English speaking countries
English speaking countries
Міністерство науки і освіти України
Патентно - комп’ютерний коледж
Реферат
«Англомовні країни»
«English speaking countries»
Canada
Робота студента І-го
факультету розробки ПЗ
Колєсніка Євгенія В.
Науковий керівник-
викладач Василенко Л.М.
Харків, 2010 рік.
План реферату
Вступ. Introduction.
Географічне положення.
Geography.
Гографічні області.
Giographical Regions.
Клімат в погода. Climate
and Weather.
Природа. Nature.
Центральні провінції
Квебек. Central Provinces Quebec.
Центральні провінції
Онтаріо. Central Provinces Ontario.
Провінція, розташована в
преріях Манітоба. Prairie Provinces Manitoba
Провінція, розташована в
преріях Саскачеван. Prairie Provinces Saskatchewan.
Провінція, розташована в
преріях Альберта. Prairie Provinces Alberta.
Pre – Colonial Canada
It is believed that Aboriginal peoples arrived from Asia
thousands of years ago by way of a land bridge between Siberia and Alaska. Some
of them settled in Canada while others chose to continue to the south. When the
European explorers arrived, Caanada was populated by a diverse range of
Aboriginal peoples who, depending on the environment, lived nomadic or settled
lifestyles, were hunters, fishermen or farmers.
First contacts between the native peoples and Europeans
probably occurred about 1000 years ago when the Icelandic Norsemen settled for
a brief time on the island of Newfoundland. But it would be another 600 years
before European exploration began in earnest.
The name “Canada” is believed to have originated with its
first inhabitants, since the natives used the world “kanata” to describe a
settlement. The term is thought to have been picked up by European discoverers,
who changed it to its present spelling.
GEOGRAPHY
From Sea to Sea and Farther to the North
Canadians, of whom there are more tnan 30 million, become
accustomed to the disproportional size of the country by the time they have
studied its geography at school. Newcomers to Canada – if they know nothing
else about it – know that it is capacious. But most cannot help but be
impressed with even the most basik statistics on our planet`s second biggest
nation, which is exceeded in area only by Russia. Occupying over 9,976,000
square kilometres, Canada extends from the Northwest Territories` Cape Columbia
on Ellesmere Island – a relative hop and skip from the North Pole – to Pelee
Island in Ontario`s portion of Lake Erie – and with the same latitude as
central Spain. Canada`s neighbour across the Arctic Ocean is Russia. That is a
north-south distance of 2,850 miles. The east to west span is 5,780 miles – from Cape Spear, Newfoundland, to Mount St. Elias, the Yukon Territory – six distinct
time zones. Canada`s border with the United States is one of the longest: it
extends 8,892 km and is broken by scores of entry-exit points between the two
nations. It is near this frontier that some 85 per cent of the Canada`s
populace is clustered.
In between these points there are thirteen principal
subdivisions – ten provinces and three territiries that embrace most of the
vast north, accounting for 38 per cent of Canada`s area and an infinitesimal
fraction of its population (about 0,3 per cent).
Water Expanse and Water Ways
Three great oceans – the Atlantic, the Pacific and the
Arctic, wash Canada`s shores. It has estimated that Canada has 1/7 of the world
fresh water. All but one of the Great Lakes (Michigan) are partially Canadian.
Enormous Hudson Bay is exlusively Canadian, as there are rich massive but
relatively little known inland seas as the Great Bear Lake (31,326 sq km), the
Great Slave Lake – just a bit smaller – and Lake Winni peg, which is bigger
than Lake Ontario.
It is through Canada that the St. Lawrence Seaway flows some 3,058 km – making possible big-scale shipping from Atlantic ports all the way to harbours on the
Great Lakes, in the heart of the continent.
Canada`s longest river, the Mackenzie, which flows 4,241 kilometres, drains into the Arctic Ocean; the Columbia and the Fraser rivers flow into the
Pacific; the Nelson and the Churchill connect with Hudson Bay; The Yukon drains
into the Bering Sea; and the Saskatchewan empties into Lake Winni peg.
Geographical Regions
Geographically there are seven principal Canadian regions.
The Appalachians, in the east, takes in relatively small Atlantic provinces and
a portion of south-eastern Quebek; this is a land of lovely hills and gentle
plains, much of it is devoted to farming and forestry.
The St. Lawrence Lowlands, between the St. Lawrence River and
the Great Lakes, is a fertile area of dairy farms, fruit orchards, and tobacco
plantations, rich in industry, which is made possible by extensive and
inexpensive hydroelectric power.
