canada-加拿大国家概况

CANADA•CanadaisacountryinNorthAmerica,extendingfromtheAtlanticOceanintheeasttothePacificOceaninthewestandnorthwardintotheArcticOcean.Itistheworld'ssecondlargestcountrybytotalarea.Canada'scommonborderwiththeUnitedStatestothesouthandnorthwestisthelongestintheworld.•In1867,withtheunionofthreeBritishNorthAmericancoloniesthroughConfederation,Canadawasformedasafederaldominionoffourprovinces.ThisbegananaccretionofprovincesandterritoriesandaprocessofincreasingautonomyfromtheUnitedKingdom.ThiswideningautonomywashighlightedbytheStatuteofWestminsterof1931andculminatedintheCanadaActof1982,whichseveredthevestigesoflegaldependenceontheBritishparliament.Provincesandterritories•Canadaisafederationcomposedoftenprovincesandthreeterritories.Inturn,thesemaybegroupedintoregions:WesternCanada,CentralCanada,AtlanticCanada,andNorthernCanada(thelattermadeupofthethreeterritories:Yukon,NorthwestTerritories,andNunavut).•加拿大十省三地区分别为：•阿尔伯塔省（英语、法语：Alberta，成立年份：1905年）•不列颠哥伦比亚省（英语：BritishColumbia，法语：Colombie-Britannique，加入年份：1858年）•马尼托巴省（英语、法语：Manitoba，加入年份为1870年）•纽芬兰与拉布拉多省（英语：NewfoundlandandLabrador，法语：Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador，加入年份：1949年）•新不伦瑞克省（英语：NewBrunswick，法语：Nouveau-Brunswick，加入年份：1867年）•西北领地（英语：NorthwestTerritories，法语：TerritoiresduNord-Ouest，加入年份：1870年）•新斯科舍省（英语：NovaScotia，法语：Nouvelle-Écosse，加入年份：1867年）•努纳武特地区（英语、法语：Nunavut，于1999年从西北地区分割出来）•安大略省（英语、法语：Ontario，加入年份：1867年）•爱德华王子省（英语：PrinceEdwardIsland，法语：Île-du-Prince-Édouard，加入年份：1873年）•魁北克省（法语：Québec，英语：Quebec，加入年份为1867年）•萨斯喀彻温省（英语、法语：Saskatchewan，成立年份：1905年）•育空地区（英语、法语：Yukon，加入年份：1898年）•Provinceshavemoreautonomythanterritories.(suchashealthcare,education,andwelfare)andtogethercollectmorerevenuethanthefederalgovernment,analmostuniquestructureamongfederationsintheworld.Usingitsspendingpowers,thefederalgovernmentcaninitiatenationalpoliciesinprovincialareas;•Equalizationpaymentsaremadebythefederalgovernmenttoensurethatreasonablyuniformstandardsofservicesandtaxationarekeptbetweenthericherandpoorerprovinces.•AveragewinterandsummerhightemperaturesacrossCanadavaryaccordingtothelocation.Winterscanbeharshinmanyregionsofthecountry,particularlyintheinteriorandPrairieprovinces,whichexperienceacontinentalclimate.•Innoncoastalregions,snowcancoverthegroundalmostsixmonthsoftheyear(moreinthenorth).•CoastalBritishColumbiaenjoysatemperateclimate,withamildandrainywinter.People•AboriginalpeoplesinCanadaincludetheFirstNationsInuit,andMétis.TheMétisacultureofmixedbloodoriginatedinthemid-17thcenturywhenFirstNationandInuitmarriedEuropeansettlers.TheInuithadmorelimitedinteractionwithEuropeansettlersduringtheearlyperiods.•TheInuithadmorelimitedinteractionwithEuropeansettlersduringtheearlyperiods•ThelandthatisnowCanadawasinhabitedformillenniabyvariousgroupsofAboriginalpeoples.Beginninginthelate15thcentury,BritishandFrenchexpeditionsexplored,andlatersettled,alongtheAtlanticcoast.FrancecedednearlyallofitscoloniesinNorthAmericain1763aftertheSevenYears'War.Europeancolonization•NewFranceandCanadaunderBritishImperialcontrol.•TheRoyalProclamation(1763)carvedtheProvinceofQuebecoutofNewFrance.•ToaccommodateEnglish-speakingLoyalistsinQuebec,theConstitutionalActof1791dividedtheprovinceintoFrench-speakingLowerCanada(latertheprovinceofQuebec)andEnglish-speakingUpperCanada(laterOntario),grantingeachitsownelectedLegislativeAssembly.•ThedesireforresponsiblegovernmentresultedintheabortedRebellionsof1837.TheDurhamReportsubsequentlyrecommendedresponsiblegovernmentandtheassimilationofFrenchCanadiansintoBritishculture.TheActofUnion1840mergedTheCanadaintoaunitedProvinceofCanada.ResponsiblegovernmentwasestablishedforallBritishNorthAmericanprovincesby1849.Governmentandpolitics•Canadahasstrongdemocratictraditionsupheldthroughaparliamentarygovernmentwithintheconstructofconstitutionalmonarchy,themonarchyofCanadabeingthefoundationoftheexecutive,legislative,andjudicialbranchesanditsauthoritystemmingfromtheCanadianpopulace.ThesovereignisQueenElizabethII,whoalsoservesasheadofstateof15otherCommonwealthcountriesandresidespredominantlyintheUnitedKingdom.Assuch,theQueen'srepresentative,theGovernorGeneralofCanada(presentlyMichaëlleJean),carriesoutmostoftheroyaldutiesinCanada.•Thedirectparticipationoftheroyalandvice-royalfiguresinanyoftheseareasofgovernanceislimited,though;inpractice,theiruseoftheexecutivepowersisdirectedbytheCabinet,acommitteeofministersoftheCrownresponsibletotheelectedHouseofCommonsandheadedbythePrimeMinisterofCanada,theheadofgovernment.•Toensurethestabilityofgovernment,thegovernorgeneralwillusuallyappointasprimeministerthepersonwhoisthecurrentleaderofthepoliticalpartythatcanobtaintheconfidenceofapluralityintheHouseofCommonsandtheprimeministerchoosestheCabinet.•ThePrimeMinister'sOffice(PMO)isthusoneofthemostpowerfulinstitutionsingovernment,initiatingmostlegislationforparliamentaryapprovalandselectingforappointmentbytheCrown,besidestheaforementioned,thegovernorgeneral,lieutenantgovernors,senators,federalcourtjudges,andheadsofcrowncorporationsandgovernmentagencies.•Theleaderofthepartywiththesecond-mostseatsusuallybecomestheLeader