About Canada
Geography - Canada is the second-largest country in the world with ten million square kilometers stretching across three ocean borders, the Pacific Ocean in the west, the Atlantic Ocean in the east and the Arctic Ocean in the north. The country borders the United States in the south and the north-west. Learn more about Canada's Climate, Laws, Government and Human Rights.
Founding Peoples - The Indigenous Peoples of Canada lived here for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. There are three groups of Indigenous Peoples: First Nations, Inuit and Métis. French settlers first came to Canada in the 1600s, followed by English-speaking settlers from Great Britain and Ireland in the 1700s and 1800s. In 1971, the country adopted an official policy of multiculturalism, which ensures equal treatment of all cultures and today it is estimated that, about 20 percent of Canadians were born outside of Canada. Learn more about Canada's History and its Peoples.
About Ontario
Geography - Ontario is the second largest province and territory in Canada covering more than 1 million square kilometers (415,000 square miles) with over 13 million people, and home to more than one third of Canada's population. The name "Ontario" comes from an indigenous word meaning "beautiful lake" or "sparkling water". The Indigenous Peoples of Ontario have lived in the land of sparkling water for at least 7,000 years. Ottawa, the capital city of Canada is located in Ontario on the Ottawa river, which is the border with Quebec. The different landscape includes the rocky and mineral rich Canadian Shield which divides the fertile farmland in the south from lushy grassy lowlands of the north. Find more about Ontario's History, Geography and some Key Facts about the province.
People and Culture - Almost 40 percent of the population of Canada lives in Ontario. Most Ontarians live in urban centres in the southern part of the province near the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. The Indigenous Peoples - First Nation, Métis and Inuit - make approximately 4.9% of Ontario's population and about one-fifth of all Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Ontario's First Nations peoples include Algonquian-speaking Cree, Oji-Cree, Algonquin, Ojibwa, Odawa, Potawatomi and Delaware, plus the Iroquoian-speaking Six Nations (Mohawkm Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora). Learn more about Ontario's People and Culture, Economy and Natural Resources.
Canadian Cultural Values and Beliefs
Canada is an open, free society where people have the right to express their opinion and practice their faith and cultural traditions. Respecting these freedoms and celebrating diversity is the foundation of Canadian culture.
