CANADA

Location:
Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous US.

Area:
9,984,670 sq km

Neighbouring countries:
US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska) note: Canada is the World's largest country that borders only one country.

Coastline:
202,080 km

Climate:
varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north.

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m, highest point: Mount Logan 5,959 m

Population:
34,030,589 (July 2011 est.)

Ethnic groups:
British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%, Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed background 26%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 42.6%, Protestant 23.3% (including United Church 9.5%, Anglican 6.8%, Baptist 2.4%, Lutheran 2%), other Christian 4.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other and unspecified 11.8%, none 16% (2001 census)

Languages:
English (official) 58.8%, French (official) 21.6%, other 19.6% (2006 Census)

Natural hazards:
Continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle to development; cyclonic storms form east of the Rocky Mountains, a result of the mixing of air masses from the Arctic, Pacific, and North American interior, and produce most of the country's rain and snow east of the mountains.

Getting to Canada
You are likely to arrive to Canada by air, most likely into Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary or Vancouver (the 5 largest cities, from East to West). Many other cities have international airports as well, with the following being of particular use to visitors: Halifax, St. John's, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Kelowna, and Victoria. You might also enter the country by road from the United States through one of several border crossing points. When driving within Montreal, Vancouver or Toronto keep in mind that these cities are densely populated and parking can be difficult to find and/or expensive. All three cities provide extensive public transit, so it is easy to park in a central location, or at your hotel or lodging, and still travel in the metropolitan area.

Visas:
Citizens of following countries do not need a visa to visit Canada for a stay of (generally) up to six months provided that no work is undertaken: Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bermuda, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Falkland Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Holy See, Hong Kong (BNO Passport or SAR Passport), Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel (National Passport holders only), Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania (biometric passports only), Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montserrat, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Poland (biometric passports only), Portugal, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Spain, St. Helena, Swaziland, Sweden, Slovenia, Switzerland, Taiwan (must be ordinary passport including personal identification number), Turks and Caicos Islands, United Kingdom (including British (Overseas) Citizens that are re-admissible to the United Kingdom), United States, and Western Samoa.

All others will be required to obtain a Temporary Resident Visa to enter the country. This can be done at the applicants' nearest Canadian Visa Office.

Free Import:
• Personal baggage
• Gifts
• Alcohol and tobacco: 1.5 litres (53 imperial ounces) of wine; or a total of 1.14 litres (40 ounces) of alcoholic beverages; or up to 8.5 litres of beer or ale 200 cigarettes; or 50 cigars; or 200 grams (7 ounces) of manufactured tobacco; or 200 tobacco sticks.

Prohibited items:
• Food products, plants, animals and related products
• Used or second-hand mattresses
• Health products (prescription drugs)
• Cultural property

Wearing apparel, jewelry, toiletries, fishing equipment, cameras, portable radios, and similar personal effects are exempt from duty if: they are for personal use; they belong to you; and they accompany you into and out of Canada.

Time:
UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time), daylight saving time +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November. Note: Canada is divided into six time zones

Currency:
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies.

Credit cards
Major credit cards are almost universally accepted. In fact, it’s almost impossible to rent a car or make phone reservations without one (though some airlines require your credit card billing address to be in Canada – a hassle if you’re booking domestic flights once here). It’s highly recommended that you carry at least one credit card; Visa and MasterCard are the most widely accepted. Carry copies of your credit card numbers separately. If your credit cards are lost or stolen, contact the company immediately.

Medical facilities and health information:
The level of public health and sanitation in Canada is high. Canada’s medical care is of a high standard but is government-controlled and rationed. Quick and easy access to ongoing medical care is difficult for temporary visitors who are not members of each province’s government-run health care plans. Many physicians will not take new patients. Access to a specialist is only by referral and may take months to obtain. Emergency room waits can be very long. Some health care professionals in the province of Quebec may speak only French. No Canadian health care provider accepts U.S. domestic health insurance and Medicare coverage does not extend outside the United States. Visitors who seek any medical attention in Canada should be prepared to pay cash in full at the time the service is rendered. Traveler’s medical insurance is highly recommended even for brief visits.

Food and restaurants :
Food in Canada can be as diverse as the country is large. It is however very hard to avoid the myriad of chain-operated fast food venues that can be found on virtually every street corner. Naturally enough, Canadian staples of fried chicken, hamburgers, pizza and hot dogs are all well represented and there is an increasing trend towards healthier sandwich shops. Restaurants often follow with similar offerings though usually cooked to a higher standard. Of course, there are many high quality restaurants within Canada as well, particularly in the larger cities.

Many visitors to Canada are baffled by the strict adherence to tipping protocol. Not tipping appropriately is seen as either very poor manners or an expression of disgust at the service offered. Tipping percentage usually ranges from 10% to 20% of the total bill, with 15% being a relatively average tipping amount. In some cases, particularly with larger parties (say 8 or more), a 15% tip could already be added on to the bill. You should always review the bill to ensure this isn't the case before adding your own tip. It is not necessary to tip in fast food restaurants.

Electricity:
Electricity in Canada is 120 Volts, alternating at 60 cycles per second. If you travel to Canada with a device that does not accept 120 Volts at 60 Hertz, you will need a voltage converter

Fixed public holidays:
In addition to most western holidays (Christmas, New Year's, Good Friday, Easter, Labour Day), Canada has the following national holidays that aren't celebrated elsewhere:

• Canada Day — July 1
• Victoria Day — Last Monday in May before May 24
• Thanksgiving — Second Monday in October (the same day as the US holiday of Columbus Day)
• Remembrance Day — November 11 (the same date celebrated as Armistice Day in many European countries and Veterans Day in the US)

Note also that Canada's Labour Day is not celebrated on May 1, as in much of the world, but on the first Monday in September—the same day as the US celebrates its Labor Day.

Transportation in the country by air:
The best way to get around the country is by air. Air Canada is the main national carrier, and has by far the largest network and most frequent schedules. Most major airports are served by public transit.

Transportation in the country by rail:
Passenger rail service in Canada, although very safe and comfortable, is often an expensive and inconvenient alternative to other types of transport. The corridor between Windsor and Quebec City is a bit of an exception to this generalization. Make arrangements ahead of time to get lower fares. VIA Rail is the main Canadian passenger rail company.

Motoring and car hire:
Of course, many people choose to rent a car. Although somewhat expensive if you are travelling alone, this can be an economically reasonable alternative if you are sharing the costs with others. In Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, public transit is a strongly recommended alternative to driving.

Getting around by bus:
Travel by intercity coach is available between most major cities in Canada. Service is best in the densely packed Windsor - Quebec City corridor which includes the major cities of Toronto and Montreal as well as the national capital, Ottawa. In Canada, only one company is given a license to run a particular route, as a result there is little to no competition among providers and fares can be unusually high and can be raised without notice. Routes in the prairies can be extremely long, some of them taking several days; as a result, passengers should be sure they will be able to bear sitting in a seat for 48 or more hours with only rare stops for food and toilet breaks.