T h e Landof L ongWinters Canada is the second largest country in the world in terms of land size after Russia But it has fewer people than many other countries that are much smaller This is because much of Canada is a very cold place with long winters In the northern islands it is often freezing cold even in summer Canada has a low population for its size It is one of the world’s wealthier countries Much of the country’s wealth lies in its many mines and forests Minerals such as coal copper nickel and iron ore are found in the mines Farming is also very important Canada grows a large amount of grain It sells a lot of wheat and other products to other countries Most Canadians live in towns and cities Toronto is the largest city in Canada If you went there you could see one of the world’s tallest structures the CN Tower soaring above the skyline Montreal is one of Canada’s oldest cities and has many historical buildings It also has an important seaport even though it is nearly 1,000 miles from the Atlantic Ocean Canada’s official languages are English and French But many other languages are spoken there including Inukitut the language of the Inuit or Eskimos and other Canadian Indian languages Canadian Indians Ottawa S EA R C H LIG H T are also known as First Nations people If you visit Canada you should try to see Niagara Falls These beautiful waterfalls on the border between Canada and the United States were once one of the most famous honeymoon spots in North America LEARN MORE READ THESE ARTICLES NORTH AMERICA OTTAWA CANADA QUEBEC CANADA Banff National Park in Alberta is one of Canada’s major tourist destinations David Muench Corbis What is the only country larger than Canada 10
CANADA l D I D YO U K N O W l M a n i t o b a o n H u d s o n B a y led the polar bear Churchi is sometimes cal capital of the world Every fal thousands of bears gather along the it to freeze so that shore waiting for ice to they can walk out onto the hunt seals l Answer Russia
AWelco m i n g North e r n Ottawa the capital of Canada is one of the country’s most C apital attractive cities It is located on the south side of the Ottawa River in the province of Ontario Across the river is the province of Quebec EA R C H LIG S H T Since Ottawa is the center of the country’s government it is the public face of Canada for many people The city has been kept lovely and welcoming It has many parks and rivers bicycle paths museums art galleries and universities Some of Ottawa’s historic buildings go back to the early 1800s The Château Laurier is one of these It is a house built in the Find and correct the error in the following sentence French and Canadian are the official languages of Canada style of a grand French château Behind it rises Major’s Hill Park Ottawa’s oldest park This is the best place to view the city and to see up and down the Ottawa River Dozens of different languages are spoken in Ottawa But most people speak either French or English the official languages of Canada Many years ago French explorers and hunters traveled through the area that is now Ottawa Only a few people lived there until the early 1800s By that time the British ruled the territory They decided they wanted a route for their ships to be Château Laurier Ottawa Ontario Richard T Nowitz Corbis able to travel from the Ottawa River to Lake Ontario so they built the Rideau Canal The city of Ottawa began as a base for the workers who built the canal It was called Bytown then but later became Ottawa It became the capital of Canada in the mid-1800s LEARN MORE READ THESE ARTICLES CANADA NORTH AMERICA QUEBEC CANADA Major’s Hill Park features fine views of the city It is also the site of many festivals and other events iStockphoto Thinkstock 12
Ottawa CANADA l in D I D YO U K N O W The city of Ottawa was named after an Indian group that once the region The Ottawa were known as great traders The name Ottawa means to trade or the at-home anywhere people ived Answer French and Englishare the official languages of Canada 13
