An Introduction on Canada's Land, Economy and Climate.  Get to know how Canada gives an importance on protecting their environment.

| Geography and Economy |  Weather and Climate |  Protecting the Environment |

Canada consists of ten provinces and two territories. The provinces are (from west to east): British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland/Labrador. The territories are the Yukon and the Northwest Territories (NWT). In 1999, the eastern part of the NWT will become a separate territory called Nunavut.

Physically, Canada is very large and diverse. Learning about its main features will help you to understand some of Canada's unique strengths. You will also understand some of the difficulties of travel, communication and business.

Distances

Distances in Canada are measured in kilometres. Canada is over 7,000 kms from east to west (from St. John's, Newfoundland to Victoria, British Columbia).

You would need seven days to drive from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Vancouver, British Columbia. By airplane, the same trip would take about seven hours.

Where Canadians Live

Canada has more than 27 million people. More than 80 percent of all the people in Canada live in cities and towns within 250 km of the United States border.

Ottawa is Canada's capital. Canada's largest cities are Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

Regional Characteristics

Canada has five main regions: Atlantic, Central, Prairies, West Coast and the North. Culture and population are different in each region.

The Atlantic region consists of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland/Labrador. Resources such as fishing, farming, forestry and mining are important to the Atlantic economy.

Central Canada consists of Ontario and Quebec. This is the most populated region of the country. Together, Ontario and Quebec produce more than three-quarters of all Canadian manufactured goods.

The Prairies include Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Much of the land in these provinces is flat and fertile. It is excellent for farming and rich in energy resources. In western Alberta the prairies end and the Rocky Mountains begin. The Canadian Rockies include some of the largest and most spectacular peaks in North America.

The West Coast consists of the province of British Columbia. It is famous for its mountain ranges and forests. Natural resources such as lumber, fruit and ocean life are important to the economy of this region.

The North consists of Canada's two territories: the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Together they make up over one-third of Canada's land mass. Northern resources include oil, gas, gold, lead and zinc.

Canada's Economy

Canada has a diversified economy. Resource industries such as forestry, mining, energy, agriculture and fishing are an important source of jobs and wealth. However, Canada is also recognized as a world leader in high technology areas such as communications.

Canada's economy is responding to the challenge of global competition and changing needs. More and more jobs involve working with people and information. Service industries are increasingly important.

Currency

The dollar is the basic unit of money. The most common paper bills are the $5, $10 and $20, but $50 and $100 bills are also used. Canadian coins include the penny (one cent), nickel (five cents), dime (ten cents), quarter (twenty-five cents), $1 and the $2 coin.

Most of Canada has four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. Temperatures and conditions differ from season to season in most parts of the country. In summer, Canada can be very hot. Winter can be so cold that you could freeze if you are not properly dressed.

Be Prepared

The best way to cope with Canada's changing weather is to be prepared. Read or listen to weather reports in newspapers or on radio and television. (If you have cable television, you may have a channel that broadcasts weather information all day and night.) You can then dress yourself and your children for comfort no matter what the day brings.

Canada measures temperature using the Celsius (Centigrade) thermometer. The United States uses the Fahrenheit scale.

Spring

Spring is a rainy season in most parts of Canada. Average daytime temperatures rise steadily, but nights remain cool.

In southern Canada, the first flowers usually bloom in March. New leaves do not appear on the trees until April or May. However, spring may arrive up to two months earlier in Vancouver and Victoria. These cities on the southern West Coast have the shortest and mildest winter in Canada.

Summer

Summer officially begins on June 21. However, July and August represent summer for most Canadians. In summer the weather is usually very warm in most parts of the country. In southern Canada, daytime temperatures normally stay above 20 degrees Celsius, and can sometimes rise above 30 degrees.

Autumn

Autumn in Canada is also called fall. You will know that autumn has begun when the first frost occurs overnight. Frost is common after the middle of September. In late September and October, the leaves of trees change colour and fall to the ground. Only trees with needles (coniferous trees) stay green all year around.

Autumn can be very rainy. Snow begins to fall during November in many areas except the southern West Coast.

Winter

During the winter months of December, January, February and March, the temperature usually stays below freezing (0 degrees Celsius) day and night. Temperatures in some parts of the country drop below -25 degrees Celsius.

In Vancouver and Victoria, the temperature drops below freezing for only a few days in December and January. In the rest of Canada, snow will probably be on the ground from late December to the middle of March. Winter is colder and lasts longer the further north you go.

In the winter the wind-chill temperature is often much lower than the actual air temperature. The wind-chill temperature tells you how cold the air feels when it is windy. The wind-chill temperature is the one you should prepare for.

Winter conditions may last from November through April in many parts of Canada. You should be prepared for cold rain as well as snow in early and late winter.

For further information:

Weather fact sheets are available from Environment Canada. The following are the most sought after:

Contact Environment Canada, Enquiry Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0H3. Telephone: 1-800-668-6767. Internet: http://www.ec.gc.ca

Environment Canada supplies weather forecasts each day to radio and television stations. This information is also published in newspapers.

Canada has a beautiful natural environment. It contains many different landforms, including mountains, prairies, forests, lakes, rivers and rugged coasts. Canada has a wide variety of wildlife, plants and trees.

Because we have a lot of land and a small population, most of our country remains wild and unspoiled. However, it is becoming harder to preserve our environment as our population and cities grow. Pollution contributes to large-scale environmental problems such as acid rain. And the increased presence of people in natural areas threatens ecological systems in many ways.

Canadians are very concerned with environmental issues. They know that damage caused to the environment can be hard to repair. Because of this, many people are actively working to protect the environment.

You can do simple things every day to help protect the environment:

It is important to protect the environment. We must try to provide a healthy environment for all people, as well as animals, birds, fish, trees and plants.