Canada, after Russia, is the world’s second-largest country by area, occupying nearly two-fifths of the continent of North America. Despite its vast size, Canada is one of the world’s least inhabited countries. Despite their small population, Canadians have created what many believe to be a model multicultural society, embracing immigrants from all over the world. Furthermore, Canada has a richness of natural resources and intellectual capital that few other countries can match.

Canada is officially bilingual in English and French, reflecting its past as a battleground between two European superpowers. The word “Canada” comes from the Huron-Iroquois word “kanata,” which means “village” or “settlement.” Jacques Cartier, a French explorer, coined the term “Canada” to describe the territory surrounding what is now Quebec City in the 16th century.

Later, Canada became a synonym for New France, which encompassed all French lands along the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes from 1534 until 1763. The name Quebec was sometimes used instead of Canada after the British conquest of New France. After Britain partitioned old Quebec into the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada in 1791, the name Canada was entirely reinstated.

The British North America Act of 1867 established the Dominion of Canada, a confederation of three colonies (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Canada). The act also created the provinces of Ontario and Quebec from the ancient colony of Canada.

Canada’s Dominion status gave it a lot of autonomy, but international diplomacy and military alliances were still under the British crown’s control. Within the British Empire, Canada became totally self-governing in 1931, while full legislative independence did not come until 1982, when Canada was granted the ability to modify its own constitution.