Canada was born when it became The Dominion of Canada on July 1st, 1867.
Canada is a constitutional monarchy and a federal state with a democratic parliament.
Canada's democratic Parliament is located in Ottawa, Ontario.
The Parliament is made up of the House of Commons (Lower House) and the Senate (The Upper House - whose members are appointed)
Members of Parliament are elected approximately every 4 years.
Elections may be called early or terms can be as long as 5 years.
An election can be forced when the government loses a vote of non-confidence when 50% of the House of Commons does not support a government action.
Senators are appointed by the Prime Minister and hold their positions until they are 75.
The major political parties in Canada are: Liberals, Progressive Conservative, the New Democratic Party and the Bloc Quebecois.
Canada currently sits on the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent representative.
Canada is a member of many international organizations including NATO, OSCE, OAS and APEC.

CIA Factbook

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ca.html

Discover Canada

http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/learningresources/facts/index.html

Canada Facts

Canada is a country in the Northern half of the North American continent, generally above the 48th parallel of latitude. It is made up of 10 provinces and three territories. Below is a listing of Canadian provincial and territorial facts that may be useful for research and class discussions. They are provided from sources in the public domain and as such we do not guarantee their accuracy.

Canadian provinces from west to east:

	British Columbia Joined Confederation: 20 July 1871
	Alberta Joined Confederation: 1 September 1905
	Saskatchewan Joined Confederation: 4 September 1905
	Manitoba Joined Confederation: 15 July 1870
	Ontario Joined Confederation: 1 July 1867
	Québec Joined Confederation: 1 July 1867
	New Brunswick Joined Confederation: 1 July 1867
	Prince Edward Island Joined Confederation: 1 July 1873
	Nova Scotia Joined Confederation: 1 July 1867
	Newfoundland and Labrador Joined Confederation: 31 March 1949

Canadian territories from west to east:

	Yukon Joined Confederation: 13 June 1898
	Northwest Territories Joined Confederation: 15 July 1870
	Nunavut Joined Confederation: 1 April 1999