The
Government of Canada (
French:
Gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the
federal administration of
Canada. The term
Government of Canada refers specifically to the executive, which includes
ministers of the Crown (together in
the Cabinet) and the
federal civil service (whom the Cabinet direct); it is alternatively known as
His Majesty's Government (French:
Gouvernement de Sa Majesté) and is
corporately branded as the
Government of Canada. There are over 100 departments and agencies, as well as over 300,000 persons employed in the Government of Canada. These institutions carry out the programs and enforce the laws established by the
Parliament of Canada. (
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The
culture of Canada embodies the
artistic,
culinary,
literary,
humour,
musical,
political and social elements that are representative of Canadians. Throughout Canada's history, its culture has been influenced firstly by its
indigenous cultures, and later by
European culture and traditions, mostly by the
British and
French. Over time, elements of the cultures of Canada's immigrant populations have become incorporated to form a Canadian
cultural mosaic. Certain segments of Canada's population have, to varying extents, also been influenced by
American culture due to shared language (in English-speaking Canada), significant
media penetration, and geographic proximity. (
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The
history of Canada covers the period from the arrival of the
Paleo-Indians to
North America thousands of years ago to the present day. The lands encompassing present-day
Canada have been inhabited for millennia by
Indigenous peoples, with distinct trade networks, spiritual beliefs, and styles of social organization. Some of these older civilizations had long faded by the time of the first
European arrivals and have been discovered through
archeological investigations. (
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The
military history of Canada comprises centuries of conflict within the territory, and interventions by the
Canadian military in conflicts and
peacekeeping missions worldwide. For millennia, the area comprising modern Canada saw sporadic conflicts among
Indigenous peoples. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Canada was the site of several conflicts, including
four major colonial wars between
New France and
British America. The conflicts spanned nearly 70 years and was fought between British and French forces, supported by their
colonial militias, and various
First Nations. (
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Multiculturalism in Canada was officially adopted by the
government during the 1970s and 1980s. The Canadian federal government has been described as the instigator of
multiculturalism as an ideology because of its public emphasis on the
social importance of immigration. The 1960s
Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism is often referred to as the origin of modern political awareness of multiculturalism, resulting in Canada being one of the most multicultural nations in the world. The official state policy of multiculturalism is often cited as one of Canada's significant accomplishments, and a key distinguishing element of
Canadian identity and
Canadian values. (
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The
orders, decorations, and medals of Canada comprise a complex system by which
Canadians are honoured by the
country's sovereign for actions or deeds that benefit their community or the country at large. Modelled on its
British predecessor, the structure originated in the 1930s, but began to come to full fruition at the time of
Canada's centennial in 1967, with the establishment of the
Order of Canada, and has since grown in both size and scope to include
dynastic and national
orders, state,
civil, and
military decorations; and various
campaign medals. The monarch in right of each
Canadian province also issues
distinct orders and medals to honour residents for work performed in just their province. The provincial honours, as with some of their national counterparts, grant the use of
post-nominal letters and or
supporters and other devices to be used on personal
coats of arms. (
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The
legal system of
Canada is
pluralist: its foundations lie in the English
common law system (inherited from its period as a colony of the
British Empire), the
French civil law system (inherited from its
French Empire past), and
Indigenous law systems developed by the various
Indigenous Nations. (
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Canada has ten provinces and three territories that are sub-national
administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the
Canadian Constitution. In the 1867
Canadian Confederation, three provinces of
British North America—
New Brunswick,
Nova Scotia, and the
Province of Canada (which upon Confederation was divided into
Ontario and
Quebec)—united to form a
federation, becoming a fully
independent country over the next century. Over its history, Canada's international borders have changed several times as it has added territories and provinces, making it the
world's second-largest country by area. (
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The
economy of Canada is a
highly developed mixed economy, with the world's
tenth-largest economy as of 2023
[update], and a
nominal GDP of approximately
US$2.117 trillion.
Canada is one of the world's largest
trading nations, with a highly
globalized economy. In 2021, Canadian trade in goods and services reached $2.016 trillion. Canada's exports totalled over $637 billion, while its imported goods were worth over $631 billion, of which approximately $391 billion originated from the United States. In 2018, Canada had a
trade deficit in goods of $22 billion and a trade deficit in services of $25 billion. The
Toronto Stock Exchange is the
tenth-largest stock exchange in the world by
market capitalization, listing over 1,500 companies with a combined market capitalization of over
US$3 trillion. (
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The
History of women in Canada is the study of the historical experiences of women living in Canada and the laws and legislation affecting Canadian women. In colonial period of
Canadian history, Indigenous women's roles were often challenged by Christian
missionaries, and their marriages to European fur traders often brought their communities into greater contact with the outside world. Throughout the colonial period, European women were encouraged to immigrate to Canadian colonies and expand the white population. After
Confederation in 1867, women's experiences were shaped by federal laws and by legislation passed in Canada's provincial legislatures. (
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Healthcare in Canada is delivered through the provincial and territorial systems of
publicly funded health care, informally called
Medicare. It is guided by the provisions of the
Canada Health Act of 1984, and is
universal. The 2002
Royal Commission, known as the Romanow Report, revealed that Canadians consider universal access to publicly funded health services as a "fundamental value that ensures national health care insurance for everyone wherever they live in the country." (
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Education in Canada is for the most part provided
publicly, funded and overseen by
federal,
provincial, and
local governments. Education is within provincial jurisdiction and the curriculum is overseen by the province. Education in Canada is generally divided into
primary education, followed by secondary education and post-secondary. Education in both English and French is available in most places across Canada. Canada has a large number of universities, almost all of which are publicly funded. Established in 1663,
Université Laval is the oldest post-secondary institution in Canada. The largest university is the
University of Toronto with over 85,000 students. Four universities are regularly ranked among the top 100 world-wide, namely University of Toronto,
University of British Columbia,
McGill University, and
McMaster University, with a total of
18 universities ranked in the top 500 worldwide. (
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Religion in Canada encompasses a wide range of beliefs and customs that historically has been dominated by
Christianity. The
constitution of Canada refers to God', however Canada has no official church and the government is officially committed to
religious pluralism.
