 процента от всего населения исповедуют православие. Мусульмане и евреи насчитывают каждый приблизительно по 1 проценту от общего числа населения. Иммиграция последних лет принесла в страну значительное число буддистов, индусов и сикхов. Почти 13 процентов канадцев заявляет, что не исповедуют никакой религии.

Questions:

1. Where is Canada situated?
2. When did Canada become an independent dominion?
3. What size does Canada have?
4. What is the highest Canadian point?
5. How many people live in Canada?
6. How many people speak English?
7. How many people speak French?
8. How many provinces are there in Canada?
9. Are there indigenous people in Canada?
10. What is the largest religious community in Canada?

Vocabulary:
to wash - омывать
the Arctic Ocean - Северный Ледовитый океан
border - граница
vast - обширный, громадный; безбрежный
natural resource - природные ресурсы
self-governing dominion - доминион под самоуправлением
crown - корона
to surpass - превосходить, превышать
notably - весьма, заметно, очень, сильно
neighbour - сосед
slightly - мало, незначительно, слегка
commerce - коммерция, торговля
to vary - изменять(ся), менять(ся); отличаться
temperate - умеренный (о климате и т. п.)
subarctic - субарктический
sparsely - редко, негусто
to inhabit - населять, заселять
to be derived from - происходить от
Iroquoian - ирокезский
to drain - отводить воду, осуществлять дренаж
to empty into - зд. впадать
the Gulf of Saint Lawrence - залив Святого Лаврентия
the Ottawa - река Оттава
the Saguenay - река Сагенай
affluent - приток (реки)
confederation - конфедерация
to prevail - преобладать, господствовать
makeup - состав, строение
to diversify - разнообразить; изменять
to be composed of - состоять из
origin - происхождение
majority - большинство
to reside - пребывать, находиться
to maintain - поддерживать
bilingual - двуязычный
to increase - возрастать, увеличивать(ся); расти
ancestry - предки, прародители
indigenous - аборигенный, местный, туземный
Roman Catholic - римско-католический; католик
the United Church of Canada - Объединенная церковь Канады
the Anglican Church of Canada - Англиканская церковь Канады
the Baptist - баптисты
Presbyterian - пресвитерианин (представитель пресвитерианства - религиозного течения, являющегося разновидностью кальвинизма в англоязычных странах)
Lutheran - лютеране
Orthodox -релиз, православный
Muslim - мусульманин
-ewish - иудей
adherent - приверженец, сторонник
Buddhist - буддист
Hindus - индус
Sikh - сикх (последователи сикхизма, секты в индуизме)
to claim - заявлять, утверждать

Canada, independent nation (2001 pop. 30,007,094), 3,851,787 sq mi (9,976,128 sq km), N North America. Canada occupies all of North America N of the United States (and E of Alaska) except for Greenland and the French islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon. It is bounded on the E by the Atlantic Ocean, on the N by the Arctic Ocean, and on the W by the Pacific Ocean and Alaska. A transcontinental border, formed in part by the Great Lakes, divides Canada from the United States; Nares and Davis straits separate Canada from Greenland. The Arctic Archipelago extends far into the Arctic Ocean.

Canada is a federation of 10 provinces- Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia -and three territories- Nunavut , the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon Territory. Canada"s capital is Ottawa and its largest city is Toronto. Other important cities include Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Hamilton, and Quebec.

Land

Canada has a very long and irregular coastline; Hudson Bay and the Gulf of St. Lawrence indent the east coast and the Inside Passage extends along the west coast. The ice-clogged straits between the islands of N Canada form the Northwest Passage. During the Ice Age all of Canada was covered by a continental ice sheet that scoured and depressed the land surface, leaving a covering of glacial drift, depositional landforms, and innumerable lakes and rivers. Aside from the Great Lakes, which are only partly in the country, the largest lakes of North America-Great Bear, Great Slave, and Winnipeg-are entirely in Canada. The St. Lawrence is the chief river of E Canada. The Saskatchewan, Nelson, Churchill, and Mackenzie river systems drain central Canada, and the Columbia, Fraser, and Yukon rivers drain the western part of the country.

Canada has a bowl-shaped geologic structure rimmed by highlands, with Hudson Bay at the lowest point. The country has eight major physiographic regions-the Canadian Shield, the Hudson Bay Lowlands, the Western Cordillera, the Interior Lowlands, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands, the Appalachians, the Arctic Lowlands, and the Innuitians.

