加拿大简介
加拿大-全球最适宜居住的国家
据联合国发表的报告，加拿大在就业水平、人均国民生产总值、收入、教育及卫生水平等综合指标在全球160多个国家中名列第一。
优美的自然环境和安全先进的生活方式
加拿大位于北美洲的北半部，总面积 997万平方公里，仅次于俄罗斯，是世界第二大国。人口2900多万，是世界上平均人口密度最低的国家之一，每3人占有一平方公里的土地。89%的土地没有永久性居民点。南部与美国为邻约5000公里，石油、矿产、木材、海产、水利资源十分丰富。加拿大四季分明，西面受太平洋季风的影响，四季宜人春季郁金香花争艳，夏季阳光明媚，秋季枫叶层林尽染，冬季万里雪飘，极具风情。
加拿大是由十个省和两个地区组成的联邦国家。民族构成一英裔、法裔、荷兰裔、德裔、波兰裔和华裔。官方语言为英语和法语。
加拿大有26个人口超过10万的市区和3个人口超过100万的城市。其中不少是北美洲最安全、最清洁、风光最美的市中心区。加拿大城市的严重犯罪率不到美国城市的一半。更为人称道的是多个不同种族的人们在一个国际性的环境中和睦相处。政府和工业界致力保持空气和食品的清洁，共同努力维护健康的环境。
加拿大的城市都有高素质的歌剧院、乐团和舞蹈团、美术馆、博物馆以及公共图书馆。加拿大城市有国际著名的芭蕾舞团、歌剧团和交响乐团。同时亦经常邀请世界各国最优秀的艺术家到访演出。加拿大政府对艺术的人均补助位于世界前列。加拿大的城市融合了欧洲、亚洲、拉丁美洲和非洲的各种文化。例如，温哥华是众多的亚裔人聚居之地；多伦多融合了欧、亚及其他文化；魁北克则为北美洲添上一份英、法双语的欧洲风味。
加拿大的气候各地不一，往往令预计天气较冷的访客诧异。全国绝大多数人口聚居在离美国边境 250公里以内的地区，而加拿大最南部的地区与美国加州北部处于同一纬度。因此，加拿大各大城市的气候多数与美国北部或北欧地区相似。加拿大的城镇提供舒适的生活设施，但是与其他国际性商业中心相比，生活费用确保持在很容易负担的水平上。
名列世界前茅的经济和科技发展水平
加拿大是西方七国之一，工业生产自动化、电气化和现代化水平在世界各国中处于领先地位。农业生产专业化、商品化和现代化的程度也很高，加拿大在电话、微波、卫星、光纤通讯等方面拥有世界先进水平，在航天、微电子工业和生物技术方面亦具有相当水平。加拿大的交通很方便，拥有铁路10万公里、公路73万公里、900 家航空公司和600个大型机场。
理想的投资之地
加拿大是个贸易强国。受过良好教育的劳动力以及合理的生产成本，加上政府在政策的支持，国际人士对加拿大的商业投资环境充满信心。
加拿大在七大工业国中经济增长强劲，通货膨胀率长期低于2%。生活标准指数名列第三位。许多未来的主导行业已经对加拿大经济作出了显著贡献。这些行业包括：通讯设备、激光产品、环保技术、生物技术、制药、航天和电脑软件等高科技工业。
许多国际企业正越来越多地以加拿大作为研究与发展的中心。加拿大是世界最富裕的市场。从1994年1月1日生效的《北美自由贸易协定》让加拿大的企业得到了无可比拟的便利。充裕的原料、廉价的能源、低廉的商业楼宇、先进高效的基础设施、政府的少干预和为支援中小企业、技术与研究开发计划制定的优惠政策，使加拿大成为世界少有的理想投资地。
完备的教育体系
加拿大提供免费的中小学教育。小学教育注重教育学生以积极参与的态度去学习，入学条件简单，主要以学生居住地、年龄分配就读学校。对新移民子弟，学校也会安排ESL 英语课程。小学课程根据各省教育厅指示编排，学校对学生的学习成绩和学生的生活礼仪一样看重。希望培养出来的学生能均衡发展；加拿大的中学教育一般为 5-7年，只需修完30个学分，每学分上课110 小时，就能取得中学毕业证书。低年级课程科目相同，高年级课程有较大弹性，所学科目会有所不同。学校有学生顾问协助学生规划未来。学校还组织各种社团活动，让学生在各方面综合发展。加拿大的高等教育可分为社区学院、大学及研究所，外籍学生及新移民通常要先修语言课，大学课程通常为3-5年。分一般学士及荣誉学士两种。全加拿大有88所大学及200多所社区学院。这些学校的入学资格由学生自定。学生分别向大学申请，没有全国性联考。硕士课程方面，学生入学必须具备相关学科的大学程度。
世人羡慕的社会福利体系
加拿大是高福利国家，费用由联邦政府承担。尽管各省的具体规定不同，但社会福利基本一致。包括：
家庭津贴：凡有18岁以下儿童之父母均可享受。具体金额视家庭收入高低而定；
日托津贴：若小孩父母均工作，又不能付日托全费，可申请日托津贴；
失业保险：多数在加拿大工作的人都受失业保险保障。失业可领取失业保险金。
养 老 金：65岁以上，在加拿大居住满10年，可领取全额养老金；
退 休 金：在工作期间供纳退休金税的人士，可申请退休金；
医疗保险：加拿大实施全民保健计划，居民享受免费医疗服务；
加拿大护照通行全球
加拿大对全世界所有够条件的人打开大门，每年接受移民及难民超过20万，其中独立技术移民约占8 万人左右，大部分来自亚洲。华人移民加拿大已经有 100多年的历史，目前华人占全国人口5％，华人投资包括银行、房地产、酒店、百货商场、电子通讯、电子计算机等，华人就业机会甚佳，从事高级白领工作的人越来越多，华语成为英语、法语之后的第三大语言，华人的地位也越来越高。
多元文化
加拿大实行多元文化、多民族和平共处，不象澳洲那样反对从亚洲移民且有较多的种族歧视。在多伦多、温哥华等大城市，华人数量已超过50万人。
较多的个人发展机会
移民加拿大后，四年时间中在加拿大居住满三年，可申请入籍成为加拿大公民。持加拿大护照可免签证自由往来美国、澳大利亚、新西兰、英国、德国、意大利、比利时、荷兰、奥地利、西班牙、葡萄牙、丹麦、瑞典、芬兰、挪威、希腊、以色列、沙特、香港、澳门、日本、台湾、新加坡、马来西亚、巴西、委内瑞拉等一百多个国家和地区。移民加拿大后，若想转入美国发展，也十分容易。
Canada
Canada, independent nation (2001 pop. 30,007,094), 3,851,787 sq mi (9,976,128 sq km), N North America. Canada occupies all of North America N of the United States (and E of Alaska) except for Greenland and the French islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon. It is bounded on the E by the Atlantic Ocean, on the N by the Arctic Ocean, and on the W by the Pacific Ocean and Alaska. A transcontinental border, formed in part by the Great Lakes, divides Canada from the United States; Nares and Davis straits separate Canada from Greenland. The Arctic Archipelago extends far into the Arctic Ocean.
