Where is Canada located?
Canada is the world’s second largest country and is situated in North America. It shares a border with the United States of America
Languages of Canada
English and French are the country’s two official languages. English is spoken by about 55% of people and French by about 25% of the population. Dozens of other languages are also spoken on a daily basis by its citizens. Native American Languages are also spoken, although by only 1% of the population. Incidentally, the word Canada is derived from an Indian word “Kanata” meaning “Big Village”
It is the belief of most Canadians that the relationship between French and English is the one thing that defines Canada. The Government official responsible for monitoring language in Canada said “In the same way that race is at the core of what it means to be American and at the core of an American experience and class is at the core of British experience, I think that language is the core of the Canadian experience.” Read more on the Languages of Canada
Terrain
Canada is well known for its great lakes, mountains, rivers and forested alpine slopes. There are over 30,000 lakes in Canada, with 9% of Canada being covered by Fresh water. Four of the five great lakes can be found in Canada. They include (from big to small) Lake Superior, Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Ontario. Lake Michigan is the third largest of the 5 great lakes and is completely within the borders of the USA.
Most of Canada’s mountain ranges are in the western provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and the Yukon Territory. The Canadian rockies stretch across British Columbia and Alberta. The largest and most ancient rock in Canada is the “Canadian Shield”, dating back billions of years to the formation of the planet.
The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) can be seen from almost anywhere in Canada. This is the bright colouration of the atmosphere caused by Earth’s magnetic field as it deflects solar radiation back into space.
Flights from South Africa
Flights now depart direct to Canada from Johannesburg and Cape Town (no stops).