The exposed portions of the Canadian Shield cover more than half of Canada. This once-mountainous region, which contains the continent"s oldest rocks, has been worn low by erosion over the millennia. Its upturned eastern edge is indented by fjords. The Shield is rich in minerals, especially iron and nickel, and in potential sources of hydroelectric power. In the center of the Shield are the Hudson Bay Lowlands, encompassing Hudson Bay and the surrounding marshy land.

The Western Cordillera, a geologically young mountain system parallel to the Pacific coast, is composed of a series of north-south tending ranges and valleys that form the highest and most rugged section of the country; Mt. Logan (19,551 ft/5,959 m) is the highest point in Canada. Part of this region is made up of the Rocky Mts. and the Coast Mts., which are separated by plateaus and basins. The islands off W Canada are partially submerged portions of the Coast Mts. The Western Cordillera is also rich in minerals and timber and potential sources of hydroelectric power.

Between the Rocky Mts. and the Canadian Shield are the Interior Lowlands, a vast region filled with sediment from the flanking higher lands. The Lowlands are divided into the prairies, the plains, and the Mackenzie Lowlands. The prairies are Canada"s granary, while grazing is important on the plains.

The smallest and southernmost region is the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands, Canada"s heartland. Dominated by the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes, the region provides a natural corridor into central Canada, and the St. Lawrence Seaway gives the interior cities access to the Atlantic. This section, which is composed of gently rolling surface on sedimentary rocks, is the location of extensive farmlands, large industrial centers, and most of Canada"s population. In SE Canada and on Newfoundland is the northern end of the Appalachian Mt. system, an old and geologically complex region with a generally low and rounded relief.

The Arctic Lowlands and the Innuitians are the most isolated areas of Canada and are barren and snow-covered for most of the year. The Arctic Lowlands comprise much of the Arctic Archipelago and contain sedimentary rocks that may have oil-bearing strata. In the extreme north, mainly on Ellesmere Island, is the Innuitian Mt. system, which rises to c.10,000 ft (3,050 m).

Canada"s climate is influenced by latitude and topography. The Interior Lowlands make it possible for polar air masses to move south and for subtropical air masses to move north into Canada. Hudson Bay and the Great Lakes act to modify the climate locally. The Western Cordillera serves as a climatic barrier that prevents polar air masses from reaching the Pacific coast and blocks the moist Pacific winds from reaching into the interior. The Cordillera has a typical highland climate that varies with altitude; the western slopes receive abundant rainfall, and the whole region is forested. The Interior Lowlands are in the rain shadow of the Cordillera; the southern portion has a steppe climate in which grasses predominate. S Canada has a temperate climate, with snow in the winter (especially in the east) and cool summers. Farther to the north, extending to the timberline, is the humid subarctic climate characterized by short summers and a snow cover for about half the year. The huge boreal forest, the largest surviving remnant of the extensive forests that once covered much of North America, predominates in this region. On the Arctic Archipelago and the northern mainland is the tundra, with its mosses and lichen, permafrost, near-year-round snow cover, and ice fields. A noted phenomenon off the coast of E Canada is the persistence of dense fog, which is formed when the warm air over the Gulf Stream passes over the cold Labrador Current as the two currents meet off Newfoundland.

People

About 40% of the Canadian population are of British descent, while 27% are of French origin. Another 20% are of other European background, about 10% are of E or SE Asian origin, and some 3% are of aboriginal or Metis (mixed aboriginal and European) background. In the late 1990s, Canada had the highest immigration rate of any country in the world, with more than half the total coming from Asia. Over 75% of the total population live in cities. Canada has complete religious liberty, though its growing multiculturalism has at times caused tensions among ethnic and religious groups. About 45% of the people are Roman Catholics, while some 40% are Protestant (the largest groups being the United Church of Canada, Anglicans, and Presbyterians). English and French are the official languages, and federal documents are published in both languages. In 1991, about 61% of Canadians cited English as their mother tongue, while 24% cited French.

Economy

Since World War II the development of Canada"s manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has led to the creation of an affluent society. Services now account for 66% of the GDP, while industry accounts for 31%. Tourism and financial services represent some of Canada"s most important industries within the service sector. However, manufacturing is Canada"s single most important economic activity. The leading products are transportation equipment, pulp and paper, processed foods, chemicals, primary and fabricated metals, petroleum, electrical and electronic products, wood products, printed materials, machinery, clothing, and nonmetallic minerals. Industries are centered in Ontario, Quebec, and, to a lesser extent, British Columbia and Alberta. Canada"s industries depend on the country"s rich energy resources, which include hydroelectric power, petroleum, natural gas, coal, and uranium.

