North America.

Canada spans six time zones. Information on which time zone applies where may be found in the regional entries following this general introduction. The time zones are:

Pacific Standard Time: GMT - 8 (GMT - 7 from second Sunday in March to first Sunday in November).
Mountain Standard Time: GMT - 7 (GMT - 6 from second Sunday in March to first Sunday in November).
Central Standard Time: GMT - 6 (GMT - 5 from second Sunday in March to first Sunday in November). Most of Saskatchewan does not observe DST.
Eastern Standard Time: GMT - 5 (GMT - 4 from second Sunday in March to first Sunday in November).
Atlantic Standard Time: GMT - 4 (GMT - 3 from second Sunday in March to first Sunday in November).
Newfoundland Standard Time: GMT - 3.5. (GMT - 2.5 from second Sunday in March to first Sunday in November).

9,017,699 sq km (3,481,753 sq miles).

31.6 million (official census 2006).

3.5 per sq km.

Ottawa. Population: 1.2 million (2006 including Gatineau).

Canada is bordered to the west by the Pacific Ocean and Alaska, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the northeast by Greenland, and to the south by the ‘Lower 48’ of the USA. The polar ice cap lies to the north. The landscape is diverse, ranging from the Arctic tundra of the north to the great prairies of the central area. Westward are the Rocky Mountains, and in the southeast are the Great Lakes, the St Lawrence River and Niagara Falls. The country is divided into 10 provinces and three territories. A more detailed description of each province can be found under the separate provincial entries.

Constitutional monarchy.

HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General Michaëlle Jean since 2005.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper since 2006.

Long-serving Jean Chrétien stepped down as Prime Minister in late 2003, replaced by Paul Martin. It seemed as if restoring relations with the USA was a primary concern of Martin's since the USA had barely concealed their frustrations with their neighbour for the refusal to support the 2003 war against Iraq.

However, soon after being sworn in, Martin's liberal government became embroiled in a scandal concerning the misappropriation of millions of dollars of public money, with the Liberal Party supposedly receiving kickbacks from advertising contracts awarded in Québec in the late 1990s. Martin barely survived a confidence motion in parliament in May 2005: just one vote saved him. However, in November 2005, his government lost a confidence vote, parliament was dissolved and an election was called for January 2006.
 
After 12 years of Liberal rule, Canada swung to the right in the 2006 general election with conservative Stephen Harper succeeding Paul Martin as prime minister. Conservative leader Stephen Harper has pledged to cut taxes and tackle violent crime and corruption.

Bilingual: English and French. The use of the two languages reflects the mixed colonial history – Canada has been under both British and French rule.

75% of the population belong to the Christian faith: Anglican, Roman Catholic and United Church of Canada. There are numerous other active denominations and religions.

110-120 volts AC, 60Hz. American-style (flat) two-pin plugs are standard.

Handshaking predominates as the normal mode of greeting. Close friends often exchange kisses on the cheeks, particularly in French areas. Codes of practice for visiting homes are the same as in other Western countries: flowers, chocolates or a bottle of wine are common gifts for hosts and dress is generally informal and practical according to climate. It is common for black tie and other required dress to be indicated on invitations. Exclusive clubs and restaurants often require more formal dress. Smoking has been banned in most public areas. Most restaurants, theatres and cinemas, if they permit smoking, have large ‘no smoking’ areas.