Canada's geographical position is vividly characterized by the words of its national motto "from sea to sea" (in Latin "mari usque ad mare"). This is the only country whose coastal borders are washed by three oceans: the Arctic, Pacific and Atlantic. Canada is the second largest country in the world, it is distinguished by its many faces, diversity, diversity of landscapes and natural areas.
General information
Canada is a federal state in the form of government. It consists of 10 provinces united by the Canadian constitution (Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Lambrador, New Brunswick, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island) and 3 territories (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut). The capital of Canada - Ottawa - is located in the province of Ontario. The official state languages of the country are English andFrench.
The economic and geographical position of Canada was determined by the proximity of international transport routes, which greatly contributed to the acceleration in the development of its territory and the development of the economy, stimulated trade relations with other states and attracted immigrants to it.
The state with an area of 9,984,670 km² covers almost the entire north of the mainland of North America and occupies the Arctic archipelago, one of the largest in the world. The country covers 1/12 of the entire land mass of the planet, making its coastline equal to three equators the longest in the world.
The population of Canada in relation to its vast territory is negligible - 32.2 million people representing different races and cultures. 90% of them live in the southern regions, stretching mainly along the border with the United States. A significant part of Canada is of little use for human habitation, including the northern outskirts that go far beyond the Arctic Circle.
The geographical position of Canada, which has a vast territory with beautiful landscapes, is unusual. On land, it borders only on the United States, sea borders separate it in the northeast from Greenland and in the east - from the French islands of Miquelon and St. Pierre in the Atlantic Ocean. To the north, Canada extends beyond the Arctic Circle. There are a large number of polar islands here: Devon, Banks, Victoria, Ellesmere, Newfoundland, Baffin Island and others. Nunavut, Yukon, Northwest Territories are located in this region. This isthe so-called Canadian Arctic.
Physical regions
The complex and contrasting physical and geographical position of Canada contributed to the creation of a variegated vegetation cover and a variety of vegetation types. It is located in the zone of arctic deserts, tundra, mixed forests, taiga, and steppes. The country is divided into several natural regions: the Appalachians and the Arctic mountains, the Canadian Shield, interior valleys, intermontane regions, the Pacific mountain system.
Land of wide open spaces
The northern Appalachians reach the Maritimes, east Quebec and reach Newfoundland. The geographical position of Canada, this mountainous region, is especially contrasting. Ancient rocks of different ages are concentrated here. Most of the region is covered by folded mountains, consisting of longitudinal ridges, the tops of which are covered with glaciers. High plateaus are separated by wide valleys. A distinctive feature of the region is the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the largest estuary on earth, connected by straits to the ocean.
The Laurentian plateau occupies a significant part of the country and is part of the ancient crystalline Canadian shield. This is the most unsuitable for human habitation region of the country, but within its boundaries there are thousands of lakes, Hudson Bay, which is a kind of inland sea, and the richest deposits of almost all elements of the periodic table.
As part of the Canadian Shield, the Arctic Lowland in northern Alaska and the Hudson Bay Lowland are often considered, the surface of which is mostlycovered in permafrost. Here are Canada's largest lakes - Great Slave and Great Bear, each of which connects with the country's longest river, the Mackenzie, which collects most of the water runoff of the rivers of the Arctic watershed.
Bordering the Canadian Shield to the west, the Great Plains are Canada's breadbasket. Wheat production and pasture cattle breeding are developed here. The region captures the steppe provinces and reaches the Pacific coast, where part of one of the greatest mountain systems of the earth stretches, often called the mountainous country - the Cordillera. Within Canada, they are subdivided into the Coast Range and the Rocky Mountains, where the richest mineral deposits are being developed.
Dreamland
The geographical position of Canada, stretching across several natural zones from the Arctic deserts, occupying almost the entire Greenland and the Arctic archipelago, to the forest-steppes and steppes covering the Great Plains, determined the diversity and richness of its natural conditions and resources. This was a favorable factor in the development of the economic condition of the country. And the presence of outlets to the Pacific and Atlantic oceans favored the increase of its status in the system of international relations and in key international organizations of nearby regions.
High standard of living, well-developed economy, education and he althcare system, clean and safe modern cities, many different cultures - this is not the whole list of advantages thatdistinguish Canada. In 1992, the UN declared it "the most attractive country for human life."
