2.  Diversity  Population  Population density  Culture  Cultural imprints  Multiculturalism  Demography  Birth rate  Death rate  Immigration  Emigration  Natural increase rate

3.  Canada is unique because our country has people from all over the world: Europe, Africa, Asia, South America, and Oceania.  Canada’s strength and international respect are a result of its diversity.  Canada has people from over 200 ethnic origins  People in Toronto represent 169 countries and over 100 languages are spoken there every day.

4.  Population of Canada over the years: o 1867 – 3.5 million. o 1967 – 20 million. o Today – 33.5 million.  33.5 million is not a lot of people compared to world population (7 billion) and the population of two most populous countries in the world: China (1.4 billion) and India (1.2 billion).

5.  Tokyo, Japan (35.6 million) is the largest city in the world. It has more people than all of Canada!  The United States is smaller area-wise than Canada, but at 310 million, it has almost ten times more people.  Canada has a small population by international standards.

6.  If every Canadian was given their own chunk of land, there would be 3 people in each square kilometre. This is the population density. We find it with this formula:  Population/Area  For Canada, that would be 33.5 million people/9,980,000 square km.

7.  Canada is sparsely populated, meaning we have a small number of people living in a large area.  Population density is not completely accurate because people tend to like to live near one another. In some areas, like Toronto, the population density is over 4000 people per square kilometre.  Population density is only an average.

8.  The movement of people into a new country is called immigration. Immigration is a large part of our country’s heritage and is the reason for our diversity.

9.  Moving to a new place can be difficult. Whether it’s a new school, a new neighbourhood, or a new town, there are new customs or traditions to learn that may shock or confuse you.  Immigrants bring with them their culture (food, language, clothing, music, recreation and entertainment) to help with the transition into a new country.  In Canada, we embrace and celebrate the cultural heritage of immigrants.

10.  The federal government has an official policy encouraging cultural diversity and respect for diversity in our country. People can preserve their heritage while respecting others.  Canada is referred to as a cultural mosaic.  Our multiculturalism means that we as Canadians are less likely to resort to racism or bias against other ethnic groups. Chances are we know, and therefore respect, people from cultures different from our own.

11.  There are two official languages (English and French) in Canada and therefore two official multicultural communities.  Many immigrants move to Canada because they are interested in English- speaking opportunities. Others move to Canada for French-speaking opportunities. Haitians, for example, are mostly French- speaking people. Therefore, many of them decide to move to Montreal.

12.  Some countries, like the United States, believe in cultural assimilation, which means having immigrants adopt the culture of their new country very quickly. Both approaches have advantages for immigrants. Which do you think is better?

13.  Some argue that multiculturalism leaves Canada without a true identity. Some also say that people moving into Canada are making mini versions of their own countries. But most Canadians agree that multiculturalism, while not perfect, is a great way to learn, live, and love cultural diversity.

14.  People are important. They are often the key to success in tasks and projects.  The government needs to know how populations change so they can best meet the needs of the people.

15.  Chances are good that your great- grandmother married young (maybe in her teens) and had 10 or more kids! Your parents, on the other hand, likely married later and had a lot less kids. And you will likely marry even later in life and have even less kids, if any at all.

16.  Demographers study population changes. Statistics Canada is a department of the federal government that deals with the population of Canada.  Every five years, Stats Canada holds a census (counting up all Canadians) so they can let other branches of the government know what resources are needed where in the country.

17.  One of the simplest ideas that interest demographers is whether the population is shrinking or growing.  Population can change in four ways: birth rate and immigration (growing) and death rate and emigration (shrinking). Population Change Formula (births – deaths) + (immigration – emigration)

18.  Canada’s birth rate is 11.3 babies born to every 1000 Canadians. This is similar to other industrialized nations like Australia and the United States.  Our death rate is 7.3 deaths for every 1000 Canadians. These numbers help the government budget for education and health care expenses.  Natural increase rate for Canada is 11.3 – 7.3, which is a natural increase of 4 per every 1000 Canadians. Again, this compares to other industrialized countries.  Developing countries tend to have higher Natural Increase Rates than developed countries

19.  A population might grow very quickly, very slowly, or not at all. It may even begin to shrink, like in Germany or Japan. This can be a bad thing, because less people mean less workers and therefore less money for elderly people and children.  Canada’s population grew by 5.6% between 2006 and 2011. One third of that growth was due to natural increase but most of it was due to immigration. Canada has a slow-growing population. Is that a good or a bad thing?

20.  Population pyramids tell demographers how many males and females there are in different age categories in Canada.

22.  The shape of population pyramids tell a lot about a country. The children make up the base (bottom) of the pyramid and the elderly are found at the top.  A wide base means there are a lot of children and that the country likely has a high birth rate. No population pyramid has a wide top because more people die as they get older. That’s why it’s called a pyramid (duh!).

23.  Canada’s population pyramid has a diamond shape rather than a pyramid. There’s a narrow base and a narrow top. It’s also wide in the middle. This means we have a low birth rate, a fairly low death rate, and a lot of middle aged people. Males and females are in fairly equal numbers at the 50 and under range, but there are more females than males OVER 50.

24.  Statistics Canada predicts that, by 2015, there will be more seniors than children in Canada. What challenges does this pose for our country?

25.  How does Canada increase the working class population if there are fewer children born each year? Immigration is the answer and this is why the federal government has continued to increase the immigration of skilled workers to Canada.