Canada

1. The Flag and national symbols.

2. Physical Geography.

3. Language in Canada.

4. Religion in Canada.

5. Traditions, customs and public holidays.

1. National symbols of Canada are the symbols that are used in Canada and abroad to represent the country and its people.
Prominently, the use of the maple leaf as a Canadian symbol dates back to the early 18th century, and is depicted on
its currentand previous flags, the penny, and on the coat of arms (or royal arms).
The Crown symbolizes the Canadian monarchy, and appears on the coat of arms (used by parliamentarians and government
ministries), the flag of the Governor General, the coats of arms of many provinces and territories; the badges of several federal
departments, the Canadian Forces, Royal Military College of Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), many
regiments, and other police forces; on buildings, as well as some highway signs and licence plates. Also, the Queen's image
appears in Canadian government buildings, military installations and schools; and on Canadian stamps, $20 bank notes, and all
coins.
The flag of Canada, often referred to as the Canadian flag, or unofficially as the Maple Leaf and l'Unifolié (French for "the
one-leafed"), is a national flag consisting of a red field with a white square at its centre in the ratio of 1:2:1, in the middle of
which is featured a stylized, red, 11-pointed maple leaf charged in the centre.[1] It is the first specified by law for use as the
country's national flag.
In 1964, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson formed a committee to resolve the ongoing issue of the lack of an official Canadian
flag, sparking a serious debate about a flag change to replace the Union Flag. Out of three choices, the maple leaf design
by George Stanley,[2] based on the flag of the Royal Military College of Canada, was selected. The flag made its first official
appearance on February 15, 1965; the date is now celebrated annually as National Flag of Canada Day.
The Canadian Red Ensign was unofficially used since the 1890s and approved by a 1945 Order in Council for use "wherever
place or occasion may make it desirable to fly a distinctive Canadian flag".[3][4] Also, the Royal Union Flag remains an official
flag in Canada. There is no law dictating how the national flag is to be treated. There are, however, conventions and protocols to
guide how it is to be displayed and its place in the order of precedence of flags, which gives it primacy over the aforementioned
and most other flags.
Many different flags created for use by Canadian officials, government bodies, and military forces contain the maple leaf motif
in some fashion, either by having the Canadian flag charged in the canton, or by including maple leaves in the design.
2. The geography of Canada describes the geographic features of Canada, the world's second largest country in total area.
Situated in northern North America (constituting 41% of the continent's area), Canada spans a vast, diverse territory between
the North Pacific Ocean to the west and the North Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Arctic Ocean to the north (hence the
country's motto "From sea to sea"), with the United States to the south (contiguous United States) and northwest
(Alaska). Greenland is to the northeast; off the southern coast of Newfoundland lies Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, an overseas
collectivity of France. Since 1925, Canada has claimed the portion of the Arctic between 60°W and 141°W longitude to
the North Pole; however, this claim is contested.[1] While the magnetic North Pole lies within the Canadian Arctic territorial
claim as of 2011, recent measurements indicate it is moving towards Siberia.[2]
Covering 9,984,670 km2 or 3,855,100 sq mi (land: 9,093,507 km2 or 3,511,023 sq mi; freshwater: 891,163 km2 or
344,080 sq mi), Canada is slightly less than three-fifths as large as Russia and slightly smaller than Europe. In total area, Canada
is slightly larger than both the U.S. and China; however, Canada ranks fourth in land area (i.e. total area minus the area of lakes
and rivers)—China is 9,326,410 km2 (3,600,950 sq mi) and the U.S. is 9,161,923 km2(3,537,438 sq mi)[3]
The population of Canada, some 35,749,600 as of April 2015, is concentrated in the south in proximity to its border with the
contiguous U.S.; with a population density of 3.5 people per square kilometre (9.1/sq mi), it is one of the most sparsely
populated countries in the world. The northernmost settlement in Canada—and in the world—is Canadian Forces Station (CFS)
Alert (just north of Alert, Nunavut) on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island at 82°30′N 62°19′W, just 834 kilometres (518 mi)
from the North Pole.
3. A multitude of languages are used in Canada. According to the 2011 census, English and French are the mother tongues of
56.9% and 21.3% of Canadians respectively.[4] In total 85.6% of Canadians have working knowledge of English while 30.1%
have a working knowledge of French.[5] Under the Official Languages Act of 1969, both English and French have official federal
status throughout Canada, in respect of all government services, including the courts, and all federal legislation is enacted
bilingually. New Brunswick is the only Canadian province that has both English and French as its official languages to the same
extent, with constitutional entrenchment. Quebec's official language is French,[6] although, in that province, the Constitution
requires that all legislation be enacted in both French and English, and court proceedings may be conducted in either language.
Similar constitutional protections are in place in Manitoba.
Many Canadians believe that the relationship between the English and French languages is the central or defining aspect of the
Canadian experience.[citation needed] Canada's Official Languages Commissioner (the federal government official charged with
monitoring the two languages) has stated, "[I]n the same way that race is at the core of what it means to be American and at the
core of an American experience and class is at the core of British experience, I think that language is at the core of Canadian
experience."[7]
To assist in more accurately monitoring the two official languages, Canada's census collects a number of demolinguistic
descriptors not enumerated in the censuses of most other countries, including home language, mother tongue, first official
language and language of work.
Canada's linguistic diversity extends beyond the two official languages. "In Canada, 4.7 million people (14.2% of the
population) reported speaking a language other than English or French most often at home and 1.9 million people (5.8%)
reported speaking such a language on a regular basis as a second language (in addition to their main home language, English or
French). In all, 20.0% of Canada's population reported speaking a language other than English or French at home. For roughly
6.4 million people, the other language was an immigrant language, spoken most often or on a regular basis at home, alone or
together with English or French whereas for more than 213,000 people, the other language was an Aboriginal language. Finally,
the number of people reporting sign languages as the languages spoken at home was nearly 25,000 people (15,000 most often
and 9,800 on a regular basis)."[nb 2]
Canada is also home to many indigenous languages. Taken together, these are spoken by less than one percent of the population.
About 0.6% Canadians (or 200,725 people) report an Indigenous language as their mother tongue.
4. Religion in Canada encompasses a wide range of groups and beliefs.[3]
Christianity is the largest religion in Canada, with the Roman Catholics having the most adherents. Christians, representing
67.3% of the population, are followed by people having no religion with 23.9%[1] of the total population. Islam is the second
largest religion in Canada, practised by 3.2% of the population.[4] Rates of religious adherence are steadily decreasing.[5]
[6]
 The preamble to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms refers to God and the monarch carries the title of "Defender of
the Faith". However, Canada has no official religion, and support for religious pluralism and freedom of religion is an important
part of Canada's political culture.
Before the European colonization Aboriginal religions were largely animistic, including an intense reverence for spirits and
nature.[9] The French colonization beginning in the 17th century established a Roman Catholic francophone population
in Acadia and in New Francelater Lower Canada, now Nova Scotia and Quebec. It has been followed by a British
colonization that brought Anglicans and other Protestants to Upper Canada, now Ontario.
With Christianity in decline after having once been central and integral to Canadian culture and daily life,[10] Canada has become
a post-Christian, secular state[11][12][13] despite the majority of Canadians claiming an affiliation with Christianity.[14] The majority
of Canadians consider religion to be unimportant in their daily lives,[15] but still believe in God.[16] The practice of religion is now
generally considered a private matter throughout society and the state.