The Canadian Shield is the country`s largest geographic unit
– covering almost half of Canada. This horseshoe shaped area of ancient terrain
is a mass of rocks, of many lakes and of endless swamplands. It is sparsely
populated but exceedingly rich not only in timber but in nickel, gold,
platinum, cobalt, uranium, silver, copper, and iron ore.
Still other riches come from the Interior Plains, which sweep
across Prairie provinces north through the Mackenzie River Valley, to the
Arctic Coast. The southern part of the Plains is as flat as a pancake, but
fertile and constitutes Canada`s magnificent wheat lands. In recent decades they
have yielded, besides the golden wheat, liquid gold – oil from beneath the surface,
and natural gas as well.They are bordered on the north by thick forest lands.
To the West of the Plains lies the Canadian Cordillera. This
is the region of Western Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon, which
comprise the glorious Canadian Rockies as well as the Mackenzie and the Stikine
Mountains and the peaks of St. Elias and the Coast Ranges. It is in this area
that one finds Mount Logan, in the Yukon – Canada`s highest peak climbing some 19,850 feet skywards. Not the entire region is mountainous, though. The interior of British Columbia
is a land of plateaus and valleys prosperous with orchards and cattle ranches.
The Pacific Coast bathed by warm, moist Pacific air currents,
the British Columbia coast, indented by deep fjords and shielded from Pacific
storms by Vancouver Island, has the most moderate climate of Canada`s regions.
Vancouver Island`s West Coast receives an exceptional amount of rain, giving it
a temperate rain forest climate. Although it does not contain the diversity of
species of a tropical rain forest, the island`s west coast does have the oldest
and tallest trees in Canada: western red cedars 1.300 years old and Douglas
firs 90 metres high.
The Arctic North of the tree-line is a land of harsh beauty.
During the short summer, when daylight is nearly continuous and a profusion of
flowers blooms in the tundra, the temperature can reach 30 C. Yet the winters are long, bitterly cold and dark. North of the mainland is a maze of islands
separated by convoluted straits and sounds, the most famous of which link
together to form the fabled Northwest Passage, the route to the Orient sought
by so many early explorers.
Climate and Weather
There are many climatic variations in this huge country,
ranging from the permanently frozen icecaps north of the 70th
parallel to the luxuriant vegetation of the British Columbia`s West Coast.
Canada`s most populous regions, which lie in the country`s south along the U.S.
border, enjoy four distinct seasons. Here daytime summer temperatures can rise
to 35C and higher, while lows of – 25 C are not uncommon in winter. More moderate temperatures are norm in spring and fall.
The seasons dictate the look of the land: according to
whether the natural environment is in a state of dormancy or growth, Canadians
may go alpine skiing or water skiing. While seasonal change signals
fluctuations in temperature and the number of hours of sunshine, the shifting
position of air masses also plays a part. The usual air flow from west to east
is disrupted in winter when cold, dry air moves down from the Arctic and in
summer when warm, tropical air moves up from the south-east. Added to these
factors are the effect of mountain ranges, plains and large bodies of water.
Forests
Stretching over nearly half of Canada`s land area are dense
forests of spruce and hemlock, pine, cedar, birch, maple, ash, elm and fir.
Once an obstacle to settlement, now the forests are a chief source of Canada`s
wealth. The industries based on forest products employ hundreds of thousands of
men and women. Thousands of sawmills are in use. The production of pulp and its
conversion to newsprint is the leading single industry. Forests provide lumber
for a growing country`s homes and schools and factories, railway ties, poles
and fence posts for its spreading settlement. They supply the furniture
factories and publishing houses. A resource both valuable and beautiful, the
forests are protected and cherished by people and the state.
Wildlife
In the Arctic zone the polar bear, the musk-ox, the caribou,
the Arctic fox, the lemming are still in abundance.
To the South in the area stretching from Alaska to the Gulf
of St. Lawrence is the home of the woodland caribou and a few distinctive
species of birds.
In the Canadian zone, corresponding in the main with the
coniferous-forest belt, are found nearly all the species of mammals and birds
that are recognized as distinctively Canadian. These include the moose, the
Canada lynx, the beaver and the Canada jay.
In the agricultural areas of the Prairie Provinces and most
of the southern Ontario varieties of birds overlap. Typical summer birds are
the bluebird, the Baltimore oriole and the catbird, the prairie chicken and the
sharp-tailed grouse. Typical mammals are the grey and red squirrels, the mink
and the skunk. Certain mammals are peculiar to the prairies: the pronghorn
antelope, the jack rabbit and the ground squirrels or gophers. In a small area
along the north side of Lake Erie are found the opossum, birds – the mocking-bird
and the cardinal.
