cANADA'S hISTORY aND gOVERNMENT
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Canada's History
The first people who came to Canada were aboriginal tribes that had traveled across a land bridge between Asia and North America. These people became the ancestors of native tribes, such as the Inuits. The first European explorers who came to Canada were French and they claimed much of the land for their country during the 16th and 17th centuries. The British were also settling North America and a quarrel about natural resources caused the countries to go to war. France lost in the French and Indian War and was forced to give up their territories, but there were still many French colonists.
Conflicts soon erupted between the Roman Catholic French and the Protestant English. It got so bad that the British government decreed that Canada be split in two provinces--English Upper Canada and French Lower Canada.
Over the next few decades Canada began to grow. Major cities such as Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City emerged and so did a more developed infrastructure.
However, all through this time the English colonists and the French colonists still could not get along. A major reform took place and the Dominion of Canada was born. It was meant to be a loose confederation, but the British Empire was still in charge.
With newer innovative technologies, the Canadian government strived to make its country more accessible to the pioneers. Railroads were put under construction and people began to move west. Discovery of valuable minerals helped to spur this expansion westward. New settlers began to pour in as well.
As the population continued to grow, Canada began to become more industrialized. Farmlands began to be replaced by cities and manufacturing plants were put there, too. These new industries provided jobs, which caused a lot of people to move to the cities. All these events have led up to present day Canada being a multicultural country with great economical influence.
Canada’s Government
Like the UK, Canada has a democratic constitutional monarchy. In Canada this form of government is run by a parliament, in which legislative and executive responsibilities are combined. The symbolic head of the government is the British monarchy, who is held under constitutional law. Parliament meets in the country capital of Ottawa, Ontario. Parliament contains a Senate and a House of Commons with elected representatives for both houses. The majority party’s leader becomes the prime minister or leader of the Canadian government. The country is run by a central federal government and provincial and territorial governments.
The federal government is in charge of:
The first people who came to Canada were aboriginal tribes that had traveled across a land bridge between Asia and North America. These people became the ancestors of native tribes, such as the Inuits. The first European explorers who came to Canada were French and they claimed much of the land for their country during the 16th and 17th centuries. The British were also settling North America and a quarrel about natural resources caused the countries to go to war. France lost in the French and Indian War and was forced to give up their territories, but there were still many French colonists.
Conflicts soon erupted between the Roman Catholic French and the Protestant English. It got so bad that the British government decreed that Canada be split in two provinces--English Upper Canada and French Lower Canada.
Over the next few decades Canada began to grow. Major cities such as Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City emerged and so did a more developed infrastructure.
However, all through this time the English colonists and the French colonists still could not get along. A major reform took place and the Dominion of Canada was born. It was meant to be a loose confederation, but the British Empire was still in charge.
With newer innovative technologies, the Canadian government strived to make its country more accessible to the pioneers. Railroads were put under construction and people began to move west. Discovery of valuable minerals helped to spur this expansion westward. New settlers began to pour in as well.
As the population continued to grow, Canada began to become more industrialized. Farmlands began to be replaced by cities and manufacturing plants were put there, too. These new industries provided jobs, which caused a lot of people to move to the cities. All these events have led up to present day Canada being a multicultural country with great economical influence.
Canada’s Government
Like the UK, Canada has a democratic constitutional monarchy. In Canada this form of government is run by a parliament, in which legislative and executive responsibilities are combined. The symbolic head of the government is the British monarchy, who is held under constitutional law. Parliament meets in the country capital of Ottawa, Ontario. Parliament contains a Senate and a House of Commons with elected representatives for both houses. The majority party’s leader becomes the prime minister or leader of the Canadian government. The country is run by a central federal government and provincial and territorial governments.
The federal government is in charge of:
- defense,
- criminal law,
- employment insurance,
- postal service,
- census,
- copyrights,
- trade regulation,
- external relations,
- money and banking,
- transportation,
- citizenship, and
- Indian affairs.
- property and civil rights,
- administration of justice,
- natural resources and the environment,
- education,
- health, and
- welfare.