5. Canada is known worldwide as a multicultural country with a vast range of cultural influences that create its distinct range of
customs and traditions. Proud for their unique identity, Canadians stick out like a thumb in any country they visit, as they take
pride in being citizens of the world's 2nd largest country in terms of total area. Canadians are predominantly tolerant, polite, and
extremely conservative. They're very community-oriented and though most social gatherings take place in private spaces such as
homes and restaurants, they instill the sense of giving back to the community.Public humility is highly valued and visible signs
of excess consumption and massive residences are not common.Their constitution is also progressive, making same-sex
marriage legal, eliminating capital punishment, their publicly funded health care, strict gun controls, and their strong efforts to
vanish poverty. Canadian culture is heavily influenced by its conquerors - the French and the British. Add these influences with
the country's indigenous cultures, and you've got the distinct Canadian identity. Common traditions and etiquette include:

Handshaking as the most common form of greeting - with a strong grip and eye contact;

Leaving footwear inside the entrance when you enter someone's home;

Giving flowers, the best quality wine, and chocolates when invited to someone's dinner party;

Giving someone his/her personal space in a conversation, avoiding touching as much as possible;

Using appropriate titles or last names when addressing a person - use the first name only when invited, as first names tend to be
used by family and close friends.

Canada has every kind of festival for everyone. Public holidays in Canada, known as "statutory holidays", "stat holidays", or
simply "stats", are legislated at the federal, provincial and territorial levels. Many of these holidays are observed nationwide, but
each province and territory in Canada has its own holidays as well.While major Christian holidays such as Christmas and Good
Friday are officially observed,[1] leave is permitted for other religious holidays as well. For example, some school children and
employees take days off for Jewish holidays, Muslim holidays, or Eastern Orthodox observances according to the Julian
calendar. While not normally taken off work, Valentine's Day, Saint Patrick's Day, Halloween, Mother's Day, and Father's
Day are traditionally observed by Canadians. The Celebrate Canada series is a collection of important cultural days beginning
with National Aboriginal Day on June 21, and followed by St-Jean Baptiste Day on June 24, Canadian Multiculturalism Day on
June 27, and concluding with Canada Day on July 1.Currently, the provinces of Alberta and Prince Edward Island have the most
days off of any other provinces and territories, with 12 days off. Visited by millions of people each year, the top 4 festivals
are:Winterlude in Ottawa - A celebration of everything winter, this winter festival boasts of the largest skating rink in the world
and accommodates over 1.6 million visitors a year with its vast range of entertainment and educational offerings for the entire
family.Celebration of Light in Vancouver - A musical fireworks competition with some of the world's best international
competitors with an annual visitor number of over 1 million.Just for Laughs in Montreal - The biggest international comedy
festival in the world that attracts almost 2 million tourists a year.Pride Toronto - One of the biggest gay pride parades in the
world, this is a festival that celebrates the LGBT world community.

Australia
1. The Flag and national symbols.