Canada is a federation of 10 provinces—Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia—and three territories—Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon Territory. Canada's capital is Ottawa and its largest city is Toronto. Other important cities include Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Hamilton, and Quebec.
Land
Canada has a very long and irregular coastline; Hudson Bay and the Gulf of St. Lawrence indent the east coast and the Inside Passage extends along the west coast. The ice-clogged straits between the islands of N Canada form the Northwest Passage. During the Ice Age all of Canada was covered by a continental ice sheet that scoured and depressed the land surface, leaving a covering of glacial drift, depositional landforms, and innumerable lakes and rivers. Aside from the Great Lakes, which are only partly in the country, the largest lakes of North America—Great Bear, Great Slave, and Winnipeg—are entirely in Canada. The St. Lawrence is the chief river of E Canada. The Saskatchewan, Nelson, Churchill, and Mackenzie river systems drain central Canada, and the Columbia, Fraser, and Yukon rivers drain the western part of the country.
Canada has a bowl-shaped geologic structure rimmed by highlands, with Hudson Bay at the lowest point. The country has eight major physiographic regions—the Canadian Shield, the Hudson Bay Lowlands, the Western Cordillera, the Interior Lowlands, the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Lowlands, the Appalachians, the Arctic Lowlands, and the Innuitians.
The exposed portions of the Canadian Shield cover more than half of Canada. This once-mountainous region, which contains the continent's oldest rocks, has been worn low by erosion over the millennia. Its upturned eastern edge is indented by fjords. The Shield is rich in minerals, especially iron and nickel, and in potential sources of hydroelectric power. In the center of the Shield are the Hudson Bay Lowlands, encompassing Hudson Bay and the surrounding marshy land.
The Western Cordillera, a geologically young mountain system parallel to the Pacific coast, is composed of a series of north-south tending ranges and valleys that form the highest and most rugged section of the country; Mt. Logan (19,551 ft/5,959 m) is the highest point in Canada. Part of this region is made up of the Rocky Mts. and the Coast Mts., which are separated by plateaus and basins. The islands off W Canada are partially submerged portions of the Coast Mts. The Western Cordillera is also rich in minerals and timber and potential sources of hydroelectric power.
