Portal:Canada

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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.

Coat of Arms of Canada (1957).jpg More about...Canada, its history and inhabitants

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Canadian soldiers under fire near Fleury-sur-Orne in the early hours of July 25, 1944
The Battle of Verrières Ridge was a series of engagements fought as part of the Battle of Normandy, in western France, during the Second World War. The main combatants were two Canadian infantry divisions, with additional support from the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade, against elements of three German SS Panzer divisions. The battle was part of the British and Canadian attempts to break out of Caen, and took place from July 19 – July 25, 1944, being part of both Operation Atlantic (July 18July 21) and Operation Spring (July 25July 27).

The immediate Allied objective was Verrières Ridge, a belt of high ground which dominates the route from Caen to Falaise. The ridge was invested by battle-hardened German veterans, who had fallen back from Caen and entrenched to form a strong defensive position. Over the course of six days, substantial Canadian and British forces made repeated attempts to capture the ridge. Strict German adherence to defensive doctrine, as well as strong and effective counterattacks by Panzer formations, resulted in heavy Allied casualties for little strategic gain.

From the perspective of the First Canadian Army, the battle is remembered for its tactical and strategic miscalculations—the most notable being a highly controversial attack by the Royal Highland Regiment (Black Watch) of Canada on July 25. This attack, the costliest single day for a Canadian battalion since the 1942 Dieppe Raid, has become one of the most contentious and critically analysed events in Canadian military history.

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Kathy Dunderdale 31May2011.jpg
Kathy Dunderdale (born February 1952) is a Canadian politician and the tenth and current Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, having served in this capacity since December 3, 2010. Dunderdale was born and raised in Burin, before entering politics she worked as a social worker and ran a consulting company along with her husband. Her first forray into politics was as a member of the Burin town council, where she served as deputy mayor. She was also a Progressive Conservative Party (PC) candidate in the 1993 general election and served as President of the PC Party.

In the 2003 general election, Dunderdale was elected as Member of the House of Assembly (MHA) for Virginia Waters. She served in the cabinets of Danny Williams—at various times holding the portfolios of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development and Natural Resources—where she developed a reputation as one of the most high profile members of Williams' cabinets. Dunderdale became premier upon the resignation of Williams and is the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party. Dunderdale is the first female premier in the province's history and the sixth woman to serve as a premier in the history of Canada.

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Beaver


The importance of the North American Beaver in the development of Canada through the fur trade led to its designation as the national animal. The beaver is also the symbol of many units and organizations within the Canadian Forces, such as on the cap badges of the Royal 22e Régiment and the Canadian Military Engineers...

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Panorama of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

A panorama of Edmonton Skyline
Credit: Tkyle (Steven Mackaay)

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Topics Provinces & Territories Cities & Regions

Canada Canada
Canada flag map.svg Geography of Canada
Canadian Coat of Arms Shield.svg  History of Canada
Canadian Forces emblem.svg Canadian Forces
Can-vote-stub.svg  Politics of Canada
Tower-wireless-can.png  Music of Canada
CanadaSoccer.svg  Sports of Canada
Canadian television stub icon.svg  Canadian TV
Trans-Canada Highway shield.svg  Roads of Canada
Volcanism of Canada flag.png Volcanism of Canada
Royal Standard of King Louis XIV.svg New France
Flag of Acadia.svg  Acadia
20px Aboriginals

Ontario  Ontario
Quebec  Quebec
Nova Scotia  Nova Scotia
New Brunswick  New Brunswick
Manitoba  Manitoba
British Columbia  British Columbia
Prince Edward Island  P.E.I.
Saskatchewan  Saskatchewan
Alberta  Alberta
Newfoundland and Labrador  Newfoundland & Labrador
Northwest Territories  Northwest Territories
Yukon  Yukon
Nunavut  Nunavut

Flag of Ottawa, Ontario.svg  Ottawa
Toronto Flag.svg  Toronto
Flag of Vancouver (Canada).svg  Vancouver
Flag of Calgary, Alberta.svg  Calgary
Flag of Montreal.svg  Montreal
Edmonton City Hall.jpg  Edmonton
Flag of Hamilton.svg  Hamilton
Flag of Quebec City.svg  Quebec City
City of St. John's.jpg  St. John's
Coat of arms of Québec.svg  Quebec Regions

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  Eastern Ont.

YorkRegion.png  York Region
Arctic Ocean.jpg  Arctic


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Canada Portal on Wikinews  Canada on Wikiquote  Canada Portal on Wikisource  Canada on Wiktionary  Canadian English on Wiktionary  Canada on Wikiversity  Canada on Wikimedia Commons
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