Canada - North America

Canada is the second largest country in the world. Canada is situated in Northern part of North America with many islands. For example Baffin Island, Newfounland. The capital is Otawa, the biggest city is Tronto, there is the City Hall. Bordered by the USA in the south, the Pacific ocean and Alaska in the west, the Artic ocean in the north and the Atlantic ocean in the east.
the biggest lakes are Lake Superior, Huron, Erie, Ontario.
Lake which are entirely in Canada are Great Bear Lake, Great Slave Lake and Lake Winnipeg.
the rivers can be devided into three systems:
1) the Atlantic system is represented by the St. Lawrence River
2) the Pacific system is made up mainly the Columbia, the Frazer and the
Yukon
3) the Artic system is represented by the Mckenzie.
Canada has large mountain areas - the Rocky Mountains, the Mackenzie Mountains and the Melville Hills.
the highest mountain is Mt. Logan and the longest river is the Mackenzie

Temperature: there are short summers and long and cold winters, climates in Canada is oceanal. In oceanal climate very often rains and blow winds.

Pilitical system of Canada
the head of state is Queen Elizabeth II.
- Canda is a constitutional monarchy, a federal state and parliamentary democracy with two official languages and two systems of law
1) civil law
2) common law

Parliament include national defence, the banking and monetary systems, criminal law and immigrations. The Canadian Parliament is composed of the Queen, the Senate and the House of Commons. The House of Commons is elected every 5 years. The Senate consists of senators appointed by Governor - General on the advice of the Prime Minister.
- the Senate, also called the Uper House, has 104 members
- the Senate has the same power as the House of Commons with a few exceptions
- The House of Commons is the major lawmaking body
- it has 295 members elected in their constituencies for the term of five years.
- the leader of the party wich gets the largest number of seats is asked by the Governor General to became Prime Minister
- The real executive authority is the Cabinet
- The Primar Minister and the Cabinet are advisors of the Morach. Now is the Prime Minister Kim Campbell (the first woman in this post).

History:
Indians and Eskimos were the original inhabitants of Canada. The first Canadian settlers probably arrived as early as the beginning of the ice age and came across a Bering strait. The Vickings were the first to discover Canada more than a thousend years ago. In 1497 John Gabot stepped onto the American continent. In 1534 Jacques Cartier planted the flag of France on a Gaspé promontary. Canada also became an English colony. The fight for Canada culminated between 1756 - 1763 years in the seven years colonial war between France and Great Britain. In 1763 Canada was pass on to England by the Treaty of Paris. In 1867 Canada became a British dominion. Canada became a member of the League of Nations and in 1931 Canada became independent.