Canada is a leading mineral producer, although much of its mineral resources are difficult to reach due to permafrost. It is the world"s largest source of nickel, zinc, and uranium, and a major source of lead, asbestos, gypsum, potash, tantalum, and cobalt. Other important mineral resources are petroleum, natural gas, copper, gold, iron ore, coal, silver, diamonds, molybdenum, and sulfur. The mineral wealth is located in many areas; some of the most productive regions are Sudbury, Ont. (copper and nickel); Timmins, Ont. (lead, zinc, and silver); and Kimberley, British Columbia (lead, zinc, and silver). Petroleum and natural gas are found in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Agriculture employs about 3% of the population and contributes a similar percentage of the GDP. The sources of the greatest farm income are livestock and dairy products. Among the biggest income-earning crops are wheat, oats, barley, corn, and canola. Canada is one of the world"s leading agricultural exporters, especially of wheat. Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta are the great grain-growing provinces, and, with Ontario, are also the leading sources of beef cattle. The main fruit-growing regions are found in Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. Apples and peaches are the principal fruits grown in Canada. More than half of the total land area is forest, and Canadian timber production ranks among the highest in the world.

Fishing is an important economic activity in Canada. Cod and lobster from the Atlantic and salmon from the Pacific have been the principal catches, but the cod industry was halted in the mid-1990s due to overfishing. About 75% of the take is exported. The fur industry, once vitally important but no longer dominant in the nation"s economy, is centered in Quebec and Ontario.

A major problem for Canada is that large segments of its economy-notably in manufacturing, petroleum, and mining-are controlled by foreign, especially U.S. interests. This deprives the nation of much of the profits of its industries and makes the economy vulnerable to developments outside Canada. This situation is mitigated somewhat by the fact that Canada itself is a large foreign investor. Since the free trade agreement with the United States (effective 1989), Canadian investment in U.S. border cities, such as Buffalo, N.Y., has increased dramatically.

The United States is by far Canada"s leading trade partner, followed by Japan and Great Britain. Manufactured goods comprise the bulk of imports; crude petroleum and motor vehicles and parts rank high among both the nation"s largest imports and exports. Other important exports are newsprint, lumber, wood pulp, wheat, machinery, aluminum, natural gas, hydroelectric power, and telecommunications equipment.

Government

Canada is an independent constitutional monarchy and a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The monarch of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is also the monarch of Canada and is represented in the country by the office of governor-general. The basic constitutional document is the Canada Act of 1982, which replaced the British North America Act of 1867 and gave Canada the right to amend its own constitution. The Canada Act, passed by Great Britain, made possible the Constitution Act, 1982, which was passed in Canada. The document includes a Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees the rights of women and native peoples and protects other civil liberties.

The Canadian federal government has authority in all matters not specifically reserved to the provincial governments. The provincial governments have power in the fields of property, civil rights, education, and local government. They may levy only direct taxes. The federal government may veto any provincial law. Power on the federal level is exercised by the Canadian Parliament and the cabinet of ministers, headed by the prime minister. (See the table entitled Canadian Prime Ministers since Confederation for a list of Canada"s prime ministers.) Canada has an independent judiciary; the highest court is the Supreme Court, with nine members.

The Parliament has two houses: the Senate and the House of Commons. There are generally 104 senators, apportioned among the provinces and appointed by the governor-general upon the advice of the prime minister. Senators may serve until age 75; prior to 1965 they served for life. The 301 members of the House of Commons are elected, largely from single-member constituencies. Elections must be held at least every five years. The Commons may be dissolved and new elections held at the request of the prime minister. There are four main political parties: the Liberal party, the Conservative party (formed in 2003 by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative party), the Bloc Quebecois (aligned with the Parti Quebecois of Quebec), and the New Democratic party.

History

Early History and French-British Rivalry

Prior to the arrival of Europeans in Canada, the area was inhabited by various peoples who came from Asia via the Bering Strait more than 10,000 years ago. The Vikings landed in Canada c.AD 1000. Their arrival is described in Icelandic sagas and confirmed by archaeological discoveries in Newfoundland. John Cabot , sailing under English auspices, touched the east coast in 1497. In 1534, the Frenchman Jacques Cartier planted a cross on the Gaspe Peninsula. These and many other voyages to the Canadian coast were in search of a northwest passage to Asia. Subsequently, French-English rivalry dominated Canadian history until 1763.