2. Physical Geography.

3. Language in Canada.

4. Religion in Canada.

5. Traditions, customs and public holidays.

1. The flag of Australia is a defaced Blue Ensign: a blue field with the Union Jack in the canton (upper hoist
quarter), and a large white seven-pointed star known as the Commonwealth Star in the lower hoist quarter.
The fly contains a representation of the Southern Cross constellation, made up of five white stars – one small five-
pointed star and four, larger, seven-pointed stars. There are other official flags representing Australia, its people and
core functions of government.
The flag's original design (with a six-pointed Commonwealth Star) was chosen in 1901 from entries in a competition
held following Federation, and was first flown in Melbourne on 3 September 1901,[2] the date proclaimed
as Australian National Flag Day.[3] A slightly different design was approved by King Edward VII in 1903. The seven-
pointed commonwealth star version was introduced by a proclamation dated 23 February 1908.[4] The dimensions
were formally gazetted in 1934,[5] and in 1954 the flag became recognised by, and legally defined in, the Flags Act
1953, as the "Australian National Flag".
National Colours
Australia's national colours are green and gold, the colours of its national floral emblem, the Golden Wattle.
The Coat of Arms
The Australian coat of arms consists of a shield containing the badges of the six Australian states symbolising federation, and
the national symbols of the Golden Wattle, the kangaroo and the emu. By popular tradition, the kangaroo is accepted as the
national animal emblem. The Golden Wattle was proclaimed the national floral emblem in August 1988.
National Anthem
Advance Australia Fair has been Australia's official national anthem since 19 April 1984.
Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young and free;
We've golden soil and wealth for toil;
Our home is girt by sea;
Our land abounds in nature's gifts
Of beauty rich and rare;
In history's page, let every stage
Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.
Beneath our radiant Southern Cross
We'll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who've come across the seas
We've boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing, Advance Australia Fair.
National Day
Australia Day is celebrated each year on 26 January. The date is the anniversary of the unfurling of the British flag at Sydney
Cove in 1788.
National Holidays
Australia has 12 public holidays a year, including New Year's Day, Australia Day and Anzac Day.
2. The geography of Australia encompasses a wide variety of biogeographic regions being the world's smallest continent but the
sixth-largest country in the world. The population of Australia is concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts. The
geography of the country is extremely diverse, ranging from the snow-capped mountains of the Australian Alps and Tasmania to
large deserts, tropical and temperate forests.
Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea to the north, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and
the French dependency of New Caledonia to the east, and New Zealand to the southeast.
Australia is a country, a continent and an island. It is located in Oceania between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean.
It is the sixth largest country in the world with a total area of 7,686,850 square kilometres (2,967,910 sq mi) (including Lord
Howe Island and Macquarie Island), making it slightly smaller than the 48 states of the contiguous United States and 31.5 times
larger than the United Kingdom.
The Australian mainland has a total coastline length of 35,877 km (22,293 mi) with an additional 23,859 km (14,825 mi) of
island coastlines.[1] There are 758 estuaries around the country with most located in the tropical and sub-tropical zones.
[2]
 Australia claims an extensive Exclusive Economic Zone of 8,148,250 square kilometres (3,146,057 sq. mi). This exclusive
economic zone does not include the Australian Antarctic Territory.
Australia has the largest area of ocean jurisdiction of any country on earth.[3] It has no land borders. The northernmost points of
the country are the Cape York Peninsula of Queensland and the Top End of the Northern Territory. The western half of Australia
consists of the Western Plateau, which rises to mountain heights near the west coast and falls to lower elevations near the
continental centre. The Western Plateau region is generally flat, though broken by various mountain ranges such as
the Hamersley Range, the MacDonnell Ranges, and the Musgrave Range. Surface water is generally lacking in the Western
Plateau, although there are several larger rivers in the west and north, such as the Murchison, Ashburton, and Victoria river.
The Eastern Highlands, or Great Dividing Range, lie near the eastern coast of Australia, separating the relatively narrow eastern
