Canada is a country occupying the northern portion of North America, and is the world's second largest country in total area.

Inhabited exclusively for several millennia by aboriginal peoples, Canada was founded as a union of British colonies, some of which had earlier been French colonies. A federal dominion of ten provinces with three territories, Canada peacefully obtained its sovereignty in a process beginning in 1867 from its last colonial possessor, the United Kingdom, and ending in 1982 with the patriation of its constitution from the UK.

Canada is governed as a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy. Canada's official head of state is the British Monarch who is given a unique, Canadian title (Monarchy in Canada). The monarch is in turn represented in Canada by the Governor General. The head of government is the Prime Minister.

Canada defines itself as a bilingual and multicultural nation. Both English and French are official languages of the country. In the early 1970s, Canada began to adopt policies based on the concepts of cultural diversity and multiculturalism. Many Canadians now view this as one of the country's key attributes.

A technologically advanced and industrialized nation, Canada is a net exporter of energy because of its large fossil fuel deposits, nuclear energy generation, and hydroelectric power capacity. Its diversified economy relies heavily on an abundance of natural resources and trade, particularly with the United States, with which Canada has had a long and complex relationship, one which can arguably be defined as the strongest trade partners in history.

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