The first permanent European settlement in Canada was founded in 1605 by the sieur de Monts and Samuel de Champlain at Port Royal (now Annapolis Royal , N.S.) in Acadia . A trading post was established in Quebec in 1608. Meanwhile the English, moving to support their claims under Cabot"s discoveries, attacked Port Royal (1614) and captured Quebec (1629). However, the French regained Quebec (1632), and through the Company of New France (Company of One Hundred Associates), began to exploit the fur trade and establish new settlements. The French were primarily interested in fur trading. Between 1608 and 1640, fewer than 300 settlers arrived. The sparse French settlements sharply contrasted with the relatively dense English settlements along the Atlantic coast to the south. Under a policy initiated by Champlain, the French supported the Huron in their warfare against the Iroquois; later in the 17th cent., when the Iroquois crushed the Huron, the French colony came near extinction. Exploration, however, continued.

In 1663, the Company of New France was disbanded by the French government, and the colony was placed under the rule of a royal governor, an intendant, and a bishop. The power exercised by these authorities may be seen in the careers of Louis de Buade, comte de Frontenac , Jean Talon , and Francois Xavier de Laval , the first bishop of Quebec. There was, however, conflict between the rulers, especially over the treatment of the indigenous peoples-the bishop regarding them as potential converts, the governor as means of trade. Meanwhile, both missionaries, such as Jacques Marquette , and traders, such as Pierre Radisson and Medard Chouart des Groseilliers, were extending French knowledge and influence. The greatest of all the empire builders in the west was Robert Cavelier, sieur de La Salle , who descended the Mississippi to its mouth and who envisioned the vast colony in the west that was made a reality by men like Duluth, Bienville, Iberville, and Cadillac.

The French did not go unchallenged. The English had claims on Acadia, and the Hudson"s Bay Company in 1670 began to vie for the lucrative fur trade of the West. When the long series of wars between Britain and France broke out in Europe, they were paralleled in North America by the French and Indian Wars . The Peace of Utrecht (1713) gave Britain Acadia, the Hudson Bay area, and Newfoundland. To strengthen their position the French built additional forts in the west (among them Detroit and Niagara). The decisive battle of the entire struggle took place in 1759, when Wolfe defeated Montcalm on the Plains of Abraham , bringing about the fall of Quebec to the British. Montreal fell in 1760. By the Treaty of Paris in 1763, France ceded all its North American possessions east of the Mississippi to Britain, while Louisiana went to Spain.

British North America

The French residents of Quebec strongly resented the Royal Proclamation of 1763, which imposed British institutions on them. Many of its provisions, however, were reversed by the Quebec Act (1774), which granted important concessions to the French and extended Quebec"s borders westward and southward to include all the inland territory to the Ohio and the Mississippi. This act infuriated the residents of the Thirteen Colonies (the future United States). In 1775 the American Continental Congress had as its first act not a declaration of independence but the invasion of Canada. In the American Revolution the Canadians remained passively loyal to the British crown, and the effort of the Americans to take Canada failed dismally (see Quebec campaign).

Loyalists from the colonies in revolt (see United Empire Loyalists) fled to Canada and settled in large numbers in Nova Scotia and Quebec. In 1784, the province of New Brunswick was carved out of Nova Scotia for the loyalists. The result, in Quebec, was sharp antagonism between the deeply rooted, Catholic French Canadians and the newly arrived, Protestant British. To deal with the problem the British passed the Constitutional Act (1791). It divided Quebec into Upper Canada (present-day Ontario), predominantly British and Protestant, and Lower Canada (present-day Quebec), predominantly French and Catholic. Each new province had its own legislature and institutions.

This period was also one of further exploration. Alexander Mackenzie made voyages in 1789 to the Arctic Ocean and in 1793 to the Pacific, searching for the Northwest Passage. Mariners also reached the Pacific Northwest, and such men as Capt. James Cook , John Meares, and George Vancouver secured for Britain a firm hold on what is now British Columbia. During the War of 1812, Canadian and British soldiers repulsed several American invasions. The New Brunswick boundary (see Aroostook War) and the boundary W of the Great Lakes was disputed with the United States for a time, but since the War of 1812 the long border has generally been peaceful.

Rivalry between the North West Company and the Hudson"s Bay Company erupted into bloodshed in the Red River Settlement and was resolved by amalgamation of the companies in 1821. The new Hudson"s Bay Company then held undisputed sway over Rupert"s Land and the Pacific West until U.S. immigrants challenged British possession of Oregon and obtained the present boundary (1846). After 1815 thousands of immigrants came to Canada from Scotland and Ireland.

