Stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, and from the United States to north of the Arctic Circle, Canada is the second largest country in the world in area (after Russia), covering almost 10 million square kilometers (3.9 million square miles). It encompasses five major geographic regions: the temperate Pacific Coast; the interior plains, known for grain production, ranching, oil, and natural gas; the Canadian Shield, which provides minerals like gold, silver, zinc, copper, and uranium; the St. Lawrence Lowlands and Great Lakes, home to Canada's two largest cities (Toronto and Montreal), its national capital (Ottawa), 50 percent of its population, and 70 percent of its manufacturing output; the Appalachian Region and Atlantic Provinces, with important agricultural and fishing resources; and the Arctic Lowlands, an increasingly important source of diamonds located north of the tree line and subject to harsh climactic conditions.

People and History

In 2003 Canada's population reached almost 32 million...