Canada. Socio-economic characteristics. Physical location of Canada Physical location of Canada on the mainland

The United States of America neighbors Canada to the south and northwest. About half of Canada's territory is occupied by the Laurentian Uplands, the western border of which is formed by a line between Great Bear Lake in the north and Forest Lake in the extreme south. Geologists call this vast area the Canadian Shield. The average height of the local landscape is about 500 m, however, after the end of the ice age, the remains of ancient folded mountains up to 1190 m high were exposed in some places. The Laurentian Upland lies in the Atlantic Ocean basin and is famous for its picturesque lacustrine-hilly relief. Hudson Bay fills the central part of the Canadian Shield. On its shores there is a lowland of the same name, which arose as a result of the uplift of the relief and the retreat of the sea after the melting of glaciers. Relatively recent tectonic processes have led to the formation of the Arctic archipelago. The outlying ranges of the American Appalachians enter the territory of Canada. They border the valley of the St. Lawrence River on the south and stick out as sharp teeth of islands near the east coast. These old mountains, dissected by steep gorges, form a system of small plateaus with a height of no more than 800 m. The variety of rocks and geological structures suggests the presence of rich mineral resources in these parts. The highest point of this part of the Appalachians is Jacques-Cartier (1268 m). At the junction of the Laurentian Upland and the Appalachians lies the valley of the St. Lawrence River, which is a tectonic tectonic depression.

The total length of Canada's heavily indented coastline is about 244,000 km. The sea coast is replete with peninsulas, bays and coastal archipelagos. In the north, huge bays go deep into the land. The largest of them, Hudson Bay, covers an area of 848,000 sq. km (together with the secondary James Bay adjacent to it). Canada's largest peninsula is Labrador (1,430,000 sq. km). Along the northern shores of the country lies the Arctic archipelago (the largest island is Baffin Island). The largest island off the east coast is Newfoundland, and in the Pacific Ocean is Vancouver.

Administrative divisions of Canada

Canada is divided into 10 provinces and 3 territories.

Population of Canada

The indigenous people of Canada are Indians and Eskimos. Most of the Indian population is scattered across taiga reserves, and a certain part of them still live off hunting and fishing. The main occupation of the Eskimos inhabiting the northern coast of Canada, Baffin Island and the Labrador Peninsula is sea fishing. The national composition and distribution of the population developed as a result of the colonization of this part of the continent by European settlers that began in the 16th century. For more than one hundred years, these lands have been the scene of fierce confrontation between the English and French colonists. If the French settled in the valley of the St. Lawrence, the British firmly settled in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and the Great Lakes region. Nevertheless, by the end of the 19th century, only a negligible part of the territory of Canada was mastered, and only the laying of the transcontinental railroad gave impetus to the mass settlement of the prairies. In those years, Canada received several million immigrants from Western and Eastern Europe, including immigrants from Russia and Ukraine.

Economy of Canada

About 74 million hectares are occupied by agricultural land in Canada (the average area of one farm is over 240 hectares). There are two large agricultural regions in the country. The first is located on flat plains along the shores of the Great Lakes and in the valley of the St. Lawrence River. All Canadian corn and soybeans, 90% of grapes and tobacco, as well as a good half of potatoes and vegetables are grown here. The same region supplies 50% of milk and eggs to the national market. The second most important agricultural area is the prairies, famous for high wheat yields and developed animal husbandry. An excellent resource base serves as a reliable basis for the development of forestry. According to some estimates, Canada owns more than 9% of all forest land on the planet. Modern pulp and paper production is directly related to logging and woodworking. Fishing is one of the oldest branches of the national economy. A significant part of the catch is obtained in the coastal waters of the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean, although inland waters are also of no small commercial importance. Possessing rich mineral resources, Canada ranks first in the world in the extraction of nickel and zinc ores. The country has large deposits of copper, iron, gold, lead and molybdenum, and coal is one of the leading exports. The uranium mined in the country is used as fuel for nuclear power plants. Natural gas and oil deposits are being developed.

A powerful impetus to the development of the Canadian economy was given by World War II. The military industry grew in the country, a number of new industries arose, the influx of American investments increased, and large-scale trade between neighboring states developed. The deepening of US-Canadian economic integration continues today. The US is Canada's main export partner, and about 30% of Canadian businesses are owned by US companies.

Canada is a state similar to our native Russian Federation both in terms of climate and population. On the territory where Canada is located, there are a large number of ethnic groups, including the indigenous population (Indians, Eskimos, mestizos, etc.) and many European ethnic groups, among which the majority are British. However, since the 60s of the 20th century, residents of the state have increasingly declared that they are Canadians. 60 percent of the population today, when asked about their nationality, proudly answer that they are Canadians.