Movements for political reform arose. In Upper Canada, William Lyon Mackenzie struggled against the Family Compact. In Lower Canada, Louis J. Papineau led the French Canadian Reform party. There were rebellions in both provinces. The British sent Lord Durham as governor-general to study the situation, and his famous report (1839) recommended the union of Upper and Lower Canada under responsible government. The two Canadas were made one province by the Act of Union (1841) and became known as Canada West and Canada East. Responsible government was achieved in 1849 (it had been granted to the Maritime Provinces in 1847), largely as a result of the efforts of Robert Baldwin and Louis H. LaFontaine.

Confederation and Nationhood

The movement for federation of all the Canadian provinces was given impetus in the 1860s by a need for common defense, the desire for some central authority to press railroad construction, and the necessity for a solution to the problem posed by Canada West and Canada East, where the British majority and French minority were in conflict. When the Maritime Provinces, which sought union among themselves, met at the Charlottetown Conference of 1864, delegates from the other provinces of Canada attended. Two more conferences were held-the Quebec Conference later in 1864 and the London Conference in 1866 in England-before the British North America Act in 1867 made federation a fact. (In 1982 this act was renamed the Constitution Act, 1867.)

The four original provinces were Ontario (Canada West), Quebec (Canada East), Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. The new federation acquired the vast possessions of the Hudson"s Bay Company in 1869. The Red River Settlement became the province of Manitoba in 1870, and British Columbia voted to joined in 1871. In 1873, Prince Edward Island joined the federation, and Alberta and Saskatchewan were admitted in 1905. Newfoundland (now Newfoundland and Labrador) joined in 1949.

Canada"s first prime minister was John A. Macdonald (served 1867-73 and 1878-91), who sponsored the Canadian Pacific Railway . In the west, religious tension and objections to lack of political representation and unfair land-grant and survey laws produced rebellions of Metis, led by Louis Riel in 1869-70 and 1884-85. The Metis were French-speaking Roman Catholics who had considered themselves a new nation combining the traditions and ancestry of Europeans and native peoples.

Under the long administration (1896-1911) of Sir Wilfrid Laurier , rising wheat prices attracted vast numbers of immigrants to the Prairie Provinces. Between 1891 and 1914, more than three million people came to Canada, largely from continental Europe, following the path of the newly constructed continental railway. In the same period, mining operations were begun in the Klondike and the Canadian Shield. Large-scale development of hydroelectric resources helped foster industrialization and urbanization.

Under the premiership of Conservative Robert L. Borden , Canada followed Britain and entered World War I. The struggle over military conscription, however, deepened the cleavage between French Canadians and their fellow citizens. During the depression that began in 1929, the Prairie Provinces were hard hit by droughts that shriveled the wheat fields. Farmers, who had earlier formed huge cooperatives, sought to press their interests through political movements such as Social Credit and the Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation (now the New Democratic party).

World War II to the Present

With W. L. Mackenzie King as prime minister, Canada played a vital role on the Allied side in World War II. Despite economic strain Canada emerged from the war with enhanced prestige and took an active role in the United Nations. Canada joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1949. Following the war, uranium, iron, and petroleum resources were exploited; uses of atomic energy were developed; and hydroelectric and thermal plants were built to produce electricity for new and expanded industries.

King was succeeded by Louis St. Laurent , the first French-speaking prime minister. John G. Diefenbaker , a Progressive Conservative, came to power in 1957. The St. Lawrence Seaway was opened in 1959. The Liberals returned to office in 1963 under Lester B. Pearson . After much bitter debate, the Canadian Parliament in 1964 approved a new national flag, with a design of a red maple leaf on a white ground, bordered by two vertical red panels. The new flag symbolized a growing Canadian nationalism that de-emphasized Canada"s ties with Great Britain. The Pearson government enacted a comprehensive social security program. The Montreal international exposition, Expo "67, opened in 1967 and was applauded for displaying a degree of taste and interest far superior to that of most such exhibitions.

Pearson was succeeded by Pierre Elliot Trudeau , a Liberal, in 1968. The Trudeau government was faced with the increasingly violent separatist movement active in Quebec in the late 1960s and early 70s. In 1968, Trudeau"s government introduced the Official Languages Bill, which encouraged bilingualism in the federal civil service. In elections in Oct., 1972, Trudeau"s Liberal party failed to win a majority, but he continued as prime minister, dependent on the small New Democratic party for votes to pass legislation; in July, 1974, the Liberals reestablished a majority, and Trudeau remained prime minister. Except for a brief period (June, 1979-Mar., 1980) when Conservative Joe Clark gained office, Trudeau was prime minister until 1984. Increased government spending and slowed industrial growth were Canada"s main problems, in addition to the continuing threat of Quebec separatism.

