Canada is located in North America. It is the second largest country in the world, with a land area of approximately ten million square kilometres. As per Statistics Canada, its population has surpassed the 34-million mark, as of April 1,?2010. Canada has the longest common border with the United States.
Canada is a federation which consists of ten provinces and three territories. Head of the state is the Queen Elizabeth II and it is governed as a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy. The Governor General of Canada carries out the royal duties in Canada. English and French are the official languages at the federal level. It is one of the world's highly developed countries. It has abundant natural resources.
Canada is one of the wealthiest nations in the world and has a high per-capita income. It is also one of the top ten trading nations in the world. Canada is a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and a member of G8.
Canada’s per-capita immigration rate is highest in the world which is driven by economic policy and family reunification. As per the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Canada plans to welcome between 240,000 and 265,000 new permanent residents in the year 2010. In addition to this, Canada also accepts a large number of refugees every year.
Canada’s culture is greatly influenced by immigrants from all over the world and Canadians value Multiculturalism. Canada's official national sports are hockey and lacrosse.