Geographical position

Canada is a country located in the northern part of the American continent. It is one of the most developed countries in the world and a permanent member of the G7. It has the largest unguarded land border in the world (with the United States). It is also the second country in terms of territory after Russia. It has the largest number of islands. The capital of the state is Ottawa, located in the eastern part of the state, in the province of Ontario. Despite the status of the capital, the population of the city is less than a million people (in 2011, this figure was 883 thousand people).

Today, Canada is one of the most important players in the global political arena. The state is one of the founders of the UN and NATO. It is one of the main allies of the United States, it helps in almost all operations (Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan).

State history

Canada is a unique state that appeared at the crossroads of world civilizations. The first settlement of the state began in the 1000s by the Norwegian Vikings. This attempt at colonization did not bring results and its attempts had to be forgotten. They resumed only at the end of the 15th century, when the Italian navigator John Cabot (actually his name was Giovanni Caboto) explored the Atlantic coast of North America for England. After the British side showed interest, other developed countries of that time also began to make attempts to explore and colonize the previously unexplored territory. Already in 1524, the navigator Giovanni Verrazano, with his group of researchers, studied the eastern shores of the future state of Canada for the French king.

Since the middle of the 16th century, the territory where Canada is located has become a point of contact for many states. The main confrontation for the new lands was taken over by France and England. France was the first state to establish colonies. So at the beginning of the 17th century, the colonies of Quebec, Port-Roal appeared. The British, in turn, founded the city of St. John's on the island of Newfoundland.

With the advent of European people on the continent, diseases that originated in Europe also appeared. The indigenous inhabitants of the territories did not have immunity to influenza, smallpox, measles, as a result of which a significant part of the Indians, eximos and mestizos (according to scientists, up to 80%) died. However, by establishing ties with the indigenous population, most of the French could count on the medical assistance of the Indians. Thus, most sailors who traveled long distances in conditions of extreme unsanitary conditions fell ill with diseases inherent in such conditions. One of the most popular diseases spread in this way was scurvy - bleeding and painful gums. The indigenous population of the mainland treated her with a decoction of white cedar.

Political system

Surprising as it may seem, Canada is not completely free and sovereign state. The country today is one of the dominions of the British Commonwealth, the head of state is the British Queen. It seems that at present this is impossible, but nevertheless the fact remains. The local representative of the British Queen is the Governor General, appointed by the Queen and the Prime Minister.

Another surprising fact of one of the greatest states of our time is that it lacks a Constitution as one normative document. The entire constitution of the state is a collection of acts, the main of which is the Canada Act adopted in 1982, which for simplicity is called the Constitution.

Canada is notable for its immigration policy. External immigration is distinguished by its relative accessibility. To become a citizen of the state, you must pass a test, the results of which will give an answer about possible citizenship. The test includes your knowledge of English, education, marital status and more. Favorable foreign immigration policy contributes to population growth, higher birth rates over death rates. During the Vietnam War, many former US citizens who disagreed with the government settled in Canada.

Canada today

Canada is also one of the most trading countries in the world. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the main production of the state has shifted from agriculture to industrial industry. This was facilitated by the development of the mining and manufacturing industries, the development of oil and gas fields. Today, Canada is the largest exporter of wheat and other grains. The main consumers of goods are the USA, Britain, France.

It is not difficult to guess which sport is the most popular in Canada. Ice hockey is the official winter sport, and the Canadian ice hockey team is one of the strongest teams in the world. Since the days of the USSR, the national teams of Russia and Canada have been the most sworn rivals, about the confrontation of which more than one book has been written and more than one film has been shot. Despite the general similarity between Russia and Canada, hand on heart, it should be noted that the standard of living in Canada is much higher than in Russia. This is due to the close cooperation between Canada and the United States, the focus is not on the raw material development of the economy. Canada, like Russia, is a unique country with only export-oriented energy resources.

The area is 9.97 million km2. Population - 33.3 million people

State in the composition. Commonwealth - ten provinces and three territories. Capital -. Ottawa

EGP

. Canada belongs to the highly developed countries and ranks seventh in terms of industrial production among the most developed countries in the world

Canada is located in the northern part. North. America and occupies 2/5 of its territory. In terms of area, it is the second country in the world after. Russia. It is washed by the waters of three oceans: Northern. Arctic in the north and. Quiet in the west and. The Atlantic in the east has an extremely long maritime border, which is almost 120 thousand km. Coasts are of the greatest importance for the formation of economic ties. Atlantic Ocean and in particular the estuary of the river. Saint. Lawrence. In the West. Canada is washed by the waters. Pacific Ocean. The production potential of this region is growing every year due to the development of external relations and with. USA and countries. Eastern. Asia. Asia.

