Destination information Canada

History

Canada's native Indians, primarily the Inuit (Eskimo) are considered the first really inhabitants of Canada. The first European to set foot on Canadian soil was John Cabot is in 1497. An Italian in the service of the King of England, reached eastern part of Canada. However in 1534 Canada was taken for France by Jacques Cartier. New France as the country was named, start off in 1604 with the establishment of Port Royal. The actual settlement of New France, as it was then called, began in 1604 at Port Royal and just a few year later Quebec was founded. 

By the end of the 17th century explorers penetrated beyond the Great Lakes to the western prairies. Meanwhile, the English Hudson's Bay Company had been established. This resulted in a conflict between the French and English due to the valuable fish and fur trade. In 1713, Newfoundland, Hudson Bay, and Nova Scotia (Acadia) were lost to England. During the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), the treaty of Paris in 1763 gave England control. At that time Canada was entirely French speaking. This rapidly changed when British colonists emigrated to Canada.

In 1849, as a side result of the American independence war of the newly formed United States; the English crown decided to give the right to Canada to self-government which was basically the start of Canada. Although only a few of the current provinces started off more joined of the years due to several reasons becoming the country you soon going to visit!

Geography

Canada covers most of the northern part of the North American continent and is known for its varied topography. The provinces in the east, have a rough coastline on the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Atlantic Ocean. The St. Lawrence plain covers most of southern provinces like Quebec and Ontario, and also interior continental plain. Provinces like Manitoba and Saskatchewan and most of Alberta are the principal cultivable areas. 
In the west toward the Pacific, British Columbia, the Yukon, and part of western Alberta are covered by mountains ranges, like the Rockies. The largest mountain in Canada is Mount Logan (6 km high), which is in the Yukon. The two main river systems are the Mackenzie and the St. Lawrence.