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On the Pacific coast, owing to the Japanese current, the climate is identical in temperature with that of the British Isles, which lie in the same latitude. The influence of this warm current on the Pacific coast extends eastward across the western and into the central provinces, so that the winter climate of the western part of the central provinces is considerably milder than that of the eastern part. On the Atlantic coast, and inland, the climate is colder than in corresponding latitudes of Europe, because of the Arctic current which flows southward along the coast.
The important physical features of Canada are its mountains, lakes, rivers, forests and prairies and the great inland sea of Hudson Bay. The Rocky Mountains extend from the United States boundary northward to the Arctic Ocean. They bound the central plains on the west, and are the highest of the several parallel mountain ranges of the western province. They contain immense deposits, and in the parallel ranges between the Rockies and the Pacific coast are to be found the precious metals in great abundance, especially gold. The Laurentian Range of hills extends from the Atlantic coast, at the Strait of Belle Isle, westerly and northerly, a distance of 2,300 miles, to the east end of Great Bear Lake near the Arctic coast. In the east the Laurentian Range divides the waters flowing south into the St. Lawrence from those flowing north into Hudson Bay, and in the northwest it divides those flowing westward into Mackenzie River from those flowing eastward into Hudson Bay. But midway between the St. Lawrence and Mackenzie water-systems, the joint waters of the Red and Saskatchewan Rivers break northward through the Laurentian Range by way of Nelson River into Hudson Bay. The Laurentian Range carries iron in great abundance, but no coal. Silver, nickel, cobalt and many other valuable metals are also found, although the region has as yet been very little explored.
The Laurentian district is remarkable for its numerous lakes, and especially for the succession of great lakes, which, forming part of three separate river systems, lie almost continuously along its southern side all the way from the Atlantic to the Arctic. The many streams and rivers which have their origin in the Laurentian Range afford unlimited opportunities for the creation of water power, and more than replace the lack of coal for all purposes for which power is required. The St. Lawrence and its tributary, the Ottawa, are the great rivers of eastern Canada; the Red and Saskatchewan of central Canada; the Fraser and Columbia of western Canada; and the Mackenzie and the Yukon of northern Canada. The St. Lawrence, Mackenzie and Yukon are among the largest rivers in the world.
The forests of Canada are one of the greatest sources of the national wealth. Maritime, eastern and western Canada were entirely covered by forest, of which only a small proportion has as yet been displaced by settlement and cultivation. The northern part of central Canada is also very considerably forested.
The prairies, which comprise the southerly portion of the central provinces, lie in an irregular triangle formed by the 29th parallel and the United States boundary on the south; the Rockies on the west; and the Laurentian Range on the northwest. They are watered in the southeastern part by the Red River, in the south and west by the Saskatchewan, and in the northwest by the Athabasca and Peace Rivers, branches of the Mackenzie.Adapted from The New Student's Reference Work, 1914
For more information...Canada / Canada (french)
The current constitution of the Office of Governor General is laid out by Letters Patent of King George VI issued in 1947.[2] By the Constitution Act, 1982, any constitutional amendment that affects the Crown, including the Office of Governor General, requires the unanimous consent of the provincial legislatures as well as the federal parliament, rather than the two-thirds majority necessary for most other amendments.
The Monarch appoints the governor general on the advice of the Prime Minister of Canada. There is no specific term, but by convention the governor general usually serves for approximately five years. Also by convention, the position tends to alternate between the anglophone and francophone communities. In each Canadian province, a Lieutenant Governor, appointed by the governor general, serves as the viceroy.
The present Governor General of Canada is Michaëlle Jean, who has served since 27 September 2005. She was appointed on the advice of former Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin to replace Adrienne Clarkson. Jean is Canada's third female, second non-Caucasian, and first black governor general. The Vice-Regal Consort is Jean's husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond.
References
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Nicknamed "The Great One," Total Hockey: The Official Encyclopedia of the NHL calls Gretzky "the greatest player of all time."[1] He is generally regarded as the best player of his era and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,[2][3][4] players,[5] and coaches. He set 40 regular-season records, 15 playoff records, 6 All-Star records, won four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers, and won 9 MVP awards and 10 scoring titles. He is the only player ever to total over 200 points in a season (a feat that he accomplished four times in his career). In addition, he tallied over 100 points a season for 15 NHL seasons, 13 of them consecutively. He is the only player to have his number, 99, officially retired by the National Hockey League.
He retired from playing in 1999, becoming Executive Director for the Canadian national men's hockey team during the 2002 Winter Olympics. He also became part owner of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2000 and following the 2004-05 NHL lockout became their head coach.
References
Provinces: British Columbia · Alberta · Saskatchewan · Manitoba · Ontario · Quebec · New Brunswick · Nova Scotia · Prince Edward Island · Newfoundland and Labrador
Territories: Yukon · Northwest Territories · Nunavut
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Articles: List of articles about Canada.
Provinces and territories: AB - BC - MB - NB - NL - NT - NS - NU - ON - PE - QC - SK - YT
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