Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 25.1. Map of Canada
Overall, Canada has only 5 percent arable land, in contrast to about 20 percent in the
United States, but it does contain valuable minerals, such as cobalt, nickel, zinc, timber,
and copper. The shield has forests and is a refuge for waterfowl. Canada has vast tracts of
timber covering about 27 percent of the country and is estimated to have a million lakes
and rivers. Canada has 30 percent of the world's freshwater—an increasingly scarce and
precious resource on a globe whose fresh water is constantly diminished.
Canada's two largest rivers are the St. Lawrence, which runs 800 miles from Lake
Ontario eastward to the Atlantic Ocean at the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the much longer
Mackenzie, which runs northward more than 2,600 miles.
People, goods, and services constantly cross the American and Canadian borders, as
Canada is the U.S.'s largest trading partner. And Canada, like the United States, is a mem-
ber of the G8, the eight nations that lead the world in advanced technology and manufac-
tures.
HOW DOES CANADA'S POPULATION COMPARE WITH THAT OF THE
UNITED STATES?
In terms of population, Canada is moon to the American sun. Canada's population is over
thirty-five million, while the United States is above 316 million. Canada is as thinly popu-
lated as Saudi Arabia. Both countries have proud and sizable immigrant communities, but
each has a very different ethnic profile.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search