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| Area : 9,958,319
sq km (3,844,928 sq miles). Population : 30,493,433 (official estimate 1999). Population Density : 3.1 per sq km. Capital : Ottawa. Population: 1,010,498 (1996, including Hull).Geography: Canada is bounded to the west by the Pacific Ocean and Alaska, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the northeast by Greenland, and to the south by the 'Lower 48' of the USA. The polar ice-cap lies to the north. The landscape is diverse, ranging from the Arctic tundra of the north to the great prairies of the central area. Westward are the Rocky Mountains, and in the southeast are the Great Lakes, the St Lawrence River and Niagara Falls. The country is divided into ten provinces and three territories. A more detailed description of each province can be found under the separate provincial entries. Government : Constitutional Monarchy. Head of State: HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson since 1999. Head of Government: Prime Minister Jean Chrétien since 1993. Language : Bilingual: French and English. The use of the two languages reflects the mixed colonial history - Canada has been under both British and French rule. Religion : 46.2 per cent Roman Catholic, 17.5 per cent United Church of Canada, 11.8 per cent Anglican, 24.5 per cent other Christian denominations and other religions. Time : Canada spans six time zones. Information on which time zone applies where may be found in the regional entries following this general introduction. The time zones are: Pacific Standard Time: GMT - 8. Mountain Standard Time: GMT - 7. Central Standard Time: GMT - 6. Eastern Standard Time: GMT - 5. Atlantic Standard Time: GMT - 4. Newfoundland Standard Time: GMT - 3.5. ** Note: From the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October, one hour is added for Daylight Saving Time (except in Saskatchewan). Electricity : 110 volts AC, 60Hz. American-style (flat) two-pin plugs are standard. When to Go Spring, summer and autumn are all ideal for touring, though if you want to ski you'll naturally have to come in winter or early spring. For campers, and those who want to visit the far north, the summer months of July and August are best. Note that the peak tourist season is between mid-June and mid-September. Although spring and autumn have less crowds, lower prices and a more relaxed pace than the summer months, some visitor-oriented facilities and attractions may be closed during these shoulder seasons. For most visitors, the largest expense will be accommodation. Food prices are generally much lower than those in Western Europe, but are a little higher than those in the USA. If you stay in budget accommodation and eat in cafes, expect to spend around US$45 a day, not including long-distance transport. If you stay in motels and eat at restaurants occasionally, you're looking at around US$80 a day. It's best to change money at companies such as Thomas Cook, which specialises in international transactions. If you can't find a money exchange office or booth, try a bank. American Express and Thomas Cook are the best travelers' checks to have, and you should make sure they are either in US or Canadian dollar denominations. Credit cards are widely accepted, especially Visa, MasterCard and American Express. A 7% Goods & Services Tax (GST) is applicable to all transport, accommodation, restaurant meals and just about anything else you're likely to purchase, including newspapers. On top of this, in most of Canada, a provincial sales tax also must be paid. This can, in some provinces, add 15% to the quoted price, so factor it into your expenses so you don't get a nasty surprise at the cash register. It's considered normal to tip 15% of the bill. Tips are usually given to waiters, cab drivers, hairdressers, hotel attendants and, by savvy drinkers, bar staff. Getting There & Away Overseas visitors flying into Canada usually head for Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal or Halifax. Visitors entering the country from major continental US cities can choose to arrive by plane, train, bus or car. There are three main rail routes from the USA: New York-Montreal, New York-Toronto and Chicago-Toronto. The USA's Greyhound network connects with most major destinations in Canada. There are numerous road border crossings. Note that popular crossing points (such as Niagara Falls) can have lengthy queues on weekends. Queues will be the least of your problems if you enter by road from Alaska along the Top-of-the-World Highway into the Yukon. Getting Around Land travel is much cheaper and, if you don't mind long distances, much more interesting than flying. The bus network is the most extensive public transportation system and is generally