Area:

9,984,670 sq km, the world’s second largest country after the Russian Federation

Population:

35,151,728 (2016 Census)

Capital:

Ottawa, Ontario (1.3 million inhabitants in the National Capital Region of Ottawa-Gatineau, 2016 Census).

Form of government:

Canada is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. It is a federal state made up of 10 provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador) and three territories (Northwest Territories, Yukon Territory and Nunavut).

Founding of the state:

The Dominion of Canada was established on July 1, 1867. Canada Day, the country’s national holiday, is celebrated on July 1.

Cities:

Toronto (5.9 million inhabitants), Montreal (4.1 million), Vancouver (2.5 million) and Ottawa-Gatineau (Capital Region 1.3 million).

Aboriginal peoples:

4.9 percent (1,673,785) of the Canadian population are members of indigenous peoples (2016 Census). The three groups of Canada’s Aboriginal population are the First Nations, the Inuit and the Métis. June 21 is National Aboriginal Day.

Languages of the country:

Canada has been an officially bilingual country since 1969. English and French are the official languages.

Cultural diversity:

Canada has been an officially multicultural country since 1971. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms embodied multiculturalism in the Constitution in 1982. The Multicultural Act followed in 1988. June 27 is Canadian Multiculturalism Day.