2. OFFICIAL NAME : Canada CAPITAL: Ottawa TOTAL AREA: 9,984,670 sq. km POPULATION: about 33 million people NATIVE LANGUAGES: English and French HEAD OF STATE: Queen Elizabeth II represented by Governor-General FORM OF GOVERNMENT: constitutional monarchy PORTS: Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto LONGEST RIVER: the Mackenzie (4,341 km) HIGHEST POINT: Mount Logan (2,340 m) NATURAL RESOURCES: zinc, nickel, gold, copper, lead NATIONAL HOLIDAY: Canada Day, 1 July (1867) NATIONAL SYMBOLS: Maple leaf and beaver MONEY: basic unit – Canadian dollar M. Jean Elizabeth II

3. Canada is the second largest country in the world after Russia. It is situated in the North American continent, to the north of the United States. The area of the country is about 10 million square kilometres. Canada is washed by three oceans – the Atlantic Ocean in the east, the Pacific Ocean in the west and the Atlantic Ocean in the north. 10 provinces: British Columbia Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba Quebec Ontario New Brunswick Prince Edward Island Nova Scotia Newfoundland 3 territories: Yukon Northwest Territories Nunavut

4. The National Flag of Canada, popularly known as the Maple Leaf is a base red flag with a white square in its centre featuring a stylized 11- pointed, red maple leaf. Canada's royal coat of arms is very closely modeled after the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom – those of the Jacobean era in particular – though with distinctive Canadian elements replacing or added to those derived from the UK.

5. The population of Canada is about 30 million people. Ottawa is the capital of the country. Its population is about 880,000 people. Most Canadians live in cities such as Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver. Scotiabank Place National Gallery Business Part

6. Ontario is known as Canada’s Heartland. It produces more than half of Canada’s manufactured goods. Toronto is the largest city in Canada and the capital of Ontario. Hamilton. Gore Park CN Tower White Trillium Bruce Peninsula

7. Quebec is Canada’s largest province. The capital of it is Quebec City. But Montreal is the largest city of the province. Blue Flag Iris Montreal Quebec City Appalachian Mountains

8. The capital of British Columbia is Victoria. The largest city of the province is Vancouver. Mount RobsonVictoria. Parliament Building Yuho NP Pacific dogwood Vancouver

9. Alberta is Canada's prairie province. The capital city is Edmonton. Calgary is one of the major commerce centres. Alberta Wild Rose Edmonton Calgary

10. Canada’s territories take up more than a third of area. But they have a very small population and very cold weather. The territories are Yukon with the capital Whitehorse, Northwest Territories with the capital Yellowknife and Nunavut. Whitehorse Yellowknife Nunavut Legislative Building

11. Niagara Falls is a set of massive waterfalls located on the Niagara River. The falls are located 120 km south- southeast of Toronto, Ontario, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York.

12. Wood Buffalo NP Mount Robson NP Rocks Park Kluane NP Garibaldi Park

13. On a summer’s day nearly 1,000 years ago, a ship from Greenland arrived in Newfoundland, Canada. The captain and his crew liked the warm climate and they decided to stay. They called the region ‘Vinland’ – the land of wine. Then the Skraelings, who were probably Native Canadians, came to fight the Scandinavians. The Scandinavians left the region and moved to another part of Newfoundland – L’Anse aux Meadows, where they built houses and workshops. In 1960, a Norwegian explorer Helge Instad found the ‘village’ and many things which were made by Scandinavians. Today archaeologists are still discovering more about life there.

14. For over 10,000 years the Native Canadians people and the buffaloes lived together in the pains of Alberta. The Blackfoot was one of the native Canadian tribes. They used the buffaloes for meat, clothes and for making tepees. They hunted the buffaloes by chasing them over high cliffs. About 150 years ago, a young Blackfoot wanted to watch the buffalo falling over the cliff so he stood in a small place inside the cliff. The pile of dead buffaloes became higher and higher. The young man couldn’t move from his small space and he was killed. The people found the young Blackfoot between the cliff and the buffaloes, with his head smashed in.

15. The South Nahanni River runs for 322 km. It has many high waterfalls and dangerous rapids. It is a river of legends. Nearly a hundred years ago many people came here to look for gold. It was a dangerous place. Many people died mysteriously when they were looking for gold in the river – some disappeared in the river mist. When other adventures found headless bodies in the river they called the area ‘Deadman Valley’ and ‘Headless Creek’.

16. Animals of Canada are similar to those of Northern Europe and Asia. They are the beaver, coyote, black bear, lynx, wolf, fox, skunk, polar bear, puma and so on.

17. Plant life varies with land type and climate. In Canada you can see such trees as sugar maple, beach, coniferous trees, yellow, red and white pine and many others.