Canada travel guide, useful travel information with all the things to know to organize holidays in the state of North America.
Canada in a nutshell
- Capital: Ottawa
- Area in sq km: 9,970,610
- Population: 33,000,000 (first half 2006)
- Religion: Catholic and Protestant
Where Canada is located
Canada is bathed in the north by the Arctic Ocean, in the east by the Atlantic Ocean and in the west by the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered to the north west by Alaska (United States) and to the south by the United States.
Canada represents the second largest state in the world after Russia with its 10 million square kilometers of surface.
However, due to the high latitude, its territory is cultivated only to a small extent with a considerable extension of forests.
Geography and territory of Canada
In Canada, 5 major regions can be distinguished:
-The Canadian shield. A vast region (almost half of Canada) extending from the Arctic Ocean (and most of the Arctic islands) to the Great Lakes region, bordered on the east by the estuary of the St. Lawrence River, to the west by the Rocky Mountains, it has Hudson Bay as its center.
It is a region of ancient origin, in the ice age a large glacier extended in this region, and is formed by scattered lakes and a succession of low hills, rounded by glacial erosion.
-The Appalachian region. It overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and includes the northern reaches of the Appalachian Mountains, the Nova Scotia Peninsula and the surrounding islands.
-The low plain of San Lorenzo. It includes the Great Lakes lowlands and the San Lorenzo river valley. It is the most populated area in Canada.
-The grassland region. It is a large plain that extends between Lake Superior in the east and the Rocky Mountains in the west.
-Western Canada. It is a mountainous region, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, formed by two parallel chains, between which there is a plateau of medium height.
Recommended readings- Banff (Canada): national park in the Rocky Mountains
- Ottawa: what to see in the capital of Canada
- Quebec: information about the province of Canada
- Canada: tourist itinerary
- Canada: tourist information
Proceeding from east to west we meet: the chain of the Canadian Rockies with peaks between 3000 and 4000 m. and parallel to the coast, the Coastal Chain which culminates in the north in the Sant’Elia Mountains, where the highest peak in Canada is located (Monte Logan, 6050 m).
Hydrography Canada
Canada is rich in rivers and lakes, which represent a wealth as internal communication routes and also as sources of energy. The rivers that originate from the Rocky Mountains and which flow into the Pacific Ocean are generally of short course.
The major river that pays tribute to the Arctic Ocean is the Mackenzie-Athabasca. The most important Canadian river is the San Lorenzo River (emissary of the Great Lakes), flows into the Atlantic Ocean and together with the Laurentian Lakes (Upper, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario), along the border with the United States, constitutes an important communication route between the Atlantic and the Canadian and US hinterland.
In this system of basins located at various altitudes of altitude, the Niagara River, which connects Lake Erie with Lake Ontario, forms the famous waterfalls, (divided between Canada and the United States).
In addition to this system of lakes, the largest lakes in Canada are: the Great Bear Lake, the Great Slave Lake and the Winnipeg Lake.
Climate Canada
In Canada, cold climates predominate, with long and harsh winters, with the exception of the southern Pacific coast.
The summer period lengthens proceeding from north to south, while rainfall decreases proceeding from east to west (from the Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains), and then grows again from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean.
The arrangement of the reliefs from north to south allows the polar cold air masses to descend without encountering obstacles.
The cold current of the Labrador that laps the eastern coasts and the influence exerted by the icy waters of the Hudson Bay make the temperatures of Canada much lower than those of Europe, even if they are at the same latitude.
Population of Canada
The majority of the Canadian population lives in the strip of territory located along the border with the United States, especially in the areas of Toronto and Montreal which enjoy a milder climate, and is mainly formed by the descendants of the first British and French colonizers, who constitute the two stronger ethnic groups.
French-born Canadians live mainly in the province of Quebec. In addition, the population of European origin is represented by groups of Germans, Russians, Italians, Dutch, Poles, Greeks, Portuguese and Spanish. There are also groups of Asian origin and in a small part African.
The original population of Canada is represented by Eskimos and indigenous Indians.Canada is considered to be one of the most advanced states where inhabitants enjoy a better standard of living.
Time zone Canada
The territory of Canada is divided into 6 time zones.
Compared to Italy
- 4.30h Newfoundland
- 5h Nova Scotia, New Brunswick
- 6h Quebec and Ontario
-7h Manitoba and Saskatchewan
-8h Alberta
-9h British Columbia
Summer time comes into effect in the summer months.
Language spoken in Canada
The official languages of Canada are English and French.
Economy of Canada
Canada's economy is among the most flourishing in the world. Agriculture is widespread in the regions of the south east, south and the Pacific coast where the climate is more favorable.
The main crop is wheat (of which Canada is one of the world's leading exporters), followed by barley, corn, oats, rye, potatoes, vegetables, fruit, soybeans, sugar beet, rapeseed, tobacco and flax.
Also important is the breeding (cattle, sheep, pigs, horses as well as poultry) which feeds the dairy industry.
Fur farms are also widespread.
Furthermore, the richness of the forest heritage (firs, cedars, pines, maples and birches) allows Canada to export timber and to produce and export large quantities of paper material, wood pulp and cellulose.
Fishing, both sea and freshwater, plays a central role.
It is mainly export-oriented and is linked to the conservation and canning industry.
The mineral and energy resources of the Canadian subsoil are varied and abundant.
In the foreground are oil and coal deposits and the production of natural gas, uranium, sulfur, potassium salts, asbestos, zinc, lead, iron and almost all other minerals (aluminum minerals lack).
There are various oil refineries, chemical, textile, automotive and shipbuilding industries to which new high-tech sectors (electronics, IT, aerospace, biotechnology) and services have been added.
When to go to Canada
In general we can make the following considerations:
- In Canada the winters are cold, however the big cities are equipped to face cold temperatures.
- The months of July and August are fairly warm months across Canada and attract the most visitors; but even in autumn there is the possibility for the visitor to attend a unique and exciting show in the numerous Canadian parks, when nature prepares for the long winter rest and everything is tinged with a thousand colors and shades.
Documents required for travel to Canada
Italian citizens who intend to travel to Canada as tourists must be in possession of a valid passport and a return and onward travel ticket, a visa is not required for a maximum stay of 90 days.
For study or work stays, a specific visa must be requested at the offices of the Canadian Embassy in Rome.
Telephone Canada
- The international code to call from Italy to Canada is: 001
- The international prefix for calling from Canada to Italy is: 0039
Electricity Canada
The electric current in Canada is 110 volts, therefore it is necessary to have an adapter.
Currency and credit cards Canada
The official currency of Canada is the Canadian dollar. In Canada, credit cards are frequently used as a form of payment.
How to get to Canada
PLANES
The Canadian airline Air Canada offers flights from Rome, Milan, Venice, Turin, Bologna, Verona, Florence to the connecting centers of Munich, Frankfurt, Paris, London, Zurich from where direct flights to major cities depart. Canadians: Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Calgary, Ottawa and Vancouver.
During the summer tourist season there are also direct flights Rome-Toronto and Rome-Montreal.
Air France, Lufthansa, British Airways, Klm, Swiss and other airlines offer flights from Italy to the major Canadian airports with a stopover at European connecting airports.
For the summer, the Canadian charter airline Air Transat organizes direct flights between Rome Fiumicino and Montreal Trudeau.
Other means of transport
Canada can be easily reached from the main US cities by any means of transportation: plane, car, bus or train.
The most important railway lines that come from the United States are: New York-Montreal, New York-Toronto and Chicago-Toronto.
