Canada has ten provinces and three territories, each with its own capital city (in brackets): Alberta (Edmonton); British Columbia (Victoria); Manitoba (Winnipeg); New Brunswick (Fredericton); Newfoundland (St. John's); Nova Scotia (Halifax); Ontario (Toronto); Prince Edward Island (Charlottetown); Quebec (Quebec City); Saskatchewan (Regina); Northwest Territories (Yellowknife); Nunavut (Iqaluit); and Yukon Territory (Whitehorse).

Diversity is the keynote of Canada's geography, which includes fertile plains suitable for agriculture, vast mountain ranges, lakes and rivers. Wilderness forests give way to Arctic tundra in the Far North. There are many climatic variations in this huge country, ranging from the permanently frozen icecaps north of the 70th parallel to the luxuriant vegetation of British Columbia's west coast. Canada's most populous regions, which lie in the country's south along the U.S. border, enjoy four distinct seasons.

Here, daytime summer temperatures can rise to 35 C and higher, while lows of minus 25 C are not uncommon in winter. More moderate temperatures are the norm in spring and fall.

Multiculturalism is a fundamental characteristic of Canadian society. Our society has always been pluralist and diverse and is bound to become even more so. Already approximately two-fifths of the Canadian population have one origin other than British, French or Aboriginal. In 1971, Canada became the first country in the world to adopt a multiculturalism policy. The Government of Canada subsequently passed the Employment Equity Act in 1986 and the Canadian Multiculturalism Act in 1988. Founded on a long tradition of Canadian human rights legislation, the Multiculturalism Policy affirms that Canada recognizes and values its rich ethnic and racial diversity. The Canadian Multiculturalism Act gives specific direction to the federal government to work toward achieving equality in the economic, social, cultural and political life of the country. Through its multiculturalism policy, the Government of Canada aims to help build a more inclusive society based on respect, equality and the full participation of all citizens, regardless of race, ethnic origin, language or religion. In a report of the UNESCO World Commission on Culture and Development, Canada's approach to multiculturalism was cited as a model for other countries. Canada is recognized today as a world leader in this field.