Canada, Brazil and the general review

Canada is second in the world by area (about 10 million km²) and lies in the north of North America and on nearby islands. Its population is about 40 million and its capital is Ottawa. It is washed by the Arctic Ocean in the north, the Atlantic in the east and the Pacific in the west, and borders only the USA on land. Canada is a federation (10 provinces and 3 territories) and a Commonwealth realm: the head of state is formally the British monarch, while in practice the prime minister runs the government. The east is an ancient platform of plains and low plateaus, while the west has the high Cordillera. Minerals are very rich: uranium, nickel, copper, zinc, gold, diamonds, potash, oil and gas (including oil sands). About 75 % of the land has a cold climate: taiga, tundra and Arctic desert, with steppes in the south; land, water and forest resources are very rich and a large share of the Northern Hemisphere’s forests is there. Natural increase is low and the population grows mainly through migration. Urbanisation is over 80 %, and the large cities are Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. The two largest peoples are English Canadians and French Canadians, so English and French are official languages; most French speakers live in the province of Quebec, whose cultural centre is Montreal. In the north and elsewhere live indigenous peoples – the Inuit and First Nations – and protecting their rights and culture is a live issue. Density is among the lowest in the world (about 4 people/km²), and most people live in a southern strip near the US border. Canada is a developed state and a G7 member: mining, electricity (hydropower), timber and paper, engineering and chemicals. On the black-soil steppes in the south wheat and oilseeds (canola, soybeans) are grown, making it a major exporter.