coastal plain from the rest of the continent. These Eastern Australian temperate forests have the greatest relief, the most rainfall,
the most abundant and varied flora and fauna, and the densest human settlement.
Between the Eastern Highlands and the Western Plateau, lie the Central Lowlands, which are made up of the Great Artesian
Basin and Australia's largest river systems, Murray-Darling Basin and Lake Eyre Basin.
Off the eastern coast of Australia is the world's largest coral reef complex, the Great Barrier Reef. The State of Tasmania, a large
and mountainous island, resides in the south-eastern corner of Australia.
3. Although Australia has no official languages, English has always been entrenched as the de facto national language.
[1]
Australian English is a major variety of the language with a distinctive accent and lexicon,[2] and differs slightly from other
varieties of English in grammar and spelling.[3] General Australian serves as the standard dialect.
According to the 2016 census, English is the only language spoken in the home for close to 70% of the population. The next
most common languages spoken at home are:[4] Mandarin (2.5%), Arabic (1.4%), Cantonese (1.2%), Vietnamese (1.2%)
and Italian (1.2%).
A considerable proportion of first- and second-generation migrants are bilingual.
Over 250 Indigenous Australian languages are thought to have existed at the time of first European contact, of which less than
20 are still in daily use by all age groups.[5][6] About 110 others are spoken exclusively by older people.[6] At the time of the 2006
census, 52,000 Indigenous Australians, representing 12% of the Indigenous population, reported that they spoke an Indigenous
language at home.[7] Australia has a sign language known as Auslan, which is the main language of about 5,500 deaf people.
4. Religion in Australia is diverse. Section 116 of the Constitution of Australia of 1901 prohibits the Commonwealth
government from establishing a church or interfering with the freedom of religion.[note 1] While Australia is a historically
largely Protestant country, the percentage of those prescribing to Protestant denominations has decreased in recent decades.[3][4]
[5]
 In an optional question on the 2016 Census, 52.1% of the Australian population declared some variety of Christianity.
Historically the percentage was far higher; now, the religious landscape of Australia is changing and diversifying.[1] In 2016,
30.1% of Australians stated "no religion" and a further 9.6% chose not to answer the question.[1] Other faiths
include Muslims (2.6%), Buddhists (2.4%), Hindus (1.9%), Sikhs (0.5%), and Jews (0.4%).[1]
Australia's Aboriginal people developed the animist spirituality of the Dreaming and some of the earliest evidence on earth for
religious practices among humans has been found in the archaeological record of their ancestors. Torres Strait Islander religion
bore similarities to broader Melanesian spirituality. The general isolation of indigenous Australian religion ended with the arrival
of the first British settlers in 1788, whereafter subsequent immigrants and their descendants have been predominantly Christian.
While the Church of England originally held a position of privilege in early colonial Australia, a legal framework guaranteeing
religious equality evolved within a few decades.[6] While Australia does not have an official state religion, Protestant Australians
have historically retained overwhelming social and even legal prestige in the country.[7] Large numbers of Irish Catholics were
transported to Australia through the criminal justice system.[8] British Nonconformist Methodist, Presbyterians,
Congregationalists and Baptists set up their own churches in the 19th century, as did Lutherans from Germany.[9][10]
Smaller groups also arrived and established their churches. Jews started arriving in the early 19th century. The Australian gold
rushesbrought in Workers from China and the Pacific islands, as well as specialised workers from British India, such as the
mainly Muslim "Afghan Cameleers".
While Australia has a strong tradition of secular government, religious organisations have played a significant role in public life.
The Protestant and Catholic churches played an integral role in the development of education, health and welfare services.[11][12]
Today, around a quarter of Christians attend church weekly; around a quarter of all school students attend church-affiliated
schools.[13]The Christian festivals of Easter and Christmas are public holidays.
5. Even though fully two thirds of the population lives in the capital cities of the states and territories, the romantic image of the
Aussie jackaroo (that's cowboy, to you) persists. That's probably because, despite the isolation of the outback, it still takes up a
staggering 99 percent of the nation [source: DFAT]. This sprawl, and the gigantic cattle and sheep ranches (called stations)--
some as large as the state of Texas -- has allowed Australians to refine their image as rugged stewards of the land
[source: DFAT].

