Canada

Introduction

This paper is about Canada, because it is a big country with a beautiful history and a great landscape. Canada occupies most of North America.
In this paper I will talk about:
The history of Canada
The strange animals of Canada
A few facts about Canada

History

In the beginning

In 1497 an Italian seafarer explored the Atlantic coast of Canada. In 1543 Jacques Cartier explored the land of Canada. The French explorer Samuel de Champlain arrived in 1603 and established the first permanent European settlement at Port Royal in 1605 and in 1608 in Quebec City. The English established fishing outposts in Newfoundland around 1610.

The independency

Because Britain still controlled Canada, Canada was brought in 1914 automatically into the World War 1. Canada had a small regular army, if they wanted to join the fight in Europe they had to build up a bigger army. The military men and three thousand women, as military nurse, went to Britain for the fight. In 1919 Canada joined the League of Nations independently of Britain and in 1931 Canada became independent.

A Great Depression brought economic hardship over Canada. In a response the leader of Canada decided to send soldiers to Britain. The first Canadian army units arrived in Britain in December 1939. The Canadian troops played important roles in failed battles in 1942. In 1945, during the war, Canada became one of the founding members of the United Nations.

Strange animals

In Canada are some special animals threatened with extinction. Like: the lynx and the puma.

The lynx

The lynx looks like a big cat. Some lynxes are about six times the size of a large house cat and stand about thigh-high to an adult human. The Canadian Lynx is smaller than the Eurasian, it is plus minus half the size. Its fur is usually white tipped, giving it a frosted appearance, and is spotted. The coat colour ranges from a brown to gray. They have a black tuft on their ears, and long legs with a short tail. Their large feet are covered in fur, which act like snowshoes. The tail of the Lynx looks as it was dipped in an inkwell being black all the way around. A North American male can weigh between 25 and 35 pounds [10-15 kg], and a female between 15 and 20 pounds [5-10 kg]. They are about half the size of their European cousin. Some of these wild cats can grow to 40 inches [100 cm] in length. Its face is broader and shorter than those of most cats. In winter the North American lynx grows a coat of soft fur about four inches [10 cm] thick, and it is usually light gray with darker-gray markings on its face. The lynx also has a stumpy black-tipped tail, which is about four inches [10 cm] long. You will notice large triangular-shaped ears that are tipped with tufts of black hair. These act like a antenna, as they help localize the sounds made by small preys. A well-fed lynx may live up to 15 years and in captivity up to 21 jeers. It is a great hunter, it eats mice, ducks, beavers, and squirrels. Reports have documented that some lynx have even killed deer, earning them the reputation of being fierce and aggressive hunters. When a female lynx is ready to breed, she will signal this by her scent markings and caterwauling. After mating, she will produce a litter of about four kittens and, on rare occasions, up to seven when the food supply is plentiful. Interestingly, when food is scarce, litters are smaller. Guided by nature, the lynx will avoid areas where there has been human activity. How rare this cat is? The International Species Information Service lists counts 70 worldwide, with 34 being in the U.S.

The puma

The puma is a feline animal that lives in America. Because of its plain, tawny colour, the puma may remind you of a lion. In Canada, the puma has been driven from most of its former range, and the main population is now found in south-western British Columbia, where they are counted to the number of 3,500-5,000. As in Canada, the puma was essentially eliminated from most of the eastern US within 200 years following European colonization. The front part of its head, though, is not as rectangular as that of its African cousin. Rather, the puma's head is round and small and is topped by round and small ears. From the side, its head looks bullet streamlined and long. It looks at you with large green eyes. A patch of white fur around its mouth gives the impression that it has put its snout in a bowl of milk and forgot to wipe its mouth. Its body, lithe and lean, may measure five feet [1.5 m] or more, not counting the thick, dark-tipped tail. In the wild pumas live 15 to 18 years. In captivity they can live up to 25 to 30 years.
The all-American cat, though, is not only hard to spot but hard to define as well. The puma, according toThe Guinness Book of Animal Records, "The puma has more names than any other mammal in the world." Besides the 40-odd names known in English, "it also has at least 18 native South American names and a further 25 native North American names." Legislation protecting the puma, or cougar, in the western United States has not only boosted the puma population but led to an increase in collisions between pumas and humans. The cause is obvious: A growing number of people are settling at the edge of the wilderness in puma country causing a public safety problem. Even so, puma attacks are still rare.
Researchers have documented 65 puma attacks on humans in the United States and Canada since 1890 that comes down to about 3 attacks every five years. Of those 65, perhaps 10 attacks were fatal. By comparison, in the United States alone, about 40 people a year die of bee stings.


A few facts

• Canada is on 45°24′N 75°40′W
• Capital: Ottawa
• Area: 9,984670 km2 / 8.92 % water
• Population: 2010 estimate : 34.130.000
• Languages: English and French
• Density 3.41/km2
• Anthem: "O Canada"
• Royal anthem: "God Save the Queen"
• Motto: A Mari Usque Ad Mare (Latin) "From Sea to Sea"