Holidays in Canada.

CANADA

THE MAIN INFORMATION

• Continent – North America
• Population – 36 048 521 people
• Capital – Ottawa
• Main cities – Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary
• Monarch – Elizabeth II
• Official languages – English and French

A BIT OF HISTORY

The first people arrived in Canada from Asia, they had crossed the Bering Strait. The Inuits, who eventually became indigenous peoples, lived by hunting seals, walruses and whales. They also hunted caribou(reindeer), bears, beavers and went fishing. The natural conditions of the East coast allowed to grow beans, corn and sunflower.

The first Europeans to visit Canada were the Vikings. In 986 AD Bjarni Herjofsson lost his way to Greenland during the storm, so he randomly continued his voyage. He reached the coast of the unknown land and decided not to set off there. But he told people from his motherland about his discovery. So, Leif Eriksson was interested in it and in 1001 he set off on the land of Canada, which later got the name of Vinland.

At the beginning of 19 th century the population of Canada increased very much. There were lots of emigrants from the UK.

THE INUITS

INTERESTING FACTS

• Canada is the 2 nd largest country after Russia. It occupies the territory of 9,9 million km 2 and include 6 time zones.
• Canada ones the longest coast line – 202 080 km.
• Canada is the most educated country: more than a half of the population has higher education.
• About 1,3 million people in Canada has Ukrainian origin.
• Canada is the motherland of hockey. There is even the museum of hockey called “Hockey Hall of Fame” which is situated in Toronto.

PLACES THAT ARE WORTH VISITING

1) Niagara Falls are the most famous landmark in Canada. They incude the Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls. It is 51 meters high. The water in winter does not freeze at all! Moreover, there is a very picturesque view, you can take great photos.

2) Notre-Dame Montreal is a marvelous church which was build in 1818. Now it is a National Historical Site of Canada. It is built in the Gothic Revival Style and is highly decorated. It is situated in the historic district of Old Montreal.

3) Royal Ontario Museum is a museum of art, world culture and natural history in Toronto, Ontario. It is one of the largest museums in North America and the largest in Canada. The museum includes more than 6.000.000 exhibits. It attracts more than one million visitors every year. Its building has a shape of crystal.

4) CN Tower is a very high TV tower in Toronto. You have to go up on a lift with a transparent floor to the viewing platform. From there you can watch a breathtaking view of the Lake Ontario. There you can also visit a spinning restaurant.

5) Banff National Park is Canada’s oldest national park and was established in 1885. It is located in the Rocky Mountains. Firstly, it was established as Banff Hot Springs Reserve, in response to conflicting claims over who discovered hot springs there and who had the right to develop the hot springs for commercial interests.