Welcome to Canada

Interesting facts about Canada

Canada is located in North America to the north of the United States. Canada is bordered by three oceans: the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Arctic Ocean to the north. Ottawa is the capital. Canada has two official languages: English and French.

With a total of 9,984,670 km� (including 891,163 km� of water), Canada is the second-largest country in the world after Russia. But with only 32,805,041 inhabitants, it ranks only 33rd in terms of population. Canada is an urban nation, with 80% of the population living in cities.

Canada�s population is very diverse and reflects a culture made up of First Nations, descendents of French and English colonists, and subsequent arrivals of immigrants who came from Europe, Asia, and other continents. Each language group, culture, and faith is important to the multicultural fabric of Canadian society.

Canada's Head of State is Queen Elizabeth II, represented by the Governor General, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Micha�lle Jean. The Prime Minister is the Right Honourable Stephen Harper.

Interesting facts about Vancouver

Vancouver is located in the province of British Columbia on Canada's west coast. It is North America's second largest port and one of the world's major cruise ship ports.

Vancouver is the largest city in British Columbia and the third largest city in Canada. Greater Vancouver is home to almost 2 million people, with a little over half a million within the downtown area. The city is very multicultural, with 35% of the population born in a foreign country. Most notably, Vancouver has the highest proportion of people of Asian heritage of any North American city and it has one of the largest and oldest Chinatowns in North America.

Vancouver has been internationally recognized as one of the best places in the world in which to live and work. In addition to a quality of life second to none, Vancouver has received global acclaim for the excellence of its long range planning for urban design. Vancouver's crime rate is well below most American cities.

Some other facts about Vancouver:

It is one of the largest film production centres in North America;
There are two professional major league sport teams: the BC Lions (CFL Football) and the Vancouver Canucks (NHL Ice Hockey);
It is one of the most densely populated areas in North America (West End, Downtown);
It is one of the few places in the world where it is possible to ski, play golf, and go sailing all in the same day;
Alcoholic beverages cannot be bought in grocery stores, but have to be purchased in a government liquor store;
Most public places are non-smoking, including all restaurants and bars.

The Premier of British Columbia is Gordon Campbell. The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, located on Vancouver Island. The Mayor of Vancouver is Sam Sullivan.

Links

City of Vancouver
http://vancouver.ca
Province of British Columbia
http://www.gov.bc.ca/bvprd/bc/home.do
Government of Canada
http://canada.gc.ca/main_e.html