After Quebec voted (1980) not to leave the Canadian federation, Trudeau began a constitutional debate that culminated with the Canada Act of 1982, which made Canada fully independent from Great Britain by giving it the right to amend its own constitution. Quebec"s provincial government, however, did not accept the new constitution.

With the country reeling from the effects of a recession, Trudeau resigned (1984) and was succeeded as head of the Liberal party and prime minister by John Turner . In the elections later that year, Brian Mulroney led the Progressive Conservatives to victory in a landslide. Mulroney"s first major accomplishment was the Meech Lake Accord , a set of constitutional reforms proposed by Quebec premier Robert Bourassa that would have brought Quebec into the constitution by guaranteeing its status as a "distinct society." However, aggressive measures by the Quebec government to curtail the use of English, such as forbidding the use of any language other than French on public signs, caused a wave of resentment in Canada"s English-speaking population. The accord died on June 22, 1990, when Newfoundland and Manitoba failed to ratify it, leaving Canada in a serious constitutional crisis. In Oct., 1992, Canadian voters rejected a complex package of constitutional changes (the Charlottetown Accord) intended to provide alternatives that would discourage the separatist movement in Quebec.

Canada"s new constitution also opened the way for native land claims that have changed the political appearance of N Canada and had effects elsewhere as well. In 1992, as part of the largest native-claim settlement in Canadian history, the Inuit-dominated eastern portion of the Northwest Territories was slated to be separated as the territory of Nunavut, which was completed in 1999. The subsequent years saw the signing of a series of similar self-government agreements with various aboriginal groups to settle additional native claims; none of these agreements, however, established separate province-level territories. In 1998 the federal government issued a formal apology to its indigenous people for 150 years of mistreatment and established a fund for reparations.

The most significant accomplishment of Mulroney"s first government was a free-trade agreement with the United States, which was ratified by parliament after Mulroney and the Progressive Conservatives returned to power in 1988 reelection; the agreement came into effect in Jan., 1989. In his second term this pact formed the groundwork for the broader North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), signed in 1992. NAFTA came into effect in Jan., 1994, establishing a free-trade zone that consisted of Mexico, Canada, and the United States.

In 1993, Mulroney resigned and was succeeded by fellow Conservative Kim Campbell , who became (June, 1993) Canada"s first woman prime minister.

Widespread anger over recession and high unemployment led to a Progressive Conservative rout in the elections of Oct., 1993, sweeping the Liberals to power and making Jean Chretien prime minister. The Conservatives were left with only two seats, having lost a total of 151. Two relatively new parties, the Bloc Quebecois (a Quebec separatist party) and the Reform party (based in western Canada), won nearly all the remaining parliamentary seats. In Oct., 1995, Quebec voters again rejected independence from Canada in a referendum, but this time the question was only narrowly defeated.

Chretien"s Liberal party held onto 155 seats following the June, 1997, parliamentary elections, and he remained prime minister. The majority of the opposition seats went to the Reform party (60), which in 2000 reconstituted itself as the Canadian Alliance , and the Bloc Quebecois (44). In the late 1990s the low Canadian dollar and relatively high unemployment were among the country"s chief concerns, but the government made progress in paying down the national debt.

In July, 2000, Chretien won passage of a bill designed to make it harder for Quebec to secede, by requiring that a clear majority support a clearly worded proposition and that such issues as borders and the seceding province"s responsibility for a share of the national debt be resolved by negotiations. In the elections of Nov., 2000, Chretien led the Liberals to a third consecutive victory at the polls, winning 172 seats in the House of Commons; the Canadian Alliance (66) and Bloc Quebecois (38) remained the principal opposition parties. Although the country suffered an economic slowdown in 2001, the government rejected the stimilus of deficit spending, adhering instead to the fiscal discipline established in the late 1990s, and by the end of the year economic conditions had improved. Following the Sept., 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States, a contingent of Canadian forces participated in operations against Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan.

In 2002, Chretien"s cabinet was hurt by charges of lax ethical standards, resulting in a shakeup; Finance Minister Paul Martin, a likely challenger to Chretien"s leadership, was also forced out. Increasingly active Liberal opposition to Chretien"s continuation as party leader led him to announce announce that he would not seek a fourth term as prime minister. In the weeks before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq (Mar., 2003) Canada attempted to negotiate a compromise Security Council resolution; the failure of the council to reach agreement led the Canadian government not to participate in the invasion. Beginning in May, 2003, the country"s livestock industry was hurt when other nations banned imports of Canadian beef after an occurrence of "mad cow" disease in Alberta. The situation was not ameliorated later in the year when a cow with the disease was found in the United States and was discovered to have been imported from Canada several years before.

