By total area, Canada is the world’s second-largest country after Russia which occupies most of the northern portion of continental North America and is the only country in the north that shares land borders with the United States. It is among many bilingual and multicultural countries, having both English and French as official languages at the federal level.
Canada is home to many of the world’s extremes. It is one of the world’s wealthiest nations. It has a population density which is among the lowest in the world (3.5 people per square kilometer.) It also has more lakes than any other country in the world and has a large amount of the world’s freshwater. The world’s largest estuary, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence is located in eastern Canada. The Bay of Fundy located between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia is known for having the greatest difference in water level between its high and low tides in the world. The Horseshoe Falls in Ontario is the largest component of the Niagara Falls which is one of the world’s most voluminous waterfalls. Canada is also home to one of the most extreme cold climates in the world, where temperature can drop below -40 degrees Celsius (-40 degrees Fahrenheit) with sever wind chills.
Canadian culture is a mixture of British, French and Aboriginal cultures and traditions. In addition, because of its proximity to the United States, American culture has also influenced the Canadian culture deeply. The vastness of the region makes it an ethnically diverse country where cultural variations and distinctions from province to province exist. Recently, the number of immigrants from all over the world has had great influences to the Canadian culture, which is subsequently regarded by most Canadians as being inherently multicultural.