Portal:Canada

Topics

Culture

Geography

Health

History

Mathematics

Nature

People

Philosophy

Religion

Society

Technology

Main

Featured content, topics & categories

WikiProjects, tasks & current discussions

Flag of Canada Canada /ˈkænədə/ is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean. It is the world's second largest country by total area. Canada's common border with the United States to the south and northwest is the longest in the world. The land that is now Canada was inhabited for millennia by various groups of Aboriginal peoples. Beginning in the late 15th century, British and French expeditions explored, and later settled, along the Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 after the Seven Years' War. 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. This widening autonomy was highlighted by the Statute of Westminster of 1931 and culminated in the Canada Act of 1982, which severed the vestiges of legal dependence on the British parliament. Canada is a federation that is governed as a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state. It is a bilingual nation with both English and French as official languages at the federal level. One of the world's highly developed countries, Canada has a diversified economy that is reliant upon its abundant natural resources and upon trade—particularly with the United States, with which Canada has had a long and complex relationship. It is a member of the G8, G-20, NATO, OECD, WTO, Commonwealth, Francophonie, OAS, APEC, and UN. Selected article - The National Flag of Canada, also known as the Maple Leaf, and l'Unifolié (French for "the one-leafed"), is a red flag with a white square in its centre, featuring a stylized 11-pointed red maple leaf. Its adoption in 1965 marked the first time a national flag had been officially adopted to replace the Union Flag. The Canadian Red Ensign had been unofficially used since the 1890s and was approved by a 1945 Order-in-Council for use "wherever place or occasion may make it desirable to fly a distinctive Canadian flag". In 1964, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson appointed a committee to resolve the issue, sparking a serious debate about a flag change. Out of three choices, the maple leaf design by George F. G. Stanley based on the flag of the Royal Military College of Canada was selected. The flag made its first appearance on February 15, 1965; the date is now celebrated annually as National Flag of Canada Day. Many different flags have been created for use by Canadian officials, government bodies, and military forces. Most of these flags contain the maple leaf motif in some fashion, either by having the Canadian flag charged in the canton, or by including maple leaves in the design. The Royal Union Flag is also an official flag in Canada, used as a symbol of Canada's membership in the Commonwealth of Nations, and of its allegiance to the Crown. The Union Flag forms a component of other Canadian flags, including the provincial flags of British Columbia, Manitoba and Ontario. Selected biography - Louis Riel (October 22, 1844 – November 16, 1885) was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government that sought to preserve Métis rights and culture as their homelands in the Northwest came progressively under the Canadian sphere of influence. The first such resistance was the Red River Rebellion of 1869–1870. The provisional government established by Riel ultimately negotiated the terms under which the modern province of Manitoba entered the Canadian Confederation. Riel was forced into exile in the United States as a result of the controversial execution of Thomas Scott during the rebellion. Despite this, he is frequently referred to as the "Father of Manitoba." While a fugitive, he was elected three times to the Canadian House of Commons, although he never assumed his seat. During these years, he was frustrated by having to remain in exile despite his growing belief that he was a divinely chosen leader and prophet, a belief which would later resurface and influence his actions. He married in 1881 while in exile in Montana, and fathered three children. He became a naturalized American citizen and was actively involved in the Republican party. Selected picture - Teslin River Teslin River at Johnson's Crossing, Yukon Credit: Merops More information... Symbols of Canada - The Flag of Prince Edward Island is a banner modeled after the provincial arms. The flag has the proportions 3:2; the three sides away from the mast are bordered by alternating bands of red and white... More information... Did you know... - ...that the Canadian province of Ontario has had quality grades for cultivated Christmas trees mandated by law since 1965? ' ... that the original owner of the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Washington, D.C. building died during the sinking of the RMS Titanic? ...that Ambloplites species are native to a region extending from the Hudson Bay basin in Canada to the lower Mississippi River basin in the United States? ...that the Trumpeter Swans introduced into the Wye Marsh in the 1980s were the first seen in Ontario since 1884? ...that Nunavut has 24 hours of sunlight during the Summer while in the Winter there are only between 0 and 6 hours (depending on location)? Selected panorama - Panoramic view of Vancouver Credit: Mfield (Matthew Field) Featured panorama Topics Provinces & Territories Cities & Regions  Canada  Geography of Canada   History of Canada  Canadian Forces   Politics of Canada   Music of Canada   Sports of Canada   Canadian TV   Roads of Canada  Volcanism of Canada  New France   Acadia 20px Aboriginals   Ontario   Quebec   Nova Scotia   New Brunswick   Manitoba   British Columbia   P.E.I.   Saskatchewan   Alberta   Newfoundland & Labrador   Northwest Territories   Yukon   Nunavut   Ottawa   Toronto   Vancouver   Calgary   Montreal   Edmonton   Hamilton   Quebec City   St. John's   Quebec Regions Error creating thumbnail: File missing   Eastern Ont.   York Region   Arctic WikiProject Canada What are Portals? · List of Canadian portals