Australians tend to embrace their environment proudly, native or not. Fully one-quarter of the Australian population is foreign-
born, an impressive number compared to the United States' 13 percent [source: ABS]. The history of immigration in the country
has certainly shaped its tradition of playfully denying patriotism and harboring a certain "outlaw" culture and aversion to
authority. Larrikin is an Australian term for a hoodlum, but also refers to a part of the Australian tradition that both reveres
troublemakers and finds humor in the darker parts of life (Larrikinism).

This kind of dark humor is evident even in Australian holidays. Australia Day celebrates the first landing of a ship full of
convicts on the continent -- not exactly a feel-good lesson of Thanksgiving for the kids. It's also a point of contention that the
day doesn't acknowledge the Aboriginal traditions of Australia. Australians usually spend the day casually tending to the
barbecue with friends.

ANZAC Day (April 25) in Australia is a more solemn occasion. It commemorates the landing of the Australian and New
Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) on the Gallipoli peninsula in 1915. They fought the Turkish for control of the Dardanelles and
eventually had to withdraw after heavy losses. Australians use the anniversary as a memorial day for the armed forces in general,
and dawn services honor their fallen.

Aboriginal and contemporary Australian cultures share an understanding of the importance of plant and animal life to the nation.
Australia has about 1 million native species, compared to the United States' measly 21,715 [source: DFAT, Osborne]. In 1994, a
Wollemi Pine was found that is believed to be one of a species that existed at the time of dinosaurs and has been around for 65
million years [source: DFAT]. Of course, it's the native kangaroos, eucalyptus and acacia trees, dingoes and koalas that have
become national symbols for Australia.

Wandering in the outback and through the flora and fauna has no doubt made you hungry. Let's go to the next page, where you'll
find some native Australian food and a tall, frosty beer.