Lecture 5

Canada (Indian kanata – a village) is a magnificent land. It has an area of nearly 10,000,000 square kilometers and population about 28 million. 23% of population live in rural areas. Canada has two official languages: English (69%), and French (24%). 6% of Canadians speak Italian, Chinese, German and Portuguese.

History The first Canadians were Amerindians, who came from Asia. When the first Europeans began to settle in Canada there were 200,000 Amerindians and Eskimos (called Inuit in Canada). Few now follow their traditional semi-nomadic lifestyles.

The explorers from Greenland visited the Canadian cost 1,000 years ago. The first voyage to Canada was made in 1497 by John Cabot. S.Champlain founded Canadas first settlement. Quebec was founded in Montreal was founded in 1642, and, in 1633 Luis IV proclaimed Quebec a French province.

How did Canada become an Independent Nation?

French and Indian War The French and Indian (Great Britain also) War took place from Great Britain won the war. Canada then became part of Great Britain in Many people came to Canada to settle.They were very interested in the natural resources, especially the beaver fur.

British North America Act of 1867 In the mid 1860s, people that had come to Canada wanted to become united. They wanted the British Parliament to give them a constitution that granted them the right to govern themselves. This act was created to bring together the provinces, establish a parliament and have a prime minister. The monarch was the same for Canada and Great Britain.

Quebecs Independence Movement Some people in Quebec want it to be its own country. They are called separatist. They want to make sure their culture and French language is protected. The people have voted on this and decided for Quebec to stay a province, not a country.

Why Canada does not want Quebec to become its own country Quebec is very important to Canada because it has so many industries. The electronics and computer industries bring in a lot of revenue for the country. Most of the people in Canada do not want them to be their own country.

What the government has done for Quebec… They have passed laws protecting Quebecs language and culture. The first law made Canada bilingual….English and French. They have also guaranteed them the right to practice their French heritage.

Government Canada is a democracy, a constitutional monarchy. The head of state is the Queen of Canada, who is also Queen of Britain, Australia and New Zealand. All her powers are now exercises by her representatives, the Governor General. Canada is a federal state with 10 self-governing provinces and two territories controlled by the central government.

The written Constitution of Canada is not a single document. It is a collection of 24 documents: 13 Acts of the British Parliament, 7 of the Canadian, and 4 British orders. Parliament consists of the Queen, the Senate and the House of Commons.

The Senate has 104 members. The Speaker of the Senate is appointed by the cabinet. The senators are appointed by the Prime Minister. They hold office until age 75. The House of Commons is the major law- making body. It has 282 members. The Prime Minister chooses the members of the cabinet.

Canadian Symbols canadian flag The National Flag was adopted by Parliament on October 22, It is a red flag containing in the center a white square with a single red maple leaf. Red and white are the official colors for Canada, declared by King George V in The maple leaf was first associated with Canada as early as 1700s. In first St.Jean Baptiste Society in North America made the maple leaf its emblem.

The Coat of Arms The Coat of Arms displays a lion, a traditional royal symbol, holding the British flag, and a unicorn, a mythological creature with the Flag of Quebec. On the crest there is a heraldic representation of the Royal crown.