Canada has a land border only with. USA. The direct neighborhood with this country has influenced the fact that they are interconnected and complement each other. The US is the main trading partner. Canada, what does. EGP. P. Canada is relatively beneficial to them.

Population

Today the population. 1/3 of Canada is formed by immigrants. Natural population growth - 6 per 1000 people

The average life expectancy is over 77 years. More than 10% of the population is over 65 years old, and their proportion continues to grow

modern population. Canada was formed mainly from immigrants - immigrants from European countries. Indigenous people - Indians (1 million people) and Eskimos (50 thousand people) had very little influence on the formation. Canadian Coy nation. basis of the population. Canada is made up of Anglo Canadians (about 58% of the country's population) and French Canadians (31% of the population). A large number of immigrants from Germany,. Italy, Ukraine. Official languages - English and French French Canadians inhabiting the province. Quebec and from time to time put forward demands for the creation of a French-Canadian state Ukrainian make up 10% of the population of the province. Manitoba and 8% -. Saskacheva n (only about 1 million people).

The average population density in. Canada is one of the lowest in the world - a little more than three people per 1 km2. In the river valley. Saint. Lawrence and on the inter-zero plain it reaches 160 people per 1 km2. In the north, because of the badlands, there are two people for every 100 km2. Two-thirds of the population is concentrated in the lakeside parts, and 90% lives in the strip adjacent to the border with. USA.

The level of urbanization is 80%. The process of suburbanization is intensively developing. Today it is the great administrative, financial, commercial, transport, scientific and cultural centers of the country. Toronto,. Montreal,. Ottawa,. Vancouver. Edmonton,. Calgary. Winnipeg.

About 75% of the country's population is employed in the service sector

Natural conditions and resources

By diversity and total reserves of mineral resources. Canada occupies one of the leading places in the world. In its bowels there are large deposits of energy, ore and non-metallic minerals zokre rema, it ranks fifth in the world in terms of coal reserves, has significant deposits of oil and gas. Significant deposits of these types of hydrocarbon fuels have been discovered in the foothills. Cordillera. Canada is rich in uranium ores, which make up 2/5 of their reserves in the developed countries of the world.

On the territory of the state there are significant deposits of ore minerals; which are concentrated both within the Canadian crystalline shield and in the mountains. Cordillera. Particularly significant are the reserves of iron ores and various non-ferrous metal ores (especially nickel, polymetallic ores, copper, titanium, and other non-ferrous metals).

. Canada has the world's largest reserves of non-metallic minerals, namely potassium salts, which is an important prerequisite for the production of potash fertilizers here. Canada has significant deposits of a variety of building materials

In general, the territory of the country is still insufficiently developed, and its subsoil, especially in the northern regions, has been poorly explored. Recently, the state has been investing heavily in the economic development of the northern territories.

Canada has vast water resources spanning. Great lakes and rivers. St. Lawrence,. Mackenzie. Yukon,. Nelson. There are significant reserves of fresh water in the central and especially in the northern regions. Canada, where there are many freshwater lakes and full-flowing rivers. But the poor development of these regions does not contribute to the use of the water resources available here. There are many mountain rivers in Canada, so there are large reserves of hydroresources.

Approximately half (43%) of the territory. Canada is covered with forests, most of which are located in areas accessible for development. In terms of forest reserves (about 20% of the world). Canada ranks third in the world n after. Russia and. Brazil.

Variety of natural conditions. Canada is defined by its geographic location. Territory. Canada stretches from south to north for 4600 km and is located in the temperate, subarctic and arctic zones. C. From east to west, it stretches for 5200 km and is located in six time zones. Territory. Canada covers many islands and peninsulas, which are still little developed and are characterized by extreme climatic conditions. The main elements of the relief are. Appalachian mountains. Cordillera and located between them. Laurentian Upland with adjacent lowlands.

Only the southern regions. Canada has favorable soil and climatic conditions for the development of agriculture. hinders this development. The Great Plains have insufficient rainfall (250-500 mm per year). For the most part. Canadian soils are podzolic, in the south - gray forest, chernozem and chestnut 15% of the country's territory is suitable for cultivation. Almost 70 million hectares are used in agriculture.

The material gives an idea of the geographical position of the country. Forms an idea of what compensates for the impossibility of doing business in Canada in full. The article allows you to get an idea of what position in the world economy is typical for this state and why.

