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Background:
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A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the British crown. Economically and technologically the nation has developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across an unfortified border. Canada faces the political challenges of meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care and education services, as well as responding to separatist concerns in predominantly francophone Quebec. Canada also aims to develop its diverse energy resources while maintaining its commitment to the environment. |
Location:
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Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous US |
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Geographic coordinates:
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60 00 N, 95 00 W |
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Map references:
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North America |
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Area:
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total: 9,984,670 sq km
land: 9,093,507 sq km
water: 891,163 sq km |
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Area – comparative:
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somewhat larger than the US |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 8,893 km
border countries: US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska) |
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Coastline:
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202,080 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
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Climate:
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varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north |
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Terrain:
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mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Logan 5,959 m |
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Natural resources:
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iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land: 4.57%
permanent crops: 0.65%
other: 94.78% (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
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7,850 sq km (2003) |
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Total renewable water resources:
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3,300 cu km (1985) |
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 44.72 cu km/yr (20%/69%/12%)
per capita: 1,386 cu m/yr (1996) |
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Natural hazards:
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continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle to development; cyclonic storms form east of the Rocky Mountains, a result of the mixing of air masses from the Arctic, Pacific, and North American interior, and produce most of the country’s rain and snow east of the mountains |
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Environment – current issues:
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air pollution and resulting acid rain severely affecting lakes and damaging forests; metal smelting, coal-burning utilities, and vehicle emissions impacting on agricultural and forest productivity; ocean waters becoming contaminated due to agricultural, industrial, mining, and forestry activities |
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Environment – international agreements:
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party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Marine Life Conservation |
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Geography – note:
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second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately 90% of the population is concentrated within 160 km of the US border |
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Population:
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33,390,141 (July 2007 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 17.3% (male 2,967,383/female 2,824,189)
15-64 years: 69.2% (male 11,604,723/female 11,490,839)
65 years and over: 13.5% (male 1,927,035/female 2,575,972) (2007 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 39.1 years
male: 38.1 years
female: 40.2 years (2007 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.869% (2007 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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10.75 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Death rate:
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7.86 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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5.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.051 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.748 male(s)/female
total population: 0.977 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 4.63 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.08 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 80.34 years
male: 76.98 years
female: 83.86 years (2007 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.61 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate:
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0.3% (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS – people living with HIV/AIDS:
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56,000 (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS – deaths:
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1,500 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Canadian(s)
adjective: Canadian |
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Ethnic groups:
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British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%, Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed background 26% |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 42.6%, Protestant 23.3% (including United Church 9.5%, Anglican 6.8%, Baptist 2.4%, Lutheran 2%), other Christian 4.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other and unspecified 11.8%, none 16% (2001 census) |
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Languages:
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English (official) 59.3%, French (official) 23.2%, other 17.5% |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Canada |
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Government type:
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constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary democracy and a federation |
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Capital:
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name: Ottawa
geographic coordinates: 45 25 N, 75 42 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November
note: Canada is divided into six time zones |
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Administrative divisions:
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10 provinces and 3 territories*; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories*, Nova Scotia, Nunavut*, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory* |
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Independence:
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1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December 1931 (recognized by UK) |
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National holiday:
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Canada Day, 1 July (1867) |
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Constitution:
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made up of unwritten and written acts, customs, judicial decisions, and traditions; the written part of the constitution consists of the Constitution Act of 29 March 1867, which created a federation of four provinces, and the Constitution Act of 17 April 1982, which transferred formal control over the constitution from Britain to Canada, and added a Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as procedures for constitutional amendments |
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Legal system:
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based on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil law system based on French law prevails; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Michaelle JEAN (since 27 September 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Stephen HARPER (since 6 February 2006)
cabinet: Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister usually from among the members of his own party sitting in Parliament
elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister for a five-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition in the House of Commons is automatically designated prime minister by the governor general |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (105 seats; members appointed by the governor general with the advice of the prime minister and serve until reaching 75 years of age) and the House of Commons or Chambre des Communes (308 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms starting in 2009 elections)
elections: House of Commons – last held 23 January 2006 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: House of Commons – percent of vote by party – Conservative Party 36.3%, Liberal Party 30.2%, New Democratic Party 17.5%, Bloc Quebecois 10.5%, Greens 4.5%, other 1%; seats by party – Conservative Party 124, Liberal Party 102, New Democratic Party 29, Bloc Quebecois 51, other 2; seats by party as of November 2007 – Conservative Party 125, Liberal Party 96, New Democratic Party 30, Bloc Quebecois 49, other 4, vacant 4 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court of Canada (judges are appointed by the prime minister through the governor general); Federal Court of Canada; Federal Court of Appeal; Provincial Courts (these are named variously Court of Appeal, Court of Queens Bench, Superior Court, Supreme Court, and Court of Justice) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Bloc Quebecois [Gilles DUCEPPE]; Conservative Party of Canada [Stephen HARPER] (a merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party); Green Party [Elizabeth MAY]; Liberal Party [Stephane DION]; New Democratic Party [Jack LAYTON] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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ACCT, ADB (nonregional members), AfDB, APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CDB, CE (observer), EAPC, EBRD, ESA (cooperating state), FAO, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAFTA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SECI (observer), UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Michael WILSON
chancery: 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
telephone: [1] (202) 682-1740
FAX: [1] (202) 682-7701
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tucson
consulate(s): Anchorage, Houston, Philadelphia, Princeton (New Jersey), Raleigh, San Jose (California) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador David H. WILKINS
embassy: 490 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1G8
mailing address: P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburgh, NY 13669-0430; P.O. Box 866, Station B, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5T1
telephone: [1] (613) 688-5335
FAX: [1] (613) 688-3082
consulate(s) general: Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg |
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Flag description:
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two vertical bands of red (hoist and fly side, half width), with white square between them; an 11-pointed red maple leaf is centered in the white square; the official colors of Canada are red and white |
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Economy – overview:
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As an affluent, high-tech industrial society in the trillion-dollar class, Canada resembles the US in its market-oriented economic system, pattern of production, and affluent living standards. Since World War II, the impressive growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy into one primarily industrial and urban. The 1989 US-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (which includes Mexico) touched off a dramatic increase in trade and economic integration with the US. Given its great natural resources, skilled labor force, and modern capital plant, Canada enjoys solid economic prospects. Top-notch fiscal management has produced consecutive balanced budgets since 1997, although public debate continues over the equitable distribution of federal funds to the Canadian provinces. Exports account for roughly a third of GDP. Canada enjoys a substantial trade surplus with its principal trading partner, the US, which absorbs 80% of Canadian exports each year. Canada is the US’s largest foreign supplier of energy, including oil, gas, uranium, and electric power. During 2007, Canada enjoyed good economic growth, moderate inflation, and the lowest unemployment rate in more than three decades. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$1.274 trillion (2007 est.) |
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$1.406 trillion (2007 est.) |
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GDP – real growth rate:
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2.7% (2007 est.) |
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GDP – per capita (PPP):
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$38,200 (2007 est.) |
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GDP – composition by sector:
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agriculture: 2.1%
industry: 28.8%
services: 69.1% (2007 est.) |
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Labor force:
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17.9 million (2007 est.) |
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Labor force – by occupation:
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agriculture 2%, manufacturing 13%, construction 6%, services 76%, other 3% (2006) |
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Unemployment rate:
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5.9% (2007 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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10.8%; note – this figure is the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO), a calculation that results in higher figures than found in many comparable economies; Canada does not have an official poverty line (2005) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 24.8% (2000) |
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Distribution of family income – Gini index:
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32.1 (2005) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2.4% (2007 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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22% of GDP (2007 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $565.8 billion
expenditures: $551.2 billion (2007 est.) |
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Public debt:
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64% of GDP (2007 est.) |
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Agriculture – products:
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wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy products; forest products; fish |
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Industries:
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transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products, petroleum and natural gas |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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1.6% (2007 est.) |
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Electricity – production:
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609.6 billion kWh (2005) |
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Electricity – consumption:
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540.2 billion kWh (2005) |
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Electricity – exports:
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42.93 billion kWh (2005) |
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Electricity – imports:
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19.33 billion kWh (2005) |
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Oil – production:
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3.092 million bbl/day (2005) |
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Oil – consumption:
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2.29 million bbl/day (2005) |
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Oil – exports:
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2.274 million bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil – imports:
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1.185 million bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil – proved reserves:
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178.8 billion bbl
note: includes oil sands (1 January 2006 est.) |
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Natural gas – production:
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178.2 billion cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas – consumption:
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92.76 billion cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas – exports:
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101.9 billion cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas – imports:
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9.403 billion cu m (2005) |
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Natural gas – proved reserves:
