Canada – Ch. 7

First Settlers  Leif Erikson landed on the Atlantic Coast of North America (Newfoundland) in AD 1000  “Beringia” connection – Inuit  16 th -17 th New France was created by the French – Fur Trade and Coastal Fisheries

Steps Towards Unity  Canada was divided into the Roman Catholic French and Protestant English.  1791 the British split Canada into two provinces –Upper Canada  English-speaking (near Great Lakes) –Lower Canada  Along the St. Lawrence River (Quebec)  French-Speaking –Rupert’s Land  Owned by a British Fur-trading company

Governing Canada  Canada was recognized as an independent nation by Britain in 1931  Canada has a parliamentary government – legislative and executive functions are combined in a legislature (parliament)  Symbolic head of Canada remains the British monarch.  Parliament consists of an appointed Senate and an elected House of Commons.

Increasingly Diverse Economy  Highly industrialized and urbanized  Farming, logging, fishing are important Canadian industries  Large amounts of food produced for domestic use and export  Three ocean coastlines give Canadians ample access to fish supplies

Land of Many Cultures  Interaction between French and native people gave rise to another culture … the metis  Canada is officially a bilingual country…English and French.  Canadians spend their leisure time skating, playing ice hockey, fishing, skiing, golf, hunting, etc.

Subregions of Canada  The Atlantic Provinces –Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland. –Rugged terrain allows for only 8% of the population to live in this area. –Logging, Fishing, Mining

Subregions of Canada  Core Provinces –Quebec and Ontario –Heartland of Canada – 3/5 Canadians live there. English Speakers = Ontario, French Speakers = Quebec –Canada’s political and economic center (Ottawa Federal Capital)

Subregions of Canada  The Prairie Provinces –Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta –Canada’s Breadbasket – 50% of Canada’s Agricultural production, 60% of Canada’s mineral output –Diverse Cultures – Metis, Scots-Irish, Germans, Poles

Subregions of Canada  Pacific Province and the Territories –British Columbia, Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut – make up Canada’s western and northern lands –B.C. – one-third is frozen tundra, snowfields, and glaciers … most of the population is in the southwest –The territories make up 41% of Canada’s land mass yet they are sparsely populated. Nunavut is home to Canada’s Inuit people