Geographic location of Canada

The territorial localization of the country is such that it is located in the northern part of the American continent and has a significant total area of 9976 thousand square meters. km. The main characteristic of Canada's EGP can rightly be considered that it is the second largest country in the world.

The coast of Canada is washed by the waters of the oceans:

the Arctic;
Atlantic;
Quiet.

The southern borders of the country coincide with the United States. In the Northern regions, where the polar islands are located, the territory of the country goes for 800 km. for the Arctic Circle.

Canada is the owner of the chain of islands:

Economic and geographical position of Canada

Not excluding the mainland northern region of North America, Canada includes a significant number of small and large islands in the Arctic, Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The main part of the country is dominated by cold arctic and subarctic climatic zones. The only exception is the southern region, which is dominated by a temperate climate zone.

Rice. 3. Climatic zones of Canada.

Canada occupies 1/1.5 of the earth's surface.

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The main features of the country is that it has the longest coastline, which is approximately 120 thousand km. The land limits of the Canada-US border are considered the longest unguarded section of the border in the world.

The polar sectors of Canada and Russia are the longest in the world. Canada is a federal state, which includes 10 provinces and 2 federal territories.

The peculiarities of the country is that Canada is one of the few industrialized states, which is recognized as a net exporter of energy resources. The Atlantic coast of Canada has a resource potential, which is expressed in natural gas deposits and large oil and gas fields. Significant reserves of tar sands make Canada the world's second largest oil-producing power after Saudi Arabia.

What have we learned?

We found out which of the natural resources on the territory of Canada put it in second position among the powers with significant oil reserves. We learned what part of the country's population is employed in the service sector. We got an idea of what is the main direction of replenishing the country's budget.

Topic quiz

Report Evaluation

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1. On the map of world religions, determine the adherents of which religions live in Canada. Explain the location of the areas of these religions.

The vast majority of the population of Canada are Christians (mainly Catholics and Protestants), since historically the population of Canada was mostly represented by immigrants from Western Europe: Catholic France and Protestant England.

2. What are the features of the geographical position of Canada?

Canada is the only country that is washed by the waters of three oceans at once: the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific, and therefore it has the longest coastline in the world. In the south, Canada borders on America, and in the north, thanks to a large number of polar islands (Victoria, Baffin Island, Newfoundland, Devon, Ellesmere, Banks and others), they go 800 kilometers beyond the Arctic Circle.

3. How does Canada resemble Russia?

Russia and Canada have long been called twin countries. These two countries are the largest states of the modern world in terms of territory. In terms of natural conditions and wealth of resources, Canada has many similarities with our country, and natural landscapes are very reminiscent of Russian ones. Although our common border is not even a line, but simply a geographical point - the North Pole, where the conditional borders of the Arctic polar sectors of both countries converge - Russia and Canada are considered neighboring countries. In the world, only Russia and Canada have vast undeveloped territories left, where there are many natural resources, but difficult climatic conditions.

4. Choose the correct answers:

1) A distinctive feature of the Canadian economy is the large role of the extractive industries and primary processing industries.

2) In the structure of the manufacturing industry, the leading positions are occupied by the chemical and light industries.

3) In Canada, pipeline transport has received great development.

4) A characteristic feature of Canada is the uneven distribution of the population and economy.

6. What is common and what are the differences in the forms of government in the US and Canada?

The USA and Canada are federal states, however Canada is a constitutional monarchy (kingdom) with a parliamentary system, its monarch is the monarch of the British Commonwealth of Nations, and the USA is a presidential republic.

7. What are the features of the ethnic composition of the US and Canada? What are the similarities between them?

The population of the United States and Canada is represented by a very wide ethnic spectrum, but the national backbone of both countries is formed by people from Western Europe.

8. Name the branches of international economic specialization of the USA and Canada.

Canada is a highly developed country, although its face in the world economy is determined by its specialization in the production and export of mining, forestry, energy, and agricultural products. The face of the United States in the world economy is the automotive industry, electronics, electrical engineering, and the aerospace industry.

9. One of the provinces of Canada is called the "bread basket". What is this province? Why is she called that?

The province of Saskatchewan is called Canada's breadbasket. It is famous for its prairies and wheat fields. Saskatchewan is located in the western part of the country and borders Manitoba, Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and the United States.

10. There is a common expression among Canadians: "Canada has too little history and too much geography." How do you understand it? Can it also be attributed to Australia?

Canada and Australia are young states. They are former British colonies, they cannot boast of a rich history, but their territories are huge. Australia occupies an entire continent and Canada is the second largest country in the world.