|  | |  |
|
|
|
|
| Canada is known for breathtaking scenery on a grand scale, as well as for its major cities: Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. |
|
     |
|
Canada is the second largest country in the world after Russia, and the largest in North America. To give an idea of its size, St. Johns in Newfoundland is closer to London in England than it is to Vancouver on the west coast.
Ottawa in the Ontario province is the capital of Canada and a major tourist location, close to the Great Lake's coastal areas and many small rural towns. Toronto is Canadas largest city and known for being one of the most multicultural cities in the world, its culture, arts and ethnic neighborhoods. Toronto embraces Lake Ontario. Vancouver and Montreal are the two other major metropolitan areas in Canada, well known for their culture and diversity.
English and French are the two official languages in Canada. All communications and services from the federal government are available in both languages. |
|
|
|
About 60% of the population has English as their mother tongue, and 23% has French. The remaining 17% speak other languages, but 98.5% of the population speaks either English or French as their first or second language. Around 85% of French-speaking Canadians live in Quebec, but there are also substantial French speaking Canadiens in Ontario, Alberta and southern Manitoba.
Canada offers a huge range of attractions. The contrasting Pacific and Atlantic seaboards and the thousands of lakes and rivers of the interior provide superb watersports such as canoeing and rafting as well as some of the world's best fishing. The Rocky Mountains and other ranges offer breathtaking scenery on a grand scale. British Colombia is Canada's most mountainous province, boasting some of the most spectacular alpine scenery in the world. The province has about 33 large ski resorts spread out from Vancouver Island to the Alberta border. Whistler Blackcomb is consistently ranked as the no. 1 ski resort in North America and has co-hosted the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. The Alberta province is next to the Rocky Mountains and is also an important skiing destination for tourists with several world-class ski resorts.
Newfoundland and Labrador attracts many tourists because of its icebergs and fjords. The tiny town of Churchill to the north is known as the "polar bear capital of the world". Every year around September one can catch a glimpse of the bears as they move between the ice and the land. Another option worth considering is to go on a train ride through the Canadian Rockies. VIA Rail offers services from Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver to Jasper. The Rocky Mountain Rail Tour Company will take you from Vancouver to Banff and on to Calgary. The later company offers a service called the Canadian Rockies Highlights", which consists of 5 nights and 6 days on the train. Highlights include some of the most popular tourist attractions in Canada. |
|
     |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| | |
|
