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Population
34 % of the people who live in Canada are of British or part - British origins.
-- 28 % - French or part - French origins; In Quebec: 78 per cent are French - speaking Canadians; other mostly - French territories: New Brunswick, Ontario
-- The government follows the policy of a bilingual and bicultural nation
-- Altogether, the indigenous people of Canada (people of Canadian origins) are divided into nearly 600 groups or bands; blacks make up less than 2 per cent
-- Nearly 17 % of Canadians were not born in Canada
Religion
-- Roman Catholics (nearly half of the Catholics live in Quebec; most of the French - speaking people are of this confession)
-- Protestants (United Church of Canada ; Anglican Church of Canada)
-- Other Religions (Presbyterian, Lutheran, Babtist,...)
Education
-- Each province is allowed to have its own school system. There is no central ministry of education.
-- Most of the private schools run by church
-- after secondary school:
- university (still predominant; cheaper than other institutions of higher education)
- community colleges (number of these has increased sharply in recent decades)
Health and Welfare
-- Every provincial government has the major responsibility for education and health services in Canada.
-- The federal government gives aid to special groups, such as First nations (indegenous people), veterans and new immigrants.
Legislature and Judicary
-- The Canadian Legislature consists of two houses:
- the Senate (104 members; on the advice of the prime ministre; the members serve until the age of 75)
- the House of Commons (295 members; according to provincial population; members are elected for five years (or until the house is dissolved by popular vote)
-- Laws must be passed by both houses and signed by the governor-general of Canada.
-- The Canadian judicary derived from English common law, except in Quebec, where the law is based on the French Code Napoléon.
Defense:
-- The Canadian armed forces are headed by the chief of the defence staff, who reports to the civilian minister of national defence.
-- Canada is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
-- The Canadian armed forces are split into three major commands:
- the mobil command
- the air command
- the maritime command
-- In 1991 the Canadian armed forces included about 78,000 people.
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