Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's second-largest country by total area, with the world's longest coastline. Its border with the United States is the world's longest international land border. The country is characterized by a wide range of both meteorologic and geological regions. It is a sparsely inhabited country of 40million people, the vast majority residing south of the 55th parallel in urban areas. Canada's capital is Ottawa and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.
Indigenous peoples have continuously inhabited what is now Canada for thousands of years. Beginning in the 16th century, British and French expeditions explored and later settled along the Atlantic coast. As a consequence of various armed conflicts, France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763. In 1867, with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation, Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces. This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom, highlighted by the Statute of Westminster, 1931, and culminating in the Canada Act 1982, which severed the vestiges of legal dependence on the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Canada is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy in the Westminster tradition. The country's head of government is the prime minister, who holds office by virtue of their ability to command the confidence of the elected House of Commons and is "called upon" by the governor general, representing the monarch of Canada, the ceremonial head of state. The country is a Commonwealth realm and is officially bilingual (English and French) in the federal jurisdiction. It is very highly ranked in international measurements of government transparency, quality of life, economic competitiveness, innovation, education and gender equality. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration. Canada's long and complex relationship with the United States has had a significant impact on its history, economy, and culture.
A developed country, Canada has a high nominal per capita income globally and its advanced economy ranks among the largest in the world, relying chiefly upon its abundant natural resources and well-developed international trade networks. It is recognized as a middle power for its role in international affairs, with a tendency to pursue multilateral and international solutions. Canada's peacekeeping role during the 20th century has had a significant influence on its global image. Canada is part of multiple international organizations and forums.
^"Royal Anthem". Government of Canada. August 11, 2017. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020.
^"Surface water and surface water change". OECD. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
^"Population estimates, quarterly". Statistics Canada. December 19, 2023. Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
^"Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population". February 9, 2022. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022.
^ abcd"World Economic Outlook Database, April 2024 Edition. (Canada)". www.imf.org. International Monetary Fund. April 16, 2024. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
^Income inequality (Report). OECD. doi:10.1787/459aa7f1-en. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
^"Human Development Report 2023/24" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. March 13, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the...
Canadians (French: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For...
Canada has ten provinces and three territories that are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the...
List of Canadian poets List of Canadian playwrights List of Canadian short story writers List of Canadian science fiction authors List of Canadian historians...
Calgary (/ˈkælɡəri/ KAL-gər-ee) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is the largest metro area within the three Prairie Provinces...
The Canadas is the collective name for the provinces of Lower Canada and Upper Canada, two historical British colonies in present-day Canada. The two colonies...
Canada has sent athletes to every Winter Olympic Games and every Summer Olympic Games since its debut at the 1900 games with the exception of the 1980...
edits. (Audio help · More spoken articles) The Order of Canada (French: Ordre du Canada) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit...
subdivisions (municipalities or municipal equivalents) in Canada by population, using data from the 2021 Canadian census for census subdivisions. This list includes...
Lists of the largest cities in Canada by population are lists by population of large cities in Canada that depend on the definition of "city". They include:...
as the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, and the Royal Canadian Air Force. The CAF also operates several other commands, including the Canadian Forces...
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (French: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is the Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and...
The Canada goose (Branta canadensis), sometimes called Canadian goose, is a large wild goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its...
The Canada Cup (French: Coupe Canada) was an invitational international ice hockey tournament held on five occasions between 1976 and 1991. The brainchild...
Canada Jetlines, Ltd., operating as Jetlines, is a Canadian airline headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario. It operates scheduled and charter flights in...
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West...
used to identify Indigenous peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. Traditionally, First Nations in Canada were peoples who lived south of the...
Canadian English (CanE, CE, en-CA) encompasses the varieties of English used in Canada. According to the 2016 census, English was the first language of...
This is a list of Canadian provinces and territories by their Human Development Index, which is a comparative measure of life expectancy, literacy, education...
question marks, boxes, or other symbols. "O Canada" (French: Ô Canada) is the national anthem of Canada. The song was originally commissioned by Lieutenant...
Healthcare in Canada is delivered through the provincial and territorial systems of publicly funded health care, informally called Medicare. It is guided...
Edmonton (/ˈɛdməntən/ ED-mən-tən) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is...
French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century; French: Canadiens français, pronounced [kanadjɛ̃ fʁɑ̃sɛ]; feminine form:...
Eastern Canada (French: Est du Canada, also the Eastern provinces, Canadian East or the East) is generally considered to be the region of Canada south of...
metropolitan areas and agglomerations in Canada by population, using data from the 2021 Canadian census and the 2016 Canadian census. Each entry is identified...
Global Information
40,769,890[3] (36th)
$2.472 trillion[5] (16th)
29.2[6]