Canada Guide, cosa vedere

La forma di governo del Canada è rappresentativa della sua duplicità culturale: una democrazia parlamentare che è anche una monarchia costituzionale, retta dalla Queen Elizabeth II (pur avendo quest’ultima una funzione del tutto formale).

Da secoli sfondo di imponenti flussi migratori, il Canada è divenuta nel tempo una nazione multietnica con ben due lingue ufficiali: l’inglese e il francese. Tra i Paesi economicamente più avanzati al mondo, i tentativi di smarcamento dall’inglobamento culturale statunitense sono stati numerosi e, ancora oggi, molti degli sforzi dei canadesi sono improntati alla ricerca di una propria identità nazionale. Della popolazione nata in Canada circa il 60 % è di origine britannica, i francesi si attestano intorno al 35% e solo il 3% è costituto da indigeni a tutela dei quali, nel 1999, è stato proclamato il territorio autonomo del Nunavut.

What to see in Canada

The entire country can be said to be of great scenic interest: almost entirely flat, except for the Rocky Mountains and the Arctic Cordillera, Canada has the largest number of lakes and inland waters of any country in the world (the Great Lakes and Niagara Falls constitute one of its best attractions).

With the spotlight always on ecological themes, it is ideal for hiking lovers who will have the opportunity to visit the numerous national parks and admire the vast spectacle of steppes, valleys, and fjords. But Canada is not just the “Country of the maple leaf”: Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal, the three main cities, offer visitors, in a strongly European echo, cultural and leisure opportunities of rare elegance and originality.

Canada Profile

• Country: Canada
• Area: 9,984,670 Km²
• Capital: Ottawa
• Population: 32.5 million inhabitants
• Language: English and French
• Religion: the majority are Catholic and Protestant
• Form of government: federal republic that is part of the British Commonwealth
• Major cities: Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Mississauga, Vancouver, Hamilton

Information about Canada

• Currency: Canadian Dollar (1 euro = 1.5446 CAD)
• International dialing code: +1
• International vehicle registration code: CND
• Driving side: right
• Entry documents: Passport
• Required vaccination: No
• Electric current: 110/120V 60 Hz A,B (adapter required)
• Unit of measurement: metric decimal
• Time zone: from -4.30 to -9 hours compared to Italy; Canada has 6 time zones
• Fixed date holidays: January 1: New Year’s Day; March-April: Good Friday; March-April: Easter; March-April: Easter Monday; Monday before May 25: Victoria Day; July 1: Canada Day; First Monday in September: Labour Day; Second Monday in October: Thanksgiving; November 11: Remembrance Day; December 25: Christmas; December 26: Boxing Day
• Climate: due to its size, the country has several types of climate, ranging from polar in the north, allowing visits only in the short period June-August, to milder in Ontario and Quebec where cold and snowy winters (the Blizzard) are followed by mild summers with pleasant temperatures despite some rain. In the rest of the country it varies from a humid and rainy climate along the coasts to the cold and unpredictable one of the Rocky Mountains and the continental climate of the prairies, with strong temperature swings between seasons and between day and night.
• Average temperatures: from -10°C to 25°C annually; climate varies significantly from east to west and even more depending on altitude and proximity to the sea or lakes
• Transportation: National airlines: Air Canada and Air Transat; others with flights to and from Canada: American Airlines, Lufthansa, British Airways, KLM, Alitalia, Iberia and others.
• Airports: International airports of Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Gander, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Halifax, Quebec