Canada is the second largest country in the world in area. Only Russia covers more land. Canada extends across the continent of North America, from the province of Newfoundland and Labrador on the Atlantic coast to the province of British Columbia on the Pacific coast. Canada is slightly larger than the United States, its southern neighbor, but has only about a tenth as many people. About 75 percent of Canada's people live within 100 miles (150 kilometers) of the southern border. Much of the rest of Canada is uninhabited or thinly populated because the country has rugged terrain and a severe climate. Ottawa is the capital of Canada, and Toronto is the largest city. Both cities are in the province of Ontario.

Canada is a land of great variety. Towering mountains, clear lakes, and lush forests make Canada's far west a region of great natural beauty. Farther inland, fields of wheat and other grains cover vast prairies. These fertile farmlands contrast vividly with the Arctic wastelands to the north. Most of the nation's largest population centers and industrial areas are near the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River in central Canada. In the east, fishing villages and sandy beaches dot the Atlantic coast.

Like Canada's landscape, the country's people are also varied. Nearly half of all Canadians have ancestors who came from England, Ireland, Scotland, or Wales. About a fourth have some French ancestry. The Canadian government recognizes both English and French as official languages. French Canadians, most of whom live in the province of Quebec, have kept the language and many customs of their ancestors. Other large ethnic groups include German, Italian, Ukrainian, and Chinese people. Large numbers of Asians live in Western Canada and Ontario. Native peoples