Between the Rocky Mts. and the Canadian Shield are the Interior Lowlands, a vast region filled with sediment from the flanking higher lands. The Lowlands are divided into the prairies, the plains, and the Mackenzie Lowlands. The prairies are Canada's granary, while grazing is important on the plains.
The smallest and southernmost region is the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Lowlands, Canada's heartland. Dominated by the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes, the region provides a natural corridor into central Canada, and the St. Lawrence Seaway gives the interior cities access to the Atlantic. This section, which is composed of gently rolling surface on sedimentary rocks, is the location of extensive farmlands, large industrial centers, and most of Canada's population. In SE Canada and on Newfoundland is the northern end of the Appalachian Mt. system, an old and geologically complex region with a generally low and rounded relief.
The Arctic Lowlands and the Innuitians are the most isolated areas of Canada and are barren and snow-covered for most of the year. The Arctic Lowlands comprise much of the Arctic Archipelago and contain sedimentary rocks that may have oil-bearing strata. In the extreme north, mainly on Ellesmere Island, is the Innuitian Mt. system, which rises to c.10,000 ft (3,050 m).
Canada's climate is influenced by latitude and topography. The Interior Lowlands make it possible for polar air masses to move south and for subtropical air masses to move north into Canada. Hudson Bay and the Great Lakes act to modify the climate locally. The Western Cordillera serves as a climatic barrier that prevents polar air masses from reaching the Pacific coast and blocks the moist Pacific winds from reaching into the interior. The Cordillera has a typical highland climate that varies with altitude; the western slopes receive abundant rainfall, and the whole region is forested. The Interior Lowlands are in the rain shadow of the Cordillera; the southern portion has a steppe climate in which grasses predominate. S Canada has a temperate climate, with snow in the winter (especially in the east) and cool summers. Farther to the north, extending to the timberline, is the humid subarctic climate characterized by short summers and a snow cover for about half the year. The huge boreal forest, the largest surviving remnant of the extensive forests that once covered much of North America, predominates in this region. On the Arctic Archipelago and the northern mainland is the tundra, with its mosses and lichen, permafrost, near-year-round snow cover, and ice fields. A noted phenomenon off the coast of E Canada is the persistence of dense fog, which is formed when the warm air over the Gulf Stream passes over the cold Labrador Current as the two currents meet off Newfoundland.
People
About 40% of the Canadian population are of British descent, while 27% are of French origin. Another 20% are of other European background, about 10% are of E or SE Asian origin, and some 3% are of aboriginal or Métis (mixed aboriginal and European) background. In the late 1990s, Canada had the highest immigration rate of any country in the world, with more than half the total coming from Asia. Over 75% of the total population live in cities. Canada has complete religious liberty, though its growing multiculturalism has at times caused tensions among ethnic and religious groups. About 45% of the people are Roman Catholics, while some 40% are Protestant (the largest groups being the United Church of Canada, Anglicans, and Presbyterians). English and French are the official languages, and federal documents are published in both languages. In 1991, about 61% of Canadians cited English as their mother tongue, while 24% cited French.
Economy
Since World War II the development of Canada's manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has led to the creation of an affluent society. Services now account for 66% of the GDP, while industry accounts for 31%. Tourism and financial services represent some of Canada's most important industries within the service sector. However, manufacturing is Canada's single most important economic activity. The leading products are transportation equipment, pulp and paper, processed foods, chemicals, primary and fabricated metals, petroleum, electrical and electronic products, wood products, printed materials, machinery, clothing, and nonmetallic minerals. Industries are centered in Ontario, Quebec, and, to a lesser extent, British Columbia and Alberta. Canada's industries depend on the country's rich energy resources, which include hydroelectric power, petroleum, natural gas, coal, and uranium.
Canada is a leading mineral producer, although much of its mineral resources are difficult to reach due to permafrost. It is the world's largest source of nickel, zinc, and uranium, and a major source of lead, asbestos, gypsum, potash, tantalum, and cobalt. Other important mineral resources are petroleum, natural gas, copper, gold, iron ore, coal, silver, diamonds, molybdenum, and sulfur. The mineral wealth is located in many areas; some of the most productive regions are Sudbury, Ont. (copper and nickel); Timmins, Ont. (lead, zinc, and silver); and Kimberley, British Columbia (lead, zinc, and silver). Petroleum and natural gas are found in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Agriculture employs about 3% of the population and contributes a similar percentage of the GDP. The sources of the greatest farm income are livestock and dairy products. Among the biggest income-earning crops are wheat, oats, barley, corn, and canola. Canada is one of the world's leading agricultural exporters, especially of wheat. Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta are the great grain-growing provinces, and, with Ontario, are also the leading sources of beef cattle. The main fruit-growing regions are found in Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. Apples and peaches are the principal fruits grown in Canada. More than half of the total land area is forest, and Canadian timber production ranks among the highest in the world.
