1. Canada Today Mr.O’s 10 th Grade World Cultures

2. Parliamentary Democracy Canadians borrowed ideas about government from Britain and the United states, but shaped them to fit their own needs They have a parliamentary system that is made up of three branches, executive, legislative, and judicial

3. Branches The executive branch consists of the prime minister who is the leader of the majority party in parliament Legislative branch consists of a two house parliament. The house of commons and the senate. Just like the American judicial system, there is a national in Ottawa, followed by other divisions of courts throughout the ten provinces

4. Unity and Diversity Quebec is struggling with keeping their culture in an English speaking Canada. Until the 1950’s English speaking businesses dominated the economy. This led to French- Canadians to be withheld from jobs But in 1977, the provincial government made French the official language of Quebec. Thus requiring businesses to speak french

5. The separatist debate Despite these changes, many French- Canadians want a split off from Canada They believe that Quebec can be a feasible country on its own. The federal government has tried its hardest to keep Quebec happy, they have recognized Quebec as a distinct society and they have also made Canada bilingual.

6. A growing Economy Although Canada has a free market economy, government plays a more active role in this economy The government offers a national healthcare system They also own broadcasting companies and control different utilities companies This also allows them to regulate the use of natural resources

7. Service Economy and Trade Today Canada is more of a service economy – (Most people have jobs that provide services to individuals, communities, and businesses) Canada’s economic success is based on foreign trade because it has a small population. Three quarters of all canadian exports go to the US

8. Canadian Culture Literature – Canada has thrived in both French and English Literature. Most books describe wilderness lifestyles that some Canadians live Performing Arts – Toronto and Montreal are the major centers for the performing arts. Sports – The vast amounts of lakes and rivers allows lots of ice fishing. Also many professional sports are located in Canada