Canada is a vast and fascinating land of contrasts from sea to sea. It stretches westward from the Atlantic Ocean to the shores of the Pacific Ocean, and northward from its border with the United States to the chilly waters of the Arctic Ocean. Its immense area of almost 10 million square kilometers makes it the second largest nation on Earth, after Russia, with a relatively low population of almost 29 million people of diverse nationalities and faiths.

Mother tongues include English, French, Italian, German, Ukrainian and Chinese. The Indian, Inuit, and Metis (mixed Indian and French ancestry), are native to Canada. Although all ethnic communities are encouraged and viewed as an asset by the Canadian government, English and French are the two official languages. A colony of Great Britain until 1867, Canada consists of 10 provinces and 3 territories run by an independent parliamentary democracy.