Prehistoric tribes from Asia came across the Bering Strait; and around AD 1000, the Vikings, the first European visitors, had tried to settle in northern Newfound -land. In 1663 Canada became a province of France. The British founded the Hudson's Bay Company in 1670. In 1745, British troops captured a French fort in Nova Scotia - the struggle for control of the new land was on. At the Treaty of Paris in 1763, France handed Canada over to Britain. In the years after WWII, Canada experienced a huge wave of European immigration, with a further influx of Asians, Arabs, Indians, Italians, Hispanics and Caribbean’s arriving in the 1960s. The post-war era was a period of economic expansion and prosperity. In 1967 Canada celebrated its 100th anniversary. English and French are the country's two official languages.

Canada is the world's second largest country (Russia is the largest). It extends some 7700km east to west and 4600km north to south. Nearly 90% of Canadians huddle along the 6379km southern border with the USA. Though much of the land is lake and river-filled forest, there are mountains, plains and even a small desert.

The Canadian Shield, an ancient, rocky and glacially sanded region, formed more than 2.5 billion years ago, covers most of the north of the country. The Arctic region, in the far north, is where you'll find frozen tundra merging into islands that are ice-bound for most of the year.

Canada's greatest attribute is its natural environment. Canada comprises eight vegetation zones, most of which are dominated by forest. Endemic animals include the grizzly, black, brown and polar bears, beaver, buffalo, wolf, coyote, lynx, cougar, deer, caribou, elk and moose. There are also 500 species of birds, such as the great blue heron, Canada geese and many varieties of duck. Moves are afoot to ensure protection for endangered species like the beluga whale, burrowing owl, whooping crane and eastern wolf. Canada has 13 areas of such natural significance that they are on the UN World Heritage list.