英语国家概况-加拿大(Canada)

AnIntroductiontoCanadianCultureMarcUptonNativeAmericanslivedinCanadaforthousandsofyears.Intheearly1600s,colonistsfromBritainandFrancebegantosettleineasternCanada,alongtheSt.LawrenceRiver.Canadaprovedtobeanexcellentspotfortrappingandtradingoffurs.Inthe1800s,settlersbegantopushwest.MostofthenativeAmericansweredisplacedbytheEuropeans.Land&ClimateCanadaisthesecondlargestcountryintheworld,withover3,851,877squaremilesofland2varyinginclimatefrompermafrostinthenorthtofourdistinctseasonsofspring,summer,fall,andwinternearertheequator3.Canadahas10provinces;BritishColumbia,Alberta,Saskatchewan,Manitoba,Ontario,Quebec,NewBrunswick,NovaScotia,PrinceEdwardIsland,Newfoundland&Labrador,and3territories;Yukon,Northwestterritories,Nunavut6.ThecapitalcityisOttawa,inOntario11.7%ofCanada’slandmassiscoveredwithover2millionlakes,thelargestbeingtheNorthwestTerritories’GreatBearLake4.Anestimated14%oftheworld’sfreshwatersupplyislocatedinCanada4.SomeofCanada’snaturalresourcesare;ironore,nickel,zinc,copper,gold,lead,rareearthelements,molybdenum,potash,diamonds,silver,fish,timber,wildlife,coal,petroleum,naturalgas,andhydropower8.BanffNationalParkGovernmentResponsibilitiesThefederalgovernmentisresponsibleforthingseffectingtheentirecountrysuchascitizenship,immigration,nationaldefense,tradewithothercountries12,thebankingsystem,criminalcode,andindigenouspopulations8.Thefederalgovernmentalsohassomeinvolvementinthingslikeemployment,insurance,andMedicarethatwereoncecontrolledbytheprovinces,becauseofthegreaterresourcesofthefederalgovernment8.Theprovincesorterritorieshaveresponsibilityforthingslikeeducation,highways,healthcare,andwelfare8.Inareaswithamunicipalgovernment,themunicipalgovernmentisresponsibleforlocalmatterslikefirefightingandcitystreets12.QueenElizabethIIGovernorGeneral:DavidJohnstonOttawaEconomyTheeconomyinCanadaisthe9thstrongest17intheworld8.Thesubstantialgrowthofthemanufacturing,mining,andservicesectorsinCanadasinceWorldWarIIhasrevampedthenationfromaprimarilyruraleconomyintoonepredominantlyindustrialandurban8.Canadaisthe10thlargestexporterofoilandthe3rdlargestexporterofnaturalgasintheworld17.CanadaisthelargestforeignsupplierofenergytotheUnitedStates,including;oil,gas,uranium,andalsoelectricpower8.VancouverEconomyAsof2014thereareanestimated18.85millionpeopleintheCanadianworkforce8.Percentagesofoccupationsheldinthelaborforcein2006:agriculture:2%,manufacturing:13%,construction:6%,services:76%,other:3%8Althoughmanypeoplereapthebenefitsofastrongeconomy,7.3%ofthepopulationwasunemployedin2012andmorethan9%oftheCanadianpopulationlivesinpovertyasofanestimatedonein20088.14.8%ofCanadiansages15-24areunemployed.Canadaisaleaderintheproductionofgold,silver,copper,uranium,oil,naturalgas,agriculture,woodpulp,andtimber-relatedproducts8..TheaverageminimumwageinCanada$10.10.&theworkforceCurrencyAllofCanadausestheCanadianDollar20.Thereareno1or2dollarbillsinCanada,theyhavebeenreplacedbythe1and2dollarcoins–the“loonie”andthe“toonie”20.Inhistory,theCanadiandollarhasusuallybeenatleastabitweakerthantheUnitedStatesdollar,butrecentlythetrendhaschanged8.Canadianbillsarebrightlycoloredandeasytodistinguish-whichalsohappenstobeapointofculturalCanadianpride20.ThenewestCanadianbills,releasedin2011,aremadeofpolymerinsteadofpaper21.SymbolsofCanadaJustafewNationalFlagofCanadaTheMapleTreeTheMapleLeafTheCoatofArmsNationalHorseofCanadaTheBeaverTheGreatSealHockey:Canada’snationalwintersportLacrosse:Canada’snationalsummersportTheHealthcareSystemOftenreferredtoas“Medicare”,Canada’snationalhealthinsuranceprogram30consistsofagroupofsocializedhealthinsuranceplansthatprovidepubliclyfundedhealthcarecoveragetomostallthecitizensofCanadaregardlessofmedicalhistory,personalincome,orstandardofliving.Healthcareisadministeredonaprovincialorterritorialbasis,withguidelinesthataresetbythefederalgovernment29.Citizensareprovidedpreventativecare,medicaltreatmentsfromprimarycarephysicians,accesstohospitals,dentalsurgeryandsomeadditionalmedicalservices29.Theaveragenumberofphysiciansper1,000peopleinCanadais:2.1.46TorontoHealthStatisticsCurrentsmokers24:19.9%PercentageofCanadianswithadoctor24:84.7%PercentageofCanadiansthatdrinkheavily24:19%PercentageofCanadianswithhighbloodpressure24:17.6%Lifeexpectancyformales24:78.8yearsLifeexpectancyforfemales8:84.2yearsPercentageofoverweightorobeseadults24:52.1%Percentageofoverweightorobeseyouth(age12-17)24:20.4%Percentageofleisuretimededicatedtophysicalactivity24:53.8%Education-InCanada,theeducationsystemismadeupofbothpublicandprivateschools,including;communitycolleges,technicalinstitutes,secondaryschools,universities,universitycolleges,careercolleges,summercamps,andlanguageschools34.UndertheCanadianconstitutioneachprovincehasresponsibilityforit’seducationalsystem2.Canadianchildrengenerallyvoluntarilyattendkindergartenforoneortwoyearsattheageoffourorfive34.AllchildrenbeginGradeOneataboutsixyearsofage34.TheschoolyearlastsfromSeptembertothefollowingJune34.Dependingonwhatprovinceyouarein,secondaryschoolsgouptoGrade11or1234.99%ofthepopulationofCanadaovertheageo