Freedom of religion in Canada is a constitutionally protected right, allowing individuals to assemble and worship without limitation or interference. Rates of religious adherence have steadily decreased since the 1960s. After having once been central and integral to Canadian culture and daily life, Canada has become a
post-Christian state. Although the majority of Canadians consider
religion to be unimportant in their daily lives, they still believe in God. The practice of religion is generally considered a private matter throughout society and the state. (
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Canadian cuisine consists of the cooking traditions and practices of
Canada, with
regional variances around the country.
First Nations and
Inuit have practiced their culinary traditions in what is now Canada for at least 15,000 years. The advent of
European explorers and settlers, first on the
east coast and then throughout the wider territories of
New France,
British North America and Canada, saw the melding of foreign
recipes,
cooking techniques, and
ingredients with indigenous
flora and
fauna. Modern Canadian cuisine has maintained this dedication to local ingredients and
terroir, as exemplified in the naming of specific ingredients based on their locale, such as
Malpeque oysters or
Alberta beef. Accordingly, Canadian cuisine privileges the quality of ingredients and regionality, and may be broadly defined as a national tradition of "creole" culinary practices, based on the complex
multicultural and geographically diverse nature of both historical and contemporary Canadian society. (
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The
monarchy of Canada is Canada's
form of government embodied by the Canadian
sovereign and
head of state. It is one of the key components of
Canadian sovereignty and sits at the core of
Canada's constitutional federal structure and
Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. The monarchy is the foundation of the
executive (
King-in-Council),
legislative (
King-in-Parliament), and
judicial (
King-on-the-Bench) branches of both
federal and
provincial jurisdictions. The current monarch is King
Charles III, who has reigned since 8 September 2022. (
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The
politics of Canada functions within a framework of
parliamentary democracy and a
federal system of
parliamentary government with strong democratic traditions.
Canada is a
constitutional monarchy where the
monarch is
head of state. In practice, executive authority is entrusted to the
Cabinet, a committee of
ministers of the Crown chaired by the
Prime Minister of Canada that act as the executive committee of the
King's Privy Council for Canada and are responsible to the democratically elected
House of Commons. (
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The
prime minister of Canada (French:
premier ministre du Canada) is the
head of government of
Canada. Not outlined in any constitutional document, the office exists only per long-established
convention. Under the
Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the
confidence of a majority of the elected
House of Commons; as such, the prime minister typically sits as a
member of Parliament (MP) and leads the largest party or a coalition of parties. The prime minister is appointed by
the monarch's representative, the
governor general, and, as
first minister, selects other ministers to form the
Cabinet and chairs it. Constitutionally,
executive authority is vested in the monarch (who is the
head of state), but, in practice, the powers of the monarch and governor general are nearly always exercised on the
advice of the Cabinet, which is collectively
responsible to the House of Commons. Canadian prime ministers are appointed to the
Privy Council and
styled as
the Right Honourable (French:
Le très honorable), a privilege maintained for life. (
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Canada, the world's
second-largest country in total area, is dedicated to having an efficient, high-capacity multimodal
transportation spanning often vast distances between
natural resource extraction sites,
agricultural and
urban areas. Canada's transportation system includes more than 1,400,000 kilometres (870,000 mi) of roads, 10 major international airports, 300 smaller airports, 72,093 km (44,797 mi) of functioning railway track, and more than 300 commercial ports and harbours that provide access to the
Pacific,
Atlantic and
Arctic oceans as well as the
Great Lakes and the
St. Lawrence Seaway. In 2005, the transportation sector made up 4.2% of Canada's GDP, compared to 3.7% for Canada's mining and oil and gas extraction industries. (
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The
music of Canada reflects the diverse influences that have
shaped the country. Indigenous Peoples, the
Irish, British, and the French have all made unique contributions to the musical
heritage of Canada. The music has also subsequently been influenced by
American culture because of the proximity between the two countries. Since French explorer
Samuel de Champlain arrived in 1605 and established the first permanent French settlements at
Port Royal and
Québec in 1608, the country has produced its own
composers,
musicians and
ensembles. (
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The
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (French:
Charte canadienne des droits et libertés), often simply referred to as the
Charter in Canada, is a
bill of rights entrenched in the
Constitution of Canada, forming the first part of the
Constitution Act, 1982. The
Charter guarantees certain political rights to Canadian citizens and
civil rights of everyone in Canada from the policies and actions of all governments in Canada. It is designed to unify Canadians around a set of principles that embody those rights. The
Charter was proclaimed in force by
Queen Elizabeth II of Canada on April 17, 1982, as part of the
Constitution Act, 1982. (
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The
Canadian Heraldic Authority (
CHA;
French:
Autorité héraldique du Canada) is part of the
Canadian honours system under the
Canadian monarch, whose authority is exercised by the
Governor General of Canada. The authority is responsible for the creation and granting of new
coats of arms (armorial bearings),
flags, and
badges for Canadian citizens, government agencies, municipal, civic and other corporate bodies. The authority also registers existing armorial bearings granted by other recognized heraldic authorities, approves military badges, flags, and other insignia of the
Canadian Forces, and provides information on
heraldic practices. It is well known for its innovative designs, many incorporating
First Nations symbolism. (
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