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1.537 trillion cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
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Current account balance:
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$28.46 billion (2007 est.) |
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Exports:
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$440.1 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.) |
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Exports – commodities:
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motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft, telecommunications equipment; chemicals, plastics, fertilizers; wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity, aluminum |
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Exports – partners:
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US 81.6%, UK 2.3%, Japan 2.1% (2006) |
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Imports:
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$394.4 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.) |
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Imports – commodities:
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machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil, chemicals, electricity, durable consumer goods |
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Imports – partners:
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US 54.9%, China 8.7%, Mexico 4% (2006) |
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Economic aid – donor:
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ODA, $3.9 billion (2007) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$39.31 billion (2007 est.) |
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Debt – external:
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$758.6 billion (30 June 2007) |
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Stock of direct foreign investment – at home:
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$398.4 billion (2006 est.) |
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Stock of direct foreign investment – abroad:
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$458.1 billion (2006 est.) |
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Market value of publicly traded shares:
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$1.481 trillion (2005) |
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Currency (code):
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Canadian dollar (CAD) |
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Exchange rates:
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Canadian dollars per US dollar – 1.0724 (2007), 1.1334 (2006), 1.2118 (2005), 1.301 (2004), 1.4011 (2003) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 April – 31 March |
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Airports:
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1,343 (2007) |
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Airports – with paved runways:
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total: 509
over 3,047 m: 18
2,438 to 3,047 m: 16
1,524 to 2,437 m: 149
914 to 1,523 m: 248
under 914 m: 78 (2007) |
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Airports – with unpaved runways:
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total: 834
1,524 to 2,437 m: 68
914 to 1,523 m: 356
under 914 m: 410 (2007) |
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Heliports:
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11 (2007) |
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Pipelines:
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crude and refined oil 23,564 km; liquid petroleum gas 74,980 km (2006) |
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Railways:
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total: 48,068 km
standard gauge: 48,068 km 1.435-m gauge (2006) |
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Roadways:
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total: 1,042,300 km
paved: 415,600 km (includes 17,000 km of expressways)
unpaved: 626,700 km (2006) |
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Waterways:
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636 km
note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with United States (2007) |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 171 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,191,099 GRT/2,815,416 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 60, cargo 10, carrier 1, chemical tanker 9, combination ore/oil 1, container 2, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 64, petroleum tanker 12, roll on/roll off 6
foreign-owned: 8 (Germany 3, Netherlands 1, Norway 1, US 3)
registered in other countries: 130 (Australia 2, Bahamas 13, Barbados 9, Cambodia 6, Cyprus 2, Denmark 1, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 39, Liberia 3, Malta 15, Marshall Islands 4, Panama 17, St Vincent and The Grenadines 6, Taiwan 3, US 4, Vanuatu 5) (2007) |
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Ports and terminals:
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Fraser River Port, Halifax, Hamilton, Montreal, Port-Cartier, Quebec City, Saint John (New Brunswick), Sept-Isles, Vancouver |
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Military branches:
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Canadian Forces: Land Forces Command (LFC), Maritime Command (MARCOM), Air Command (AIRCOM), Canada Command (homeland security) (2008) |
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Military service age and obligation:
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16-34 years of age for voluntary military service; women comprise approximately 11% of Canada’s armed forces (2006) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males age 16-49: 8,216,510
females age 16-49: 8,034,939 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males age 16-49: 6,740,490
females age 16-49: 6,580,868 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males age 18-49: 223,821
females age 16-49: 212,900 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures – percent of GDP:
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1.1% (2005 est.) |
This page was last updated on 20 March, 2008
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John Cabot (1450-1499) was an Italian-born English explorer and navigator. In Italy, he is known as Giovanni Caboto (which is his original name).For more information on Cabot, click here.
Antonie Laumet de La Mothe de Cadillac ( March 5, 1658 – Oct. 15, 1730) was a French explorer, soldier, and leader. Cadillac founded the city of Detroit in 1701 and was the governor of the Louisiana Territory from 1710 to 1716 or 1717.For more information on Cadillac, click here
Jacques Cartier (1491-1557) was a French explorer who led three expeditions to Canada, in 1534, 1535, and 1541. He was looking for a route to the Pacific through North America (a Northwest Passage) but did not find one. Cartier paved the way for French exploration of North America.Cartier sailed inland, going 1,000 miles up the St. Lawrence River. He also tried to start a settlement in Quebec (in 1541), but it was abandoned after a terribly cold winter. Cartier named Canada; “Kanata” means village or settlement in the Huron-Iroquois language. Cartier was given directions by Huron-Iroquois Indians for the route to “kanata,” a village near what is now Quebec, but Cartier later named the entire region Canada.
Samuel de Champlain (1567?-1635) was a French explorer and navigator who mapped much of northeastern North America and started a settlement in Quebec. Champlain also discovered the lake later named for him (1609) and was important in establishing and administering the French colonies in the New World.For more information on Champlain, click here.
Pierre François-Xavier de Charlevoix (Oct. 29, 1682 – Feb. 1, 1761) was a French Jesuit priest, explorer, and writer. His writings are some of the earliest written accounts of North America.For more information on Charlevoix, click here.
James Cook (October 27, 1728- February 14, 1779) was a British explorer and astronomer who went on many expeditions to the Pacific Ocean, Antarctic, Arctic, and around the world.Cook’s first journey was from 1768 to 1771, when he sailed to Tahiti in order to observe Venus as it passed between the Earth and the Sun (in order to try to determine the distance between the Earth and the Sun). During this expedition, he also mapped northern Australia.Cook’s second expedition (1772-1775) took him to Antarctica and to Easter Island.Cook’s last expedition (1776-1779) was a search for a Northwest Passage across North America to Asia. Cook was killed by a mob on Feb. 14, 1779, on the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii). At the time, he was trying to take the local chief hostage to get the natives to return a sailboat they had stolