idea
Canada is the second largest country in size in the world, with 10M square kilometers. It is home to 35M people. It is circled by three oceans: pacific, arctic, atlantic. It is home to the magnetic north pole, and to the largest fresh water reserve in the world, with 4 of the 5 great lakes (Erie, Huron, Ontario, Superior - Michigan is in the US). Its highest mountain is Mount Logan in Yukon (5959m).
It is divided in 5 regions:
- atlantic - Newfoundland and Labrador, PEI, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick
- central - Quebec and Ontario, where half of Canadians live.
- north - NWT, Yukon and Nunavut. It covers more than 1/3 of Canada, is nicknamed "land of the midnight sun" because days last 24h in the short summers.
- prairies - Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba
- west - BC.
These regions are divided in 10 provinces and 3 territories.
Provinces (10)
- Newfoundland and Labrador: has its own timezone. Last to join. Eastern most. Capital is St John's
- PEI: smallest. Birthplace of confederation
- New Brunswick: is the only officially bilingual province. Its main industries are forestry, agriculture, fisheries, mining, food processing, and tourism. Founded by United empire loyalists[1]. Capital: Fredericton
- Nova Scotia: most populous of the Atlantic provinces, largest port of East Coast and largest naval base. Coal mining, forestry, agriculture. Gateway to Canada
- Quebec: main producer of pulp paper and hydroelectricity, aeronautics and space, most bilingual. 1M Anglo-Quebecers
- Ontario: home to 1/3 of Canadians, second largest francophone population after Quebec [^2]
- Manitoba: nicknamed the land of 100000 lakes, largest aboriginal percentage in Canada
- Saskatchewan: agriculture, largest city is Saskatoon, capital is Regina
- Alberta: named after Queen Victoria's daughter. Renowned for its oil and cattle.
- BC: Nicknamed "Canada's Pacific gateway".
Territories (3)
- Nunavut - governed by consensusref
- Northwest Territories
- Yukon - gold rush in 1890, which started the north west mounted police.