Canada

Located directly above the United States of America, sharing land borders with the country, and comprises most of North America.

Canada is located directly above the United States of America, sharing land borders with the country, and comprises most of North America. The country extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean (east to west) and north into the Arctic Ocean.

A parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy, Canada is a federation that comprises ten provinces and three territories. It is officially bilingual and multicultural with English and French represented at federal level.

Geography:
Canada's climate varies based on geography - in the north the temperature is almost permanently at freezing level, however towards the equator there are generally four distinct seasons.this region the temperature can climb up to 35 degrees Celsius in the Summer and descend to a chilly -25 degrees Celsius during Winter. This means that most Canadian cities are within 300 km of the southern border - it is here that mild springs, hot summers and crisp autumns reign.

Winters are harsh in many areas of the country and in non-coastal areas snow can cover the ground for almost six months of the year. Interior and Prairie provinces experience a continental climate.

Government:
Canada runs as a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The Prime Minister is the Head of Goverment, while the Head of State is Queen Elizabeth II. The Head of State retains formal constitutional power along with the Governor General who acts as an appointed representative to the Crown. They both defer the actual exercise of executive power to the Cabinet.

The Prime Minister heads the Cabinet, which is made up of ministers who are accountable to the elected House of Commons. The House of Commons and an appointed Senate make up the federal parliament, which is headed by the Queen/Governor General. Senate members are chosen by the Prime Minister and serve until they reach the age of 75.

Foreign Relations:

Canada and the United States of America share a unique relationship. They co-operate on military campaigns, are the largest trading partners and share the world's longest undefended border. Despite this, Canada has striven to maintain an independent foreign policy.

Canada is a founding member of NATO and is a member of the UN, the Commonwealth of Nations and La Francophonie.

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Canada Forum Quick Facts:
Capital: Ottawa
Government: Federation with Parliamentary Democracy and Constitutional Monarchy
Currency: Canadian dollar (CAD)
Area: 9,976,140 km2
Population: 33,647,989 (May 2009 est.)
Language: English 59.3% (official), French 23.2% (official), other 17.5%
Religion: Roman Catholic 43.6%, Protestant 29.2%, No religious affiliation 16.5%, Other 10.7%
Calling Code: 1
Internet TLD: .ca