Late in 2003 Liberals elected Paul Martin to succeed Chretien as party leader and prime minister, and Chretien resigned in December. Meanwhile, conservatives moved to end the divisions on the right by merging the Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative party in the Conservative party of Canada. In the ensuing June, 2004, elections, Martin and the Liberals were hurt by scandals, but they retained sufficient parliamentary seats to form a minority government as voters did not rally to the Conservatives" socially conservative positions.

A scandal originating in a federal advertising sponsorship program begun in the mid-1990s and designed to promote national unity in Quebec increasingly undermined Paul Martin"s government in 2005, though he appeared not to have been involved personally. Under Chretien Quebec advertising firms aligned with the Liberal party received millions of dollars but apparently did little or no work, and some money was funneled illegally to Liberal party coffers. It was unclear whether the former prime minister knew of the scandal, but one of his brothers was implicated in testimony in 2005. The scandal was first uncovered in 2002, and hurt the Liberals in the 2004 elections.

New, detailed revelations about the scandal in 2005 threatened to bring down the government, which narrowly survived a confidence vote in May, 2005. Parliament subsequently passed an appropriations bill and a gay-marriage bill by more comfortable majorities. Michaelle Jean, a journalist whose family emigrated from Haiti when she was young, became governor-general in Sept., 2005. In Nov., 2005, Martin"s government finally collapsed after the New Democrats joined the Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois in a no-confidence vote; the vote had been preceded by the release of an investigative report into the advertising sponsorship scandal that called it an elaborate kickback scheme designed to funnel money to individuals and the Liberal party.

The Jan., 2006, elections saw the Conservatives, led by Stephen Harper , win a plurality of the seats in parliament and 36% of the vote, but the results did not indicate a significant rightward shift in Canadian attitudes, as the majority of the vote (and seats) went to left of center parties (the Liberals, the Bloc Quebecois, and the New Democrats). Issues concerning the extent of Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic and Canadian control over the Northwest Passage became more prominent in 2006 as Harper"s government sharply rejected U.S. assertions that Canada was claiming international waters. In June, 2006, Canadian officials arrested 17 people accused of participating in a Islamic terror plot involving possible attacks against the Parliament Building in Ottawa and other sites in Toronto.

Canada is the second largest country in the world. Only Russia has a greater land area. Canada is situated in North America. Canada is slightly larger than the United States, but has only about a tenth as many people. About 28 million people live in Canada. About 80% of the population live within 320 km of the southern border. Much of the rest of Canada is uninhabited or thinly populated because of severe natural conditions.

Canada is a federation of 10 provinces and 2 territories. Canada is an independent nation. But according to the Constitution Act of 1982 British Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is recognized as Queen of Canada. This symbolizes the country’s strong ties to Britain. Canada was ruled by Britain completely until 1867, when Canada gained control of its domestic affairs. Britain governed Canada’s foreign affairs until 1931, when Canada gained full .

Canada’s people are varied. About 57% of all Canadians have some English ancestry and about 32% have some French ancestry. Both English and French are official languages of the country. French Canadians, most of whom live in the provinces of Quebec, have kept the language and customs of their ancestors. Other large ethnic groups are German, Irish and Scottish people. Native people - American Indians and Eskimos - make up about 2% of the country’s population. 77% of Canada’s people live in cities or towns. Toronto and Montreal are the largest urban areas. Ottawa is the capital of the country.

Today, maintaining a sense of community is one of the major problems in Canada because of differences among the provinces and territories. Many Canadians in western and eastern parts of the country feel that the federal government does not pay enough attention to their problems. 80% of Quebec’s population are French Canadians. Many of them believe that their province should recieve a special recognition in the Canadian constitution.

Канада (перевод)

Канада — это вторая по величине страна в мире. Толь­ко Россия имеет большую площадь. Канада находится в Северной Америке. Канада немного больше Соединенных Штатов, однако в ней живет в десять раз меньше людей. В Канаде — около 28 миллионов жителей. Около 80% насе­ления живет в пределах 320 км от южной границы. Боль­шая часть остальной территории Канады не заселена или мало заселена из-за суровых природных условий.

