加拿大_综合百科

加拿大(Canada)

北美洲国家。面积约9,976,185平方公里。人口约31,081,900（2001）。首都︰渥太华。英国人和法国人後裔占人口半数以上，德国人、义大利人、乌克兰人、华人、荷兰人、美洲印第安人和爱斯基摩人（伊努伊特人）的後裔则构成重要的少数民族。语言：英语和法语（均为官方语）。宗教：天主教、新教（加拿大联合教会和加拿大圣公会）。货币︰加拿大元（Can$）。加拿大可画分为几个自然地理区︰以哈得逊湾为中心占全国面积近4/5的大片内陆盆地，由加拿大（劳伦琴）地盾、内陆平原及五大湖-圣罗伦斯低地区组成。盆地边缘是几个大部为高地的区域，包括北极群岛境内的山脉，有落矶山脉、海岸山脉和劳伦琴山脉。境内最高峰位於育空地区的洛根山。加拿大的五条河流--圣罗伦斯河、马更些河、育空河、弗雷泽河和纳尔逊河。居世界四十条最大河流之列。除与美国共有的苏必略湖和休伦湖外，加拿大的大熊湖和大奴湖亦属世界十一个最大湖泊之列。境内也有若干岛屿，包括巴芬岛、埃尔斯米尔岛、维多利亚岛、纽芬兰和梅尔维尔岛以及许多小岛屿。加拿大与美国的疆界长6,415公里，是世界上最长的没有防卫的疆界。加拿大的市场经济相当发达，这主要建立在出口和与美国保持密切关系的基础之上，加拿大是世界上最富有的国家之一。政府形式是议会制联邦，两院制。国家元首是英国君主，国家元首代表为总督，政府首脑为总理。农业是该国十分重要的产业，加拿大为世界主要粮食生产国。木材工业极发达，森林资源非常丰富。服务业占国内生产总值大部分。

最初的居民是美洲印第安人和伊努伊特人。大约在西元1000年时由古代斯堪的那维亚探险者所发现，考古发掘证实在纽芬兰有他们的遗迹。早在西元1500年，纽芬兰附近海域即有英国、法国、西班牙及葡萄牙的渔业考察队来此探险。1534年卡蒂埃首次进入圣罗伦斯湾，法国遂提出对加拿大的领土要求。1605年在新斯科舍（阿卡第亚）建立起一个小拓居地，1608年山普伦也曾到过魁北克。皮毛交易对早期殖民地的开拓带有促进作用。为对付法国人的行动，英国於1670年成立哈得逊湾公司，英法两国为此在上北美洲腹地相持达一个世纪之久。1713年法国在安妮女王之战（西班牙王位继承战争）中失利，被迫将新斯科舍及纽芬兰割让给英国。七年战争（法国印第安人战争）导致1763年法国人被逐出北美大陆。美国革命後，加拿大人口中增加了一些从美国逃来的效忠派分子。由於到达魁北克的效忠派分子越来越多，英国遂於1791年将该殖民地分成上、下加拿大省。1841年英国将上、下加拿大省合并。加拿大人的扩张主义，导致了19世纪中叶的联邦运动。1867年成立了加拿大自治领，其范围包括新斯科舍、新伯伦瑞克、魁北克及安大略。此举对促进加拿大的发展至关重要。联邦成立後，加拿大开始了向西扩张的时期。伴随加拿大进入20世纪的繁荣，由於英国人与法国人社区间的不断冲突而大受影响。1931年通过「威斯敏斯特条例」，承认加拿大是不列颠的平等夥伴。随着1982年「加拿大法案」的通过，英国给了加拿大对其宪法具有完全的控制权，并割让了两国间的法律纽带。法语加拿大人的骚动仍是主要问题，20世纪後半叶，魁北克的分离主义运动开始滋长。1992和1995年举行公投要求在政治上更多的自治，但都未成功，问题也一直存在着。1999年加拿大成立纽纳武特新地区。

English version：

Canada

Nation, North America. Area: 3,851,808 square miles (9,976,185 square km). Population (2001 est.): 31,081,900. Capital: Ottawa. People of British and French descent compose more than half the population; there are significant minorities of German, Italian, Ukrainian, Chinese, Dutch, American Indian, and Eskimo (Inuit) origin. Languages: English, French (both official). Religions: Roman Catholicism, Protestantism (United Church of Canada, Anglican Church of Canada). Currency: Canadian dollar. Canada may be divided into several physiographic regions. A large interior basin centered on Hudson Bay and covering nearly four-fifths of the country is composed of the Canadian (Laurentian) Shield, the interior plains, and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence lowlands. Rimming the basin are highland regions, including the Arctic Archipelago. Its mountains include the Rocky Mountains, Coast Mountains, and Laurentian Mountains. Its highest peak is Mount Logan in Yukon Territory. Five of Canada's rivers—the St. Lawrence, Mackenzie, Yukon, Fraser, and Nelson—rank among the world's 40 largest. In addition to Lakes Superior and Huron, both shared with the United States, Canada's Great Bear and Great Slave lakes are among the world's 11 largest lakes. The country also includes several major islands, including Baffin, Ellesmere, Victoria, Newfoundland, and Melville, and many small ones. Its border with the United States, the longest unguarded border in the world, extends 3,987 miles (6,415 km). With a developed market economy that is export-directed and closely linked with that of the United States, Canada is one of the world's most prosperous nations. It is a parliamentary state with two legislative houses; its chief of state is the British monarch, whose representative is Canada's governor-general, and the head of government is the prime minister. Originally inhabited by American Indians and Inuit, Canada was visited c. AD 1000 by Scandinavian explorers, whose discovery is confirmed by archaeological evidence from Newfoundland. Fishing expeditions off Newfoundland by the English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese began as early as 1500. The French claim to Canada was made in 1534 when Jacques Cartier entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence. A small settlement was made in Nova Scotia (Arcadia) in 1605, and by 1608 Samuel de Champlain had reached Quebec. Fur trading was the impetus behind the early colonizing efforts. In response to French activity, the English in 1670 formed the Hudson's Bay Co. The British-French rivalry for the interior of upper North America lasted almost a century. The first French loss occurred in 1713 at the conclusion of Queen Anne's War (War of the Spanish Succession) when Nova Scotia and Newfoundland were ceded to the British. The Seven Years' War (French and Indian War) resulted in France's expulsion from continental North America in 1763. After the American Revolution the population was augmented by loyalists fleeing the United States, and the increasing number arriving in Quebec led the British to divide the colony into Upper and Lower Canada in 1791. The British reunited the two provinces in 1841. Canadian expansionism resulted in the confederation movement of the mid-19th century, and in 1867 the Dominion of Canada, comprising Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario, came into existence. After confederation, Canada entered a period of westward expansion. The prosperity that accompanied Canada into the 20th century was marred by continuing conflict between the English and French communities. Through the Statute of Westminster (1931), Canada was recognized as an equal partner of Great Britain. With the Canada Act of 1982, the British gave Canada total control over its constitution and severed the remaining legal connections between the two countries. French-Canadian unrest continued to be a major concern, with a movement growing for Quebec separatism in the late 20th century. Referendums for more political autonomy for Quebec were rejected in 1992 and 1995, but the issue remained unresolved. In 1999 Canada formed the new territory of Nunavut.

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