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| Official name: Canada Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II (since 1952), represented by Governor General Michaelle Jean (since 2005) Head of government: Prime Minister Paul Martin (from 12 Dec 2003) Ruling party: Liberal Party of Canada (LPC) (since 2000; re-elected 28 Jun 2004, but lost its majority) Area: 9,976,139 square km Population: 31.75 million (2004) Capital: Ottawa Official language: English, French Currency: Canadian dollar (C$) = 100 cents Exchange rate: C$1.19 per US$ (Nov 2004) GDP per capita: US$27,199 (2003) GDP real growth: 1.80% (2003) Labour force: 16,300 (2003) Unemployment: 7.80% (2003); 7.3% (Apr 2004) Inflation: 2.80% (2003) Oil production: 2.80 million bpd (2003) Balance of trade: US$26.44 billion (2003) Visitor numbers: 45.00 million (2003)* * estimated figure |
Historical profile
1497 John Cabot claimed Newfoundland for Henry VII of England.
1534 Jacques Cartier explored Newfoundland and charted the Gulf of St Lawrence as far as what is now Québec city and Montréal. He claimed this land for France.
1600 King Henry IV of France granted fur trading rights in the Gulf of St Lawrence to a group of French merchants.
1608 Founding of Québec as France's first colony by Samuel Champlain.
1629 Québec city was captured by the English fleet.
1632 Québec was returned to France by the treaty of St Germain-en-Laye.
1642 Founding of Ville Marie, which later became Montréal.
1660 The English Navigation Act prohibited foreigners from trading with English colonies.
1663 Louis XIV assumed personal control of the French settlements that included Québec, Montréal, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the area around the Gulf of St Lawrence and called this Nouvelle France (New France). Québec became a royal province.
1665 Jean Talon came from France to administer colonial affairs and brought about a significant expansion of the colony, encouraging agriculture, arts and business that stimulated immigration. By this time, the English, fighting for territorial dominance, controlled 10 colonies on the Atlantic coast and exceeded New France in terms of population and self-sufficiency.
1670 In competition with the French, the English established the Hudson Bay Company, giving themselves a monopoly on the fur trade in the Hudson Bay area.
1702 Queen Anne's War broke out between the English and the French. This led to the capture of Port Royal by the English.
1713 Peace was established under the Treaty of Utrecht. This required France to surrender the Hudson Bay Area, Newfoundland and Acadia to Britain. France was permitted to keep Cape Breton island and her inland colonies.
1754 The French and Indian War began in North America; it became the Seven Years War when fighting spread to Europe.
1755–56 The British attacked Québec, the nerve-centre of the French empire. Québec came under British rule.
1759 Montréal, cut off from reinforcements and supplies from France, fell to the British.
1774 Britain passed the Québec Act, that officially recognised French civil law and granted religious freedom to Roman Catholics. Britain assumed full control of the North Atlantic provinces: Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.
1858 British Columbia became a Crown Colony.
1862 The British withdrew troops from Canada.
1867 Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick joined together under the terms of the British North America Act to become the Dominion of Canada. These four territories became provinces with their own governments, law making bodies and lieutenant governors.
1870 Manitoba joined the Dominion, followed by British Columbia and Prince Edward Island. Hudson Bay became part of Canada and was renamed the Northwest Territories.
1898 The territory of Yukon was carved out of the Northwest Territories and entered the Dominion. The Territories, unlike the provinces that existed within their own right, were subject to federal legislative power. The federal government had the right to intrude in administrative and social affairs.
1905 Alberta and Saskatchewan became provinces of Canada.
1914--18 Canada joined the allies in the First World War.
1931 The Statute of Westminster was passed by the British parliament, granting dominion parliaments the right to reject the laws of British parliament and allowing British dominions, including Canada, complete autonomy. Canada became a free associate of the British Commonwealth of Nations, but had to swear allegiance to the British Crown.
1939–45 Canada joined the allies against Nazi Germany, Italy and Japan in the Second World War.
1949 Newfoundland became Canada's tenth province.
1980 A referendum to make Québec a separate country was rejected by the people of Québec.
1982 The Constitution Act stated that Canada no longer required British approval for new laws.
1995 The Canadian parliament passed a resolution recognising Québec as a distinct society within Canada. A referendum in Québec produced another 'no' vote for independence.
1999 Nunavut, created out of part of the Northwest Territories, became Canada's third territory.
2000 Jean Chrétien called snap elections, in which the Liberal Party of Canada (LPC) took 40.8 per cent of the vote, winning 172 seats.
2001 Québec's premier, Lucien Bouchard, resigned. Bernard Landry took over the post. Canada became the first country to legalise cannabis for people suffering from chronic medical conditions and terminal illnesses.
2002 Jean Chrétien announced that he would not seek a fourth term but would remain in office until 2004.
2003 Toronto was seriously hit by an outbreak of the flu-like Sars virus. A power blackout – the biggest in North American history – hit Toronto, Ottawa and other parts of Ontario, as well as cities in the north-eastern US. Paul Martin took over as prime minister after Jean Chrétien's retirement.
2004 The ruling LPC won the 28 June parliamentary elections, but lost its majority.
2005 On 19 May, Paul Martin's government won a vote-of-confidence in the House
of Commons.
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