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Vocabulary:
Territory
Density
Constitutional Act
Pluralism
Sovereign
Municipal
Beaver
Zinc
Aluminum
Insulin
Discrimination
Dignity
Elbow
Utensil
Funeral
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Question:
What do you know ab out Canada and its culture?
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General Information of Canada:
Flag:
Anthem: O Canada
God Save the Queen
Capital: Ottawa
Largest City: Toronto
Official Languages: English
French
People: Canadian
Government: Federal parliament democracy and constitutional monarchy
Area: 9,984,670 km2
Population: ≈ 34 million
Currency: Canadian Dollar (CAD)
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Background Overview:
the second largest country in the world (twice the area of the USA) with 6 time zones
occupying most of northern America
bordering the USA, the Pacific Ocean in the west and the Atlantic Ocean in the east
Cultural heritage: British and French
Three major cities: Montreal ([ˌmɔntrɪ'ɔ:l]) – the largest French city outside France
Toronto – major financial and commercial center with office towers
Vancouver – center of Western Canada with the most beautiful
sceneries and highest incomes)
Consisting of 10 provinces (the largest being Quebec, a French-speaking province) and 3
territories
7% of the country's land covered with more than 2 million lakes
Having around 14% of the world's fresh water supply
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Population:
approximately 34 million (by the year 2010)
the growth of immigration > natural growth of Canadian people
the 9th lowest population density in the world
four in five Canadians live close to the Canada-USA border
Ethnic origins: English (21%)
French (15.8%)
Scottish (15.2%)
German (10.2%)
Italian (5%)
Chinese (3.9%)
Ukrainian (3.6%)
…
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Language:
Two official languages: English and French (they have equal status)
English: mother tongue of 59.7% of the Canadian population
French: mother tongue of 23.2% of the Canadian population
Over 85% of the French-speaking Canadians live in Quebec
Other common languages spoken: Chinese, Spanish, Italian, German
(Red regions are English-speaking regions; blue regions are French-speaking; green regions speak other languages.)
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Religion:
The Constitutional Act supports religious pluralism.
77.1% of the population are Christians (all the aqua blue parts in the chart below).
16.5% are atheists/non-religious.
6.3% believe in other religions (e.g. Islam, Judaism, etc.)
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Federal government
Provincial government
Municipal government
Municipal government
Territorial government
Municipal government
Government System:
federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy
one of the Commonwealth countries
the Head of State (sovereign): Queen Elizabeth II (of Britain)
(the Queen's royal duties in Canada is presented by her Governor General)
3-level government system:
policy decision on issues affecting the whole country
deal with education, healthcare,
welfare, etc.
deal with local matters in the
city
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Interesting Facts of Canada:
Official symbols: Maple leaf
Beaver
Canadian horse
The word "Canada" comes from a word "Kanata" in indigenous languages of North
American of, meaning "village".
The country was established on July 1st, 1867.
It is one of the top five producers of natural gases, copper, zinc, aluminum and gold.
National sport: Hockey
These are created/invented by Canadian people:
- Superman (by Joe Shuster)
- Chocolate bar (by Arthur Ganong and George Ensor)
- (by James Naismith in 1891 in Montreal, Quebec) Basketball
- Insulin (by Fredrick Banting, awarded the Nobel Prize)
Canadian horse Beaver
Hockey
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Cultural Characteristics:
influenced by the European culture and traditions (especially British and French)
a country composed of immigrants with cultural diversity
Multiculturalism: the Constitution Act prohibits discrimination against individual citizens
on the basis of race, color, religion and sex
Canadian people:
show respect for all cultures coming to Canada
accept immigrants from all over the world
respect the dignity of every individual citizen regardless of social status
accept different languages
respect the country's land, government and national heroes
(celebrities)
reject the need to carry guns for self-protection
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Social Norms:
1. Communication:
Shake hand firmly with good eye contact when meeting or departing new friends or in
formal occasions.
Remove sunglasses or hat when speaking with someone.
Leave one or two feet of space between yourself and other people, and limit your body
movement and touching to the minimal amount (other than handshakes)
Don't speak with your hands in your pockets (especially in Quebec).
Don't give the "thumbs down" gesture as it is considered offensive.)
Don't point at someone with your index finger.
Note that the "okay" sign means " " rather than "ok" in Quebec. zero
(pics)
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2. Manners & Etiquette:
Be ready to greet and receive greetings from people you don't know with "Hi!" or "How
are you?" when you are on the street.
When you are invited to a Canadian friend's home, don't move around in the house. Stay
in the "guest room" he/she has designated for you.
Recycling and not littering are highly valued.
Stand in a queue/line when waiting for something. First come first serve.
Be on time for a party, but it is acceptable to be 15 minutes late.
It is OK to refuse food politely.
Pay a 15% tip at restaurant.
Eating utensils (forks, spoons, knives, etc.) should be placed on the plate after you finish
eating.
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Don't speak in a foreign language in front of someone who does not understand the
language.
Don't smoke in other people's home or cars unless they allow you to do so.
Bargaining is not a common practice, but you can do so when buying a house, a car or
dealing with a private seller.
Don't present white lilies to friends or acquaintances—these flowers are associated with
funerals!
Don't ever put your elbow on the table when you are eating.
Don't eat while walking in public.
Don't use a toothpick, brush your hair, or clip your fingernails in public.
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Food:
much the same as that in the USA
some common Canadian foods:
Pountine (fries with gravy and cheese curds);
Chicken wings (with sauces);
Pierogies (dumplings with cheese, meat and potato as stuff);
Maple syrup;
Raspberries;
Beaver tails (not a real beaver's tail of course; it's a kind of fried pastry)
Pierogies Beaver tails
Pountine
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Discussion:
Both the Canadian and the American cultures are enriched by immigrants, but they two still
slightly differ from each other. Can you give some examples of the similarities and differences
between the Canadian Culture and the American Culture?