加拿大简介__3.docx

加拿大简介_Generalinformation:CanadaisaNorthAmericancountryconsistingoftenprovincesandthreeterritories.Locatedinthenorthernpartofthecontinent,itextendsfromtheAtlanticOceanintheeasttothePacificOceaninthewest,andnorthwardintotheArcticOcean.Canadaistheworld'ssecond-largestcountrybytotalarea,anditscommonborderwiththeUnitedStatesisthelongestlandborderintheworld.ItisabilingualnationwithbothEnglishandFrenchasofficiallanguages.ThenationalflagofCanada,alsoknownastheMapleLeaf,isaredflagwithawhitesquareinitscentre,featuringastylized11-pointedredmapleleaf.History:Indeed,Canadaissobeautifullydiversethatitmakesitthatlittlebiteasiertocomprehendwhysomanypeoplefoughtforpossessionofit.Duringthe17thcentury,theAnglo-FrenchwaroverCanadaendedwiththecapitulationoftheFrenchCanadiancapital,Québec,tothebesiegingforcesoftheEnglishGeneralWolfe.TheAmericansmadeanumberofeffortstoseizecontrolofBritainsCanadianterritoriesafterBritishdefeatintheAmericanWarofIndependence,butfailed,andthetwocountriesthereafterevolvedalongdifferenthistoricalpaths.In1791,CanadawasdividedbetweenregionsoccupiedbytheEnglish-speakingandthelonger-establishedFrench-speakingcommunity,butthearrangementdidnotworkandwasreplacedbyaunifiedsystem.Climate:Winterscanbeharshinmanyregionsofthecountry,particularlyintheinteriorandPrairieprovinces,whichexperienceacontinentalclimate.Innoncoastalregions,snowcancoverthegroundalmostsixmonthsoftheyear(moreinthenorth).CoastalBritishColumbiaenjoysatemperateclimate,withamildandrainywinter.Cities:Canadaisafederationof10provincesNewfoundlandandLabrador,NovaScotia,NewBrunswick,PrinceEdwardIsland,Quebec,Ontario,Manitoba,Saskatchewan,Alberta,andBritishColumbiaandthreeterritoriesNunavut,theNorthwestTerritories,andtheYukonTerritory.Canada'scapitalisOttawaanditslargestcityisToronto.OtherimportantcitiesincludeMontreal,Vancouver,Edmonton,Calgary,Winnipeg,Hamilton,andQuebec.Ottawa,Canada'sCapital,sitsontheborderbetweentheprovincesofOntarioandQuebecincentralCanada.It'sthefourth-largesturbanareainCanada.TorontoisthelargestcityinCanadaandtheprovincialcapitalofOntario.ItislocatedinSouthernOntarioonthenorthwesternshoreofLakeOntario.AsCanada'seconomiccapital,TorontoisconsideredanalphaworldcitybytheGlobalizationandWorldCities(GaWC)studygroupandisoneofthetopfinancialcentresintheworld.Toronto'sleadingeconomicsectorsincludefinance,businessservices,telecommunications,aerospace,transportation,media,arts,film,televisionproduction,publishing,softwareproduction,medicalresearch,education,tourismandsportsindustries.OtherimportantcitiesincludeMontreal,Vancouver,Edmonton,Calgary,Winnipeg,Hamilton,andQuebec.Collegelife:OverthepastfourdecadesCanadianhighereducationhaschangeddramatically.Thisismostevidentwithrespecttothegrowthinmembersofstudents,facultyandnewinstitutions.Atthesametime,qualitativechangeshavehappened,forexampleanemphasisonappliedresearch,internationalizationandcommercialization.UniversitiesandcollegesinCanadaofferfourseasonsofrecreationalopportunities,culturalactivitiesandyear-roundsportsinworld-classfacilities.Sportsteamsarepopularattheuniversities.Someoftheseincludehockey,baseball,basketball,soccer,golf,tennis,badminton,squash,swimmingandsoon.Studyinginuniversitydemandsmorereadingandthinking,lessmemorizationthaninhighschool.Universitiesstudentsoftenfindaromanticloveoncampus.Itiscommontoseetwolovershandinhandastheywalkdownthetree.ParentsinCanadausuallydonotmindiftheirchildhasfoundaromanticlove.Andalsouniversitydonotmindifstudentsdate.Canadianstudentsjoindifferentclubswheretheycandophotographart,drama,ormanyotherthings.AlmostallthecampusesinalltheuniversitiesinCanadaaregreenmeadowandfreshflowers,greentreesandgrasseseverywhere.Thestudentsenjoythebeautifulpubliclawns.Culture:Canadiancultureisatermthatexplainstheartistic,musical,literary,culinary,politicalandsocialelementsthatarerepresentativeofCanadaandCanadians,notonlytoitsownpopulation,butpeopleallovertheworld.Canada'sculturehashistoricallybeeninfluencedbyEuropeancultureandtraditions,especiallyBritishandFrench.Canadaisamultinationalcountry.ForhundredsofyearscitizensfrommanycountrieshavecometoCanada'sshores,bringingwiththemtherichgiftsoftheirculturaltraditionsforallofthemtoshare.WalkdownthestreetsofCanadiancitiessuchasVancouver,MontrealandToronto,facesfromallovertheworldgreetyou.Canadaisareallypeacefulnation,andithasavoidedtheworstexcessesofintoleranceandprejudicethathavecharacterizedmanynationswheredifferentnationalitiesandethnicgroupscoexist.SportinCanada:ThesportingcultureofCanadaisdifferentfromthatofmanyothercountries.Comparedtoanyothernation,CanadianspreferauniquesetofsportsthatareimportedfromtheUnitedStatesorhomegrownnamelyfootball,basketball,baseball,andicehockey.Icehockey,referredtoassimplyhockeyinthecountry,isCanada'sofficialwintersport,itsmostpopularspectatorsport,anditsmostsuccessfulsportininternationalcompetition.CanadianfootballisCanada'ssecondmostpopularspectatorsport,andtheCanadianFootballLeague'sannualchampionship,theGreyCup,isthecountry'slargestannualsportsevent.Asacountrywithagenerallycoolclimate,CanadahasenjoyedgreatersuccessattheWinterOlympicsthanattheSummerOlympics.People:About40%oftheCanadianpopulationareofBritishdescent,while27%areofFrenchorigin.Another20%areofotherEuropeanbackground,about10%areofEorSEAsianorigin,andsome3%areofaboriginalorMétis(mixedaboriginalandEuropean)background.Inthelate1990s,Canadahadthehighestimmigrationrateofanycountryintheworld,withmorethanhalfthetotalcomingfromAsia.Over75%ofthetotalpopulationliveincities.Canadahascompletereligiousliberty,thoughitsgrowingmulticulturalismhasattimescausedtensionsamongethnicandreligiousgroups.About45%ofthepeopleareRomanCatholics,whilesome40%areProtestant(thelargestgroupsbeingtheUnitedChurchofCanada,Anglicans,andPresbyterians).EnglishandFrencharetheofficiallanguages,andfederaldocumentsarepublishedinbothlanguages.In1991,about61%ofCanadianscitedEnglishastheirmothertongue,while24%citedFrench.Economy:SinceWorldWarIIthedevelopmentofCanada'smanufacturing,mining,andservicesectorshasledtothecreationofanaffluentsociety.Servicesnowaccountfor66%oftheGDP,whileindustryaccountsfor31%.TourismandfinancialservicesrepresentsomeofCanada'smostimportantindustrieswithintheservicesector.However,manufacturingisCanada'ssinglemostimportanteconomicactivity.Theleadingproductsaretransportationequipment,pulpandpaper,processedfoods,chemicals,primaryandfabricatedmetals,petroleum,electricalandelectronicproducts,woodproducts,printedmaterials,machinery,clothing,andnonmetallicminerals.IndustriesarecenteredinOntario,Quebec,and,toalesserextent,BritishColumbiaandAlberta.Canada'sindustriesdependonthecountry'srichenergyresources,whichincludehydroelectricpower,petroleum,naturalgas,coal,anduranium.Canadaisaleadingmineralproducer,althoughmuchofitsmineralresourcesaredifficulttoreachduetopermafrost.Itistheworld'slargestsourceofnickel,zinc,anduranium,andamajorsourceoflead,asbestos,gypsum,potash,tantalum,andcobalt.Otherimportantmineralresourcesarepetroleum,naturalgas,copper,gold,ironore,coal,silver,diamonds,molybdenum,andsulfur.Themineralwealthislocatedinmanyareas;someofthemostproductiveregionsareSudbury,Ont.(copperandnickel);Timmins,Ont.(lead,zinc,andsilver);andKimberley,BritishColumbia(lead,zinc,andsilver).PetroleumandnaturalgasarefoundinAlbertaandSaskatchewan.Agricultureemploysabout3%ofthepopulationandcontributesasimilarpercentageoftheGDP.Thesourcesofthegreatestfarmincomearelivestockanddairyproducts.Amongthebiggestincome-earningcropsarewheat,oats,barley,corn,andcanola.Canadaisoneoftheworld'sleadingagriculturalexporters,especiallyofwheat.Manitoba,Saskatchewan,andAlbertaarethegreatgrain-growingprovinces,and,withOntario,arealsotheleadingsourcesofbeefcattle.Themainfruit-growingregionsarefoundinOntario,BritishColumbia,Quebec,andNovaScotia.ApplesandpeachesaretheprincipalfruitsgrowninCanada.Morethanhalfofthetotallandareaisforest,andCanadiantimberproductionranksamongthehighestintheworld.Music:TheMusicofCanadahasreflectedthemulti-culturalinfluencesthathaveshapedthecountry.Aboriginals,theFrench,andtheBritishhaveallmadecontributionstothemusicalheritageofCanada.CanadianmusicindustryhasbeenhelpedbygovernmentregulationdesignedtoprotectandencouragethegrowthofdistinctCanadianculture.TheCanadianContent(CANCON)regulationsrequireallradiostationsinCanadaplayatleast36%Canadianmusic.ThishasenabledCanadianartiststogarnersuccessontheairwaveswhichwereoncedominatedbyAmericanandEuropeanacts.IndividualsarehonouredatTheJunoAwards,recognizingCanadianachievementinpopularmusic.Inaddition,Canadaishometoanumberofpopularsummer-timefolkfestivals,includingtheWinnipegFolkFestival.Others:Canadaisacountrywhereyoucanfindthemostamazinglandscapesintheworld.Fromcoasttocoast,thediversityofsceneinCanadaishuge,theNorthernLights,theGreatLakes,magnificentfalls,woods,andfauna,nodoubtitisacountrywithplentyofbeauty.Canadaisoneofthemostexcitingtraveldestinationsintheworld.Ithasmanyinterestingcities,likeToronto,NorthVancouver,MontrealorHalifax.Butalsosomeofthemostimpressivenature,whichisgreatforoutdooractivities,likehiking,skiing,raftingandfishing.TorontoisthelargestcityinCanadaandsincethe1970shasbeenoneofthefastest-changingcitiesinNorthAmerica,experiencinganenormousgrowthinforeign-bornresidents.ThebestplacetostartistheCNTower,thetallestfree-standingstructureintheworld,fromthisvantagepoint,visitorsgetabird's-eye-viewofthecity'sstrikingskylineanduniquegeography.Whetheryourpassionisskiing,sailing,museum-combingorindulginginexceptionalcuisine,Canadahasitall.WesternCanadaisrenownedforitsstunninglybeautifulcountryside;EasternCanadamixestheflavourandcharmofEuropewiththebustleoftrendyNewYork;wildlifeviewingisatitsbestinNorthernCanada;and,everywhere,youwillbesurprisedbyhowmuchmorethereistothiscountrythanjustmaplesyrupandMounties.