Central Provinces Quebec
Quebec is the largest Canadian province. It occupies
one-sixth of the total area of Canada and is greater that the combined areas of
France, Germany and Spain.
From north to south, Quebec takes in three main geographical
regions; the Canadian Shield, the St Lawrence Lowlands and the Appalachian
Mountains. The Canadian Shield covers about 60 per cent of the land mass and is
the world`s oldest mountain range. Permafrost reigns is the northern part of
the Shield: only dwarf birches and lichen are able to grow there. The St.
Lawrence River, the province`s dominant geographical feature, links the
Atlantic Ocean with the Great Lakes. The St. Lawrence Lowlands are dotted with
more than a million lakes and rivers. Quebec`s forests are equal in area to
those of Sweden and Norway combined. To the south, the foothills of the
Appalachians separate Quebec from the United States. Almost 80 per cent of
Quebeckers live in urban centres located along the St. Lawrence. Montreal and
its suburbs have a population of over thee million; Quebec City is the
province`s capital.
The European history of Quebec began with the arrival of the
French explorer Jacques Cartier in 1534. The succeeding years saw the
establishment of a thriving fur trade, relatively friendly relations with the
Aboriginal people and a continuous rivalry between French and British colonists
which culminated in the Seven Year`s War. With the Treaty of Paris in 1763 New France
became a colony of Britain. But Britain granted official recognition to French
Civil Law, guaranteed religious freedom and authorized the use of the French
language. In 1867 Quebec became a founding member of the new Dominion of
Canada. In this province, where four-fifth of the population speak French as
their first language and which maintains its own cultural identity, the
question of political self-determination has always been a sensitive issue.
The province has abundant natural resources and energy, along
with well-developed agriculture , manufacturing and service sectors.
Montreal is the province`s commercial capital.
Quebec exports 40 per cent of its total production, mainly
from the forest industry (printing, lumber and paper) , mining (aluminium and
iron ore) and transportation equipment.
Central Provinces Ontario
Three main geological regions make up Ontario: the Great
Lakes – the St. Lawrence Lowlands, the Canadian Shield and the Hudson Bay
Lowlands. Although the soil is poor and not well suited to large-scale farming,
there is a wealth of minerals, forests and waterpower. The Canadian Shield and
the Hudson Bay Lowlands cover 90 per cent of the province`s territory, but are
home to only 10 per cent of the population. The extremes of the northern
climate are a fact of life there. Mean daily temperatures reach only from 12 to
15 C in July, dropping to – 25 C in January. Ontario`s biggest Lake Superior
is the world`s largest body of fresh water.
The Great Lakes – the St. Lawrence Lowlands make up the rest
of southern Ontario and contain most of the population, industry, commerce and
agricultural land.
Toronto is Ontario`s capital and Canada`s largest city with a
regional population of more than four million. Ottawa, the bilingual,
bicultural national capital, sits at the junction of the three rivers.
The first European, Henry Hudson, touched the shores of the
present-day Ontario in 1610. It was part of the British colony of Quebec in the
18th century. When the Dominion of Canada was created in 1867,
Ontario and Quebec became two separate provinces.
With approximately 11 million people, Ontario is the
country`s most heavily populated province. While English is the official
language Ontario`s Francophones play an essential part in the province`s
cultural life and are the largest language minority.
Ontario is Canada`s most productive province, generating some
40 per cent of the county`s gross domestic product. Its manufacturing industries
lead the way. Automobiles are Ontario`s major manufacturing industry and most
important export, providing 26 per cent of Canada`s total exports.
Mining has always played an important role in the development
of Ontario`s economy. Extraction of gold, nickel, copper, uranium and zinc
represents a multibillion-dollar business. The forest industry accounts for 5.8
per cent of Ontario`s exports. Tourism, the province`s third-largest industry,
is also important to Ontario`s economy.
Prairie Provinces Manitoba
Manitoba is one of the three Prairie Provinces located in the
centre of Canada. Its landscape offers few extremes. Elevations rise slowly to
the south and west from sea level at Hudson Bay. Manitoba is known as the land
of 100,000 lakes. The major rivers of western Canada flow into the lowland
region of Manitoba, giving Manitoba 90 per cent of the hydroelectric potential
of the Prairie region. The northern topography is heavily covered in forest,
dominated by pine, hemlock and birch. Manitoba is one of the sunniest provinces
in Canada. It has a continental climate, with great temperature extremes.
Early European interest in Manitoba centred on the fur trade.