less expensive than the limited train service. The country's most famous train is the Canadian, a classic 1950s-style beauty that travels from Toronto to Vancouver (Canada's longest continuous train route), complete with a two-storyed windowed 'dome car' for sightseeing. Air fares are fairly expensive but, if you're strapped for time, the distances you may need to travel are so great that you'll probably have to fly. Air Canada (which swallowed Canadian Airlines in 1999) is the major domestic airline. Other smaller carriers, such as WestJet Airlines, preclude an Air Canada monoply. In many ways, the best way to experience the country is to hire a car. Canadians drive on the right side of the road, as in the USA. A valid driver's license from any country is good in Canada for three months. Holiday Information
Attractions Toronto Canada's largest city has long since shrugged off its frightfully proper, goody-two-shoes tag, thanks to a healthy dose of multiculturalism. You'll hear a babble of more than 100 languages spoken on Toronto's streets, and it's estimated that 40% of the population was born overseas - no wonder UNESCO voted it the world's most diverse city! Toronto's most obvious symbol is the CN Tower, the world's tallest freestanding structure. Harbourfront, the (perhaps overly) renovated docklands area lining Lake Ontario, is a fine place for an outdoor wander or meal in a refurbished warehouse. For indoors entertainment the city has a clutch of great museums, from killer clodhoppers at the Bata Shoe Museum to the Hockey Hall of Fame, housed in a beautiful old bank building. Some of Toronto's best-preserved historic buildings can be found in York Old Town, and there's a peerless collection of fine Victorian domestic architecture in Cabbagetown. And a mere two-hour's drive away there's one of North America's top tourist attractions, Niagara Falls. Vancouver Canada's most beautiful city wins hearts without even trying. Its hilly terrain and many bridges offer stunning views of the ocean, bays and Vancouver itself. The mild climate (by Canadian standards) and breezy Californian-style atmosphere mean that even US neighbors rave about the place. Downtown Vancouver offers a busy patchwork of attractions, from the renovated Victorian charm of the old Gastown area to the emerald expanses of Stanley Park - one of the world's great city parks. Then there's famed strips of sand and surf like Wreck Beach and numerous hiking, rafting and picnicking oases within easy reach of the city proper. Nearby Vancouver Island has plenty of natural wonders, including whale watching. Needless to say, summer in Vancouver can get a bit squeezy. Edmonton Edmonton is the capital of Alberta, the most westerly of the prairie provinces. While Calgary milks the wild west image, Edmonton prefers to hit the headlines for housing the world's largest shopping and entertainment mall. The city enjoys an attractively wooded riverside setting, with parklands following the snaking rhythm of the Saskatchewan River. The province's famed mineral legacy is explored in the Provincial Museum, and there's also Canada's largest planetarium, unsurprisingly accompanied by an IMAX theater. The gem south of the river is Old Strathcona, a residential area of gorgeous old buildings dating from 1891, interspersed with cafes, bookshops and buskers. Which it appears you won't find in all 48 hectares (118 acres) of the West Edmonton Mall, aka the mall that ate Edmonton's retail life. The 800 shops are tacky and repetitive, the chains are too-well represented, and the 'entertainment' includes an artificial beach and skating rink - but the climate is controlled, and for the frost-bitten denizens of the Canadian Plains that's probably reason enough for the mall's success. Quebec City Quebec City is the beating heart of French Canada - its virtually intact European appearance and ooh-la-la ambience leave Montreal and New Orleans looking pretty patchy. The entire old section of town is North America's only walled city, and has been designated a UN World Heritage site. With its cliff-top position overlooking the St Lawrence River, its old stone buildings and narrow streets, its citadelle and old port, it's no wonder Quebec City is a must-do town. The city is divided into Upper and Lower segments. The walled Old Upper Town is dominated by the fort and its parklands, and has a bunch of museums documenting the city's military and cultural history. The busy, narrow streets of Old Lower Town are reached by break-neck staircases or a funicular from Upper Town's heights. Place Royale, the lower town's hub, is surrounded with restaurants, galleries, cafes and the Church of Notre Dame des Victoires - dating from 1688, it's the oldest stone church in the province. |