Information about Canada

According to the United Nations Human Development Index, Canada has repeatedly been listed as a country with one of the highest living standards in the world. As the second largest country in the world Canada has a lot to offer:

• in the north there are marvelous mountains; a real paradise for tourists and skiers year round,
• vibrant and safe cities such as Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa – Canada’s capital city, Montreal, Quebec and small picturesque historical towns such as Charlottetown – home of Anne of Green Gables,
• very interesting cultural variety where native Canadians and ancestors of English, Irish, East- European, Caribbean and Asian emigrants keep their traditions and share them with the whole country to create a unique, incredible mosaic,
• beautiful beaches of the Pacific and Atlantic coast as well as numerous lakes in Ontario, “Lake Country”,
• world famous Niagara falls near Toronto,
• an incredible number of tourist destinations and great variety of festivals: jazz, blues, classical music, theatre- Shakespeare’s festival in Stratford near Toronto, and film festivals in Toronto and Montreal which attract more and more people every year,
• renowned symphonic orchestras such as the National Art Centre Orchestra of Ottawa, the symphonic orchestras of Montreal and Toronto, and the CBC orchestra in Vancouver with world famous conductors as Pinchas Zukerman, Charles Dutoit, and Mario Bernardi; theater and ballet companies – Winnipeg Royal Ballet,
• a wide choice of museums which offer the most famous international exhibitions (Picasso, Renoir, Monet) along with Canada’s own unique history of Native American art.

More than 70% of all Canadians live in the south, in important cities like Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec, Fredericton, Halifax, Charlottetown and St John. The first inhabitants in Canada are considered the First Nations and Eskimos, representing 4.4% of the population according to a 2001 census. Other inhabitants are mainly from Europe, some from Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. Canada is truly a multi- ethnic and multi-cultural country.

Languages
Canada is a bilingual country with two official languages: English and French. Most of the population uses English daily. The French language is used mostly in Quebec where the people enjoy a distinct culture going back to the original French influence in Canada.