Canada is a sovereign state within the commonwealth. Most of the people are of British (about 10 million) or French (7 million) origin; there are 368 000 native Indians, 25 000 Inuit (Eskimos) and a wide range of immigrant nationalities. Most of the French-speaking people live in the province of Quebec. Strong cultural and commercial influences come across the 4200 km (2600 mile) border with the United States.
Most of the Canadian people and industry are in the GREAT LAKES region and the ST. LAWRENCE lowlands. This heartland starts as a narrow strip near Quebec City, broadens out into southern Quebec and extends westwards across Ontario. The St. Lawrence River flows through this corridor from the great lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.
In the east, the APPALACHIAN highlands extend into Quebec's GASPE PENINSULA, NEW BRUNSWICK, NOVA SCOTIA, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND and Newfoundland. They part of an old mountain range that extends northwards from the united states, bat seldom rises to more than 1000 m (3300 ft). Prince Edward island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence is an exception to the ragged terrain and is the best eastern province for agriculture.
The CANADIAN SHIELD, consisting of old hard rocks extending over more than 4.65 million km2 (1.8 million sq miles), forms the bedrock of half of Canada. It is an area o forests, lakes and rocks which sweeps west wards from LABRADOR through most of Quebec and Ontario, embraces the northern parts of the prairie provinces of MANITOBA and SASKATCHEWAN, and extends into the NORTHWEST TERRITORIES. The shield has valuable mineral and forest resources and potential for hydroelectric power.
The provinces of ALBERTA, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, bordered by the USA to the south and the ROCKY MOUNTAINS to the west, contain Canada's largest farming area. Forests cover the northern parts of them.
Much of the west is more than 2000m (6600 ft) high; the country's highest peak, mount Logan in the Yukon, reaches 5951 m (19 524 ft). A series of mountain ranges called the Western Cordillera run down the west side of the country, covering most of British Columbia, the Yukon and parts of Alberta and the northwest territories. The Rocky Mountains form the eastern edge, towering to more than 3000 m (10 000 ft), while the Coast Mountains rise to 4042 m (13 260 ft) at Mount Waddington in British Columbia.
The west coast provides spectacular scenery with fords, mountains and islands including VANCOUVER ISLAND and the QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS. The city of VANCOUVER stands in the main lowland area of the west coast, the lower FRASER valley.
The far north of Canada is inhabited mainly by small communities of Inuit. It is wild and inhospitable, with low rainfall, little tree growth and large areas where the land is permanently frozen. But it holds great mineral wealth, including oil and gas. The 25 000 Inuit live in the MACKENZIE delta, on the Arctic Islands, and on the mainland coast of Labrador. The 368 000 Indians live mostly in 2250 reserves covering 2.6 million hectares (6.4 million acres). They are widely spread across the country and speak 60 different languages.
The average daytime temperature over most of Canada. Exceeds 24°C (75°F) in July. But in winter, nearly all the country is snow-covered and has temperatures below freezing point. The St. Lawrence River is closed to traffic for three or four months, and most other rivers are icebound.
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