General Information
Languages
Canada has one of the world's most multilingual societies:
- Federally, the two official languages are English and French.
- All federal agencies and some provinces provide bilingual service.
- The official language in the province of Québec is French.
- There are over 100 languages identified as Canadians' mother tongue (Statistics Canada).
- The top 10 languages spoken are: English 58.6%, French 22.6%, Chinese (includes Mandarin and Cantonese) 2.9%, Italian 1.6%, German 1.5%, Punjabi 0.9%, Spanish 0.8%, and Portuguese, Polish and Arabic all 0.7%.
Religions
Roman Catholic 43.6%; Protestant 29.2%; Muslim 2.0%; Jewish 1.1%; Buddhist 1.0%; Hindu 1.0%; other 5.6%; no affiliation 16.5%.
Topography and Climate
From rugged mountain
peaks and boreal forests, to Arctic glaciers, to sprawling plains and
sandy seaside beaches, Canada's vast and varied landscape reflects the
diversity of its regions. The climate is equally variable, depending on
the region and time of year. In the centre of the country, the climate
is continental with warm summers (July average 15-25°C) and cold,
snowy winters (January average -16 to -6 °C). The maritime climates of
the east and west coasts tend to be milder in winter and cooler in
summer.
Currency
The currency is the Canadian dollar, divided into 100 cents. There are
notes of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 dollars; and coins of one,
five, 10, 25 and 50 cents as well as one and two dollar coins.
Standard Time
Canada has six time zones. From the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November, Daylight Saving Time applies (except in Saskatchewan). The rest of the year standard time applies.
Holidays
- January 1st
- Easter Friday and Monday
- Victoria Day (May)
- July 1st (Canada Day)
- first Monday in September
- second Monday in October
- November 11th
- December 25th and 26th
Additional holidays apply in specific provinces, notably June 24th in Québec and the first Monday in August in most provinces.
Entrance Requirements
Visitors arriving from
abroad require a valid passport. Visitors from many countries will also
need a Temporary Resident's Visa ( TRV ) to enter or transit Canada .
It is best to check with the nearest Canadian embassy or consulate, or
check the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.
Health Care System
Canada has a national health care system for citizens and permanent residents. The system benefits business in two ways: it helps maintain a healthy work force, and it drastically reduces employee benefit costs.
Electrical Current
All of North America uses 110 volts for most residential and commercial purposes.
