
Canada is a federation of ten provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New
Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island,
Quebec, and Saskatchewan) and three territories (Northwest Territories, Yukon, and
Nunavut).
Canada is a democratic constitutional monarchy, where the monarch is head of state
and an elected Prime Minister is the head of Government. The governor-general is
officially the representative of Queen Elizabeth II, but in reality the governor-general
acts only on the advice of the Canadian prime minister.
The country has a multi-party system and is based loosely on British rule. Canada
is governed by its own House of Commons.
In Canada, there are 3 levels of government each with its own set responsibilities.
1. Federal government (the Government of Canada) - Responsible for things that affect
the whole country, such as citizenship and immigration, national defense and trade
with other countries.
2. Provincial and territorial governments (for example, the Province of Ontario)
- Responsible for such things as education, health care and highways.
3. Municipal (local) governments (cities, towns, and villages in Ontario) - Responsible
for firefighting, city streets and other local matters. If there is no local government,
the province provides services.
National Capital Region:
The Parliament of Canada (the federal legislative branch of Canada), is seated at
Parliament Hill in the national capital,
Ottawa, Ontario. It is located on
the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario. Ottawa
borders
Gatineau, Quebec, and together with the surrounding urban and rural
communities they form the National Capital Region (NCR).]
Major Political parties:
Liberal Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
Le Bloc Québécois
New Democratic Party of Canada
Green Party of Canada
Canada has 10 provinces and 3 territories. Provinces receive their power and authority
directly from the Constitution Act, 1867, and are considered to be co-sovereign
divisions, with the lieutenant-governor representing the Monarch in each province.
Territories are part of the federal government and derive their mandates and powers
from it. They have a commissioner.
Provinces
1. British Columbia
Provincial Capital: Victoria
Major Cities & Towns: Vancouver, Whistler, Kelowna
Useful links:
• www.gov.bc.ca/
• www.hellobc.com/
2. Alberta
Provincial Capital: Edmonton
Major Cities: Calgary, Banff / Lake Louise
http://alberta.ca/
http://travelalberta.com/
3. Saskatchewan
Provincial Capital: Regina
Major Cities: Saskatoon, Prince Albert
http://www.gov.sk.ca
www.sasktourism.com
4. Manitoba
Provincial Capital: Winnipeg
Major Cities: Churchill
www.gov.mb.ca/
http://www.travelmanitoba.com/
5. Ontario
Provincial Capital: Toronto
Federal Capital:Ottawa
Major Cities:Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake
http://www.ontario.ca/welcome-ontario
www.ontariotravel.net/
6. Quebec
Provincial Capital: Quebec City
Major Cities: Montreal
www.gouv.qc.ca/?lang=en
www.quebecregion.com/
7. New Brunswick
height="200px"; width="260px"
Provincial Capital: Fredericton
Major Cities: Moncton, St. John
http://www2.gnb.ca/
www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca/
Provincial Capital:
Major Cities:
8. Nova Scotia
Provincial Capital: Halifax
Major Cities: Sydney, Wolfville, Peggy's Cove
http://novascotia.ca/
www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca/
9. Prince Edward Island
Provincial Capital: Charlottetown
www.gov.pe.ca/
www.tourismpei.com/
10. Newfoundland & Labrador
Provincial Capital: St. John's
www.gov.nl.ca/
www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/
Territories
1. Yukon
Capital: Whitehorse
www.gov.yk.ca/
http://www.yukoninfo.com/
2. Northwest Territories
Capital: Yellowknife
www.gov.nt.ca/
www.gov.nt.ca/research/tourism/
3. Nunavut
Capital: Iqaluit
www.gov.nu.ca/english/
www.nunavuttourism.com/