北美洲國家。面積約9,976,185平方公里。人口約31,081,900（2001）。首都︰渥太華。英國人和法國人後裔占人口半數以上，德國人、義大利人、烏克蘭人、華人、荷蘭人、美洲印第安人和愛斯基摩人（伊努伊特人）的後裔則構成重要的少數民族。語言：英語和法語（均為官方語）。宗教：天主教、新教（加拿大聯合教會和加拿大聖公會）。貨幣︰加拿大元（Can$）。加拿大可畫分為幾個自然地理區︰以哈得遜灣為中心佔全國面積近4/5的大片內陸盆地，由加拿大（勞倫琴）地盾、內陸平原及五大湖-聖羅倫斯低地區組成。盆地邊緣是幾個大部為高地的區域，包括北極群島境內的山脈，有落磯山脈、海岸山脈和勞倫琴山脈。境內最高峰位於育空地區的洛根山。加拿大的五條河流--聖羅倫斯河、馬更些河、育空河、弗雷澤河和納爾遜河。居世界四十條最大河流之列。除與美國共有的蘇必略湖和休倫湖外，加拿大的大熊湖和大奴湖亦屬世界十一個最大湖泊之列。境內也有若干島嶼，包括巴芬島、埃爾斯米爾島、維多利亞島、紐芬蘭和梅爾維爾島以及許多小島嶼。加拿大與美國的疆界長6,415公里，是世界上最長的沒有防衛的疆界。加拿大的市場經濟相當發達，這主要建立在出口和與美國保持密切關係的基礎之上，加拿大是世界上最富有的國家之一。政府形式是議會制聯邦，兩院制。國家元首是英國君主，國家元首代表為總督，政府首腦為總理。農業是該國十分重要的產業，加拿大為世界主要糧食生產國。木材工業極發達，森林資源非常豐富。服務業佔國內生產總值大部分。
最初的居民是美洲印第安人和伊努伊特人。大約在西元1000年時由古代斯堪的那維亞探險者所發現，考古發掘證實在紐芬蘭有他們的遺蹟。早在西元1500年，紐芬蘭附近海域即有英國、法國、西班牙及葡萄牙的漁業考察隊來此探險。1534年卡蒂埃首次進入聖羅倫斯灣，法國遂提出對加拿大的領土要求。1605年在新斯科舍（阿卡第亞）建立起一個小拓居地，1608年山普倫也曾到過魁北克。皮毛交易對早期殖民地的開拓帶有促進作用。為對付法國人的行動，英國於1670年成立哈得遜灣公司，英法兩國為此在上北美洲腹地相持達一個世紀之久。1713年法國在安妮女王之戰（西班牙王位繼承戰爭）中失利，被迫將新斯科舍及紐芬蘭割讓給英國。七年戰爭（法國印第安人戰爭）導致1763年法國人被逐出北美大陸。美國革命後，加拿大人口中增加了一些從美國逃來的效忠派分子。由於到達魁北克的效忠派分子越來越多，英國遂於1791年將該殖民地分成上、下加拿大省。1841年英國將上、下加拿大省合併。加拿大人的擴張主義，導致了19世紀中葉的聯邦運動。1867年成立了加拿大自治領，其範圍包括新斯科舍、新伯倫瑞克、魁北克及安大略。此舉對促進加拿大的發展至關重要。聯邦成立後，加拿大開始了向西擴張的時期。伴隨加拿大進入20世紀的繁榮，由於英國人與法國人社群間的不斷衝突而大受影響。1931年通過「威斯敏斯特條例」，承認加拿大是不列顛的平等夥伴。隨著1982年「加拿大法案」的通過，英國給了加拿大對其憲法具有完全的控制權，並割讓了兩國間的法律紐帶。法語加拿大人的騷動仍是主要問題，20世紀後半葉，魁北克的分離主義運動開始滋長。1992和1995年舉行公投要求在政治上更多的自治，但都未成功，問題也一直存在著。1999年加拿大成立紐納武特新地區。
Canada
Nation, North America. Area: 3,851,808 square miles (9,976,185 square km). Population (2001 est.): 31,081,900. Capital: Ottawa. People of British and French descent compose more than half the population; there are significant minorities of German, Italian, Ukrainian, Chinese, Dutch, American Indian, and Eskimo (Inuit) origin. Languages: English, French (both official). Religions: Roman Catholicism, Protestantism (United Church of Canada, Anglican Church of Canada). Currency: Canadian dollar. Canada may be divided into several physiographic regions. A large interior basin centered on Hudson Bay and covering nearly four-fifths of the country is composed of the Canadian (Laurentian) Shield, the interior plains, and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence lowlands. Rimming the basin are highland regions, including the Arctic Archipelago. Its mountains include the Rocky Mountains, Coast Mountains, and Laurentian Mountains. Its highest peak is Mount Logan in Yukon Territory. Five of Canada's rivers—the St. Lawrence, Mackenzie, Yukon, Fraser, and Nelson—rank among the world's 40 largest. In addition to Lakes Superior and Huron, both shared with the United States, Canada's Great Bear and Great Slave lakes are among the world's 11 largest lakes. The country also includes several major islands, including Baffin, Ellesmere, Victoria, Newfoundland, and Melville, and many small ones. Its border with the United States, the longest unguarded border in the world, extends 3,987 miles (6,415 km). With a developed market economy that is export-directed and closely linked with that of the United States, Canada is one of the world's most prosperous nations. It is a parliamentary state with two legislative houses; its chief of state is the British monarch, whose representative is Canada's governor-general, and the head of government is the prime minister. Originally inhabited by American Indians and Inuit, Canada was visited c. AD 1000 by Scandinavian explorers, whose discovery is confirmed by archaeological evidence from Newfoundland. Fishing expeditions off Newfoundland by the English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese began as early as 1500. The French claim to Canada was made in 1534 when Jacques Cartier entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence. A small settlement was made in Nova Scotia (Arcadia) in 1605, and by 1608 Samuel de Champlain had reached Quebec. Fur trading was the impetus behind the early colonizing efforts. In response to French activity, the English in 1670 formed the Hudson's Bay Co. The British-French rivalry for the interior of upper North America lasted almost a century. The first French loss occurred in 1713 at the conclusion of Queen Anne's War (War of the Spanish Succession) when Nova Scotia and Newfoundland were ceded to the British. The Seven Years' War (French and Indian War) resulted in France's expulsion from continental North America in 1763. After the American Revolution the population was augmented by loyalists fleeing the United States, and the increasing number arriving in Quebec led the British to divide the colony into Upper and Lower Canada in 1791. The British reunited the two provinces in 1841. Canadian expansionism resulted in the confederation movement of the mid-19th century, and in 1867 the Dominion of Canada, comprising Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario, came into existence. After confederation, Canada entered a period of westward expansion. The prosperity that accompanied Canada into the 20th century was marred by continuing conflict between the English and French communities. Through the Statute of Westminster (1931), Canada was recognized as an equal partner of Great Britain. With the Canada Act of 1982, the British gave Canada total control over its constitution and severed the remaining legal connections between the two countries. French-Canadian unrest continued to be a major concern, with a movement growing for Quebec separatism in the late 20th century. Referendums for more political autonomy for Quebec were rejected in 1992 and 1995, but the issue remained unresolved. In 1999 Canada formed the new territory of Nunavut.
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