Canada, our neighbor to the north, is a favorite destination for American travelers. A beautiful and diverse country, cities such as Toronto, Ontario, Vancouver, British Columbia and Montreal, Quebec welcome millions of visitors each year. Stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, Canada also offers visitors thousands of miles of rugged coastline, majestic mountains (with world-class skiing in the winter at resorts such as Whistler), sweeping prairies and seemingly endless vacation opportunities that are easily accessible by a modern highway system, convenient air travel (Air Canada is the largest carrier) and an extensive railway.
Canada is a highly-developed, modern nation with state-of-the-art communications (leaders include Bell Canada for telephone service; Canada Post for mail service; internet searches through Google Canada, Yahoo Canada, MSN Canada) and financial infrastructures (leading institutions include the Royal Bank of Canada. Taxation is handled through Revenue Canada). Canada's vast array of geographic, socio-economic and cultural diversity attracts visitors for activities ranging from high-powered business deals to romantic getaways and deep wilderness experiences.
More than 560,000 miles (900,000 km) of road (paved and unpaved; drive on the right), 22,000 miles (35,000 km) of rail, 1,864 miles (3,000 km) of waterways and 1,411 airports make most of the country open to travelers. English and French are the official languages, though English dominates in most of the country. French is widely spoken only in the province of Quebec.
American visitors are often surprised by how comfortable and inviting Canadians make them feel. More adventurous visitors will find local shops and companies offer a wide variety of local products as well as many of the items they’d find back home. Less adventurous travelers will find that Canada has many of the same retailers and companies found in the States. Companies such as Toys-R-Us Canada, Best Buy Canada, Wal mart-Canada, Sears Canada, Home Depot Canada, etc. are local fixtures contributing significantly to the economy.
The government is a well-developed parliamentary democracy led by a prime minister. Canadian citizens enjoy universal suffrage. The English monarch is the head of state. This is a remnant of the British North America Act of 1867, which created the Dominion of Canada. The governor general represents Britain's interests in Canada.
A dispute in Quebec between French nationalists (who want to separate Quebec from the rest of Canada) and English-speaking residents continues to cause political disputes. The English speakers have defeated separatist attempts at every turn, but the resolute French nationalists refuse to drop the issue. A French victory would effectively create an independent French Quebec island inside Canada.
Spanning five and a half time zones, Canada's 10 provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec and Winnipeg) and three territories comprise more than 3.8 million square miles (nearly 1 billion hectares) of land. Geography includes: huge western mountains, central plains, Great Lakes lowlands, northern tundra and rocky eastern coastlines.
Canada's varied climate includes bitter cold winters in the interior and heavy snow in the western mountains. Summers are temperate (though often wet) in the west - and often hot elsewhere. Visitors should bring layers of clothing - even in summer - as night breezes can be cool, especially in provinces bordered by water. Mosquitoes can be brutal in summer, particularly in the wilderness.
In general, Canada is a relatively secure travel destination. Overall rates of personal and property crimes are low. Crime rates are higher in larger metropolitan centers and at night. As always, visitors should exercise common sense security precautions.
Public Transportation Tips from our Partner Geobeats.com
Learn about different types of transport in Montreal.
The iJET® Intelligence Center
Intelligence Officers at iJET are currently monitoring local conditions in Canada to provide a level of information that surpasses any available from other public sources, including the U.S. State Department. Free from political constraints or concerns, our data provides vital, unfiltered information created specifically for travelers.
Travelers to Canada or those considering travel to Canada are strongly advised to purchase an Intelligence Brief early in the travel planning process for the most timely and concise information available on the country.
For only $7.50 you will receive the most complete intelligence available to the general public. Each Intelligence Brief contains data on 12 areas of concern for travelers (including local weather, Security and Health advisories, Local Travel Alerts, Entry/exit requirements, Cultural and Business information, Transportation updates, Communications/Technology, the Legal and Financial situation, Environmental concerns and Language) plus you will receive a detailed map and real-time updates from the world's leading private intelligence gathering organization.
To purchase and immediately download the latest Intelligence Brief for the country Click Here