Канада является федерацией 10 провинций и 2 терри­торий. Канада — это независимое государство. Но соглас­но Конституционному акту 1982 года английская короле­ва Елизавета II признана главой государства Канады. Это символизирует прочные связи страны с Британией. Брита­ния правила Канадой вплоть до 1867 года, когда Канада получила контроль над своими внутренними делами. Бри­тания управляла иностранными делами Канады до 1931 года, когда Канада получила полную независимость.

Население Канады разнообразно. Около 57% канад­цев имеют английское происхождение и около 32% жи­телей — — канадцы французского происхождения. Как английский, так и французский являются государствен­ными языками страны.

Французские канадцы, большинство из которых живет в провинции Квебек, сохранили язык и обычаи своих пред­ков. Другими большими этническими группами являются немцы, ирландцы и шотландцы. Коренные народы, амери­канские индейцы и эскимосы, составляют около 2% насе­ления страны. 77% населения Канады живет в больших и малых городах. Торонто и Монреаль — самые большие города. Оттава — столица страны.

Сегодня сохранение чувства общности является глав­ной проблемой в Канаде из-за различий среди провинций и территорий. Многие канадцы в западных и восточны*

областях страны считают, что федеральное правительство не уделяет достаточно внимания их проблемам. 80% на­селения Квебека — французские канадцы. Многие из них считают, что провинция должна получить специальное при­знание в канадской Конституции.

People are used to thinking that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, that’s why almost half of all men and women around the world dream to abandon their motherlands and move to other country, because that country is better than a homeland. One of the most popular countries to emigrate is Canada. Why do people like it?

To begin with, Canada is considered to be a very beautiful country full of various landscapes, untouched regions and unexplored places. Wildlife is really remarkable there, because locals appreciate primitive grandeur of nature. According to numerous ecological researches, the place is one of the least polluted countries.

Secondly, there is a real freedom of thought, belief, opinion and religion there unlike most of “democracies”. There are equal rights for both male and female, no racial discrimination. The Canadians are members of the world"s most tolerant nation and multicultural society. This country gives right to culture, language choice (two national ones) and the freedom of communication.

Besides, employers offer a lot of good opportunities for people moved to Canada: high level of wage and salary, variety of positions, special bonuses and programs, good working conditions and focus on worker’s wants and needs. Moreover, this country is supposed to be among the strongest growing economies in the G-7 over some next years. Excellent educational system for kids and adults is another advantage of the place.

Furthermore, this is not only a great place to work or get education, but it’s also a convenient place to acquire a family, because crime rates in the country are so low that the OECD Better Life Index 2014 ranked Canada 9.7 out of 10 for safety.

To sum up, I guess that Canada is the best country in the entire world because its government tries to make its nation feel happy and secure.

Люди привыкли думать, что везде хорошо, где нас нет, поэтому практически половина всех мужчин и женщин по всему миру мечтают покинуть свою родину и переехать в другую страну, потому что она лучше родных земель. Одной из наиболее популярных стран для переезда считается Канада. За что ее любят люди?

Во-первых, Канада считается одной из самых красивых стран, которая богата разнообразным ландшафтом, нетронутыми и неизученными человеком местами. Дикая природа здесь удивительная, так как местные жители ценят первозданное величие природы. Согласно многочисленным исследованиям в области экологии, эта страна - одно из наименее загрязненных мест.

Во-вторых, здесь существует реальная свобода мысли, убеждений, мнения и вероисповедания в отличие от большинства «демократических» стран. У мужчин и женщин равные права, не существует расовой дискриминации. Канадцы - члены самого толерантного в мире государства и многокультурного общества. Стана предоставляет право выбора культуры, языка (два государственных языка) и свободу общения.

Кроме того, работодатель здесь предлагает множество хороших возможностей для людей, переехавших в Канаду: высокий уровень заработной платы, многообразие должностей, особые бонусы и программы, хорошие рабочие условия и внимание к желаниям и нуждам работника. Более того, в течение последних нескольких лет эта страна считается одним из государств с наиболее развитой экономикой среди стран Большой семерки. Потрясающая система образования детей и взрослых является еще одним преимуществом этого места.

Более того, это не просто великолепное место для работы или обучения, но и подходящее место для создания семьи, так как уровень криминальной активности в стране достаточно низкий, и оценка индекса лучшей жизни ОЭСР 2014 года для Канады составила 9.7 из 10 баллов безопасности.

Подводя итоги, полагаю, что Канада - лучшая страна в мире, так как ее правительство старается сделать свой народ счастливым и защищенным.