Canada & Canadian Culture Geography Posters & Prints
for geography, social studies classrooms; home schoolers.

educational posters > geography > North America > Canada & Canadian Culture 1 < social studies

Canada, as the world's second-largest country by total area, occupies most of northern North America. Canada extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean. Canada's land borders are with the United States along the south and to the northwest with Alaska. The name Canada comes from a Iroquoia word for "village" or "settlement" and was adopted by Jacques Cartier for the land he was exploring for France in 1535.

There is evidence of Aboriginal peoples habitation from more than 25,000 years ago in the Yukon area and 9,500 years in the Ontario area; the first European settlers were Vikings c.1000 AD at L'Anse aux Meadows on the island of Newfoundland; the British and French explorers lead to permanent settlements between 1605 and 1610 in Nova Scotia and Quebec.

Canada is divided into ten provinces - Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia; and three territories - Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and Yukon Territory.

The federal capital of Canada is Ottawa; Toronto is the largest city (also the fifth largest city in North America after Mexico City, NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago), and Montreal is one of the largest French speaking cities in the world.

The federal constitutional monarchy of Canada was founded as a union of British and former French colonies in 1841. Beginning in 1867, gradual independence from the United Kingdom was achieved in 1982. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, is also the Canadian Head of State. Canada Day is celebrated July 1. Canada uses both English and French as official languages.

The 2010 Winter Olympics are set for Vancouver, BC.

Franklin Expedition - the "Erebus" and "Terror" Seek the Northwest Passage Through the Arctic Ice

The search for a northern commerical sea route, the goal of explorers between the end of the 15th century and the 20th century, were thwarted because of the pack ice blocking a clear water passage. One of the results of the rising global temperature is that as of September 2007 the Northwest Passage pack ice has melted and opened the sea route through the Arctic Ocean along the northern coast of North America for the "first time since records began in 1978" according to the European Space Agency. Passage along the northern Canadian coastline is ground for international dispute. [also Stewards of the Northwest Passage]