Scottish settlers established the first agricultural settlement in the area in
the early 19th century. Manitoba was made a province of the Dominion
of Canada in 1870. Its boundaries were expanded to the north several times.
Manitoba grew quickly due to its central location as the entry point to western
Canada. With the help of the railway, thousands of settlers from eastern Canada
and from countries all over the world made Manitoba their home.
About 60 per cent of Manitoba`s 1,138,934 people live in
metropolitan Winnipeg, the provincial capital. The second-largest city is
Brandon, in southwestern Manitoba.
Agriculture is the backbone of rural Manitoba where both
crops and livestock are important sectors. Wheat is the most important crop,
followed by barley and canola. The province is the leading Canadian producer of
flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, buckwheat and field peas. About half of the
province is forested, and nearly half of this area produces marketable timber.
Rich mineral deposits have been found in the Shield and the
province is the world leader in nickel mining.
Camping grounds, parks, lakes and rivers as well as historic
sites are the principal attractions for Manitoba`s visitors.
Although Manitoba is one of the smallest provinces in
population, it is an important centre for number of ethnic groups. It is the
largest centre of Ukrainian culture outside Ukreine.
Prairie Provinces Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is located in the Prairie region of Canada. Half
of it consists of forests, one-third of cultivated lands, and one-eighth is
covered with water. In the north there are numerous (over 100,000) lakes,
rivers, bogs and rocky outcroppings. The southern part of the province is
relatively flat. Camel caravans might not seem out of place in certain parts of
Saskatchewan. Athabasca Provincial Park has sand dunes 30 metres high and semiarid vegetation. Nowhere else in the world are dunes found this far north. The
whole province enjoys a hot, dry summer but the town of Estevan is the
undisputed “sunshine capital” of Canada with 2,540 hours of sunshine per year.
Land is the main resource. Today, Saskatchewan supplies 28
per cent of Canada`s grain production. Saskatchewan is also a major producer of
cattle and hogs. Oil and natural gas are the leading mineral resources.
Saskatchewan`s 14,000-oil wells produce about 12 per cent of Canada`s total oil
output. In addition, with an estimated two-thirds of the world`s reserves,
Saskatchewan is the leading exporter of potash. The foundation of many
present-day settlements and towns were the trading posts of the first European
trappers. For 200 years the Hudson`s Bay Company owned and administered this
area. Realising its agricultural potential and the opportunities for
colonisation, the Government of Canada purchased the land in 1870 and
encouraged immigration. The new railway began bringing settlers in to farm
these rich lands.
Saskatchewan entered Confederation in 1905. Regina became the
provincial capital.
Today, Saskatchewan`s population stands at approximately 1.1
million. It is Canada`s only province where neither the majority of the
population is of British or French background. It has a variety of ethnic
inheritances – German, Ukrainian, Scandinavian, Dutch, Polish, Russian. Regina
and Saskatoon are the two main cities and together have about one-third of the
total population.
Prairie Provinces Alberta
Alberta is one of the picturesque provinces, with many
rivers, lakes and forests and broad expanses of prairies in the north. The
southern half contains fertile wheat land and rolling park-line terrain, as
well as the mountainous region that forms part of the Rockies and their
foothills.
Alberta has a continental climate where long cold winters are
balanced by mild to hot summers and an unusually high number of sunny days, no
matter what the season.
The province has little water-power, owing to the gentle
slope of the land, but energy is available from important deposits of oil, gas and
coal. It is here where the old dream of gold came doubly true on the great
plains, where fields of golden wheat surround gushing wells of black gold,
making the province Canada`s leading producer of crude petroleum. It also ranks
first in the production of natural gas, coal and their chemical by-products.
Next in importance is agriculture. About 30 per cent of the
province consist of the farmland that supports large crops of wheat and huge
herds of livestock. Forests cover more than half of the province`s surface.
The region occupied by present-day Alberta in the 18th
century was owned by the Hudson`s Bay Company, in 1870 was acquired by the
Dominion of Canada, and administered from the newly formed province of
Manitoba. Beginning with the arrival of the railway in 1883, the population
started to grow quickly. In 1905, Alberta, named in honour of the fourth
daughter of Queen Victoria, become a province of Canada with Edmonton as its
capital city. Nowadays, more than half of Alberta`s 2.7 million people lives in
the two main cities – Edmonton and Calgary. With two-thirds of the population
under the age of 40, the province has one of the youngest people in the world.
Alberta`s national parks are world famous: Elk Island Park
east of Edmonton, Jasper scenic resort with ice fields, hot springs and
wildlife sanctuary; and the world`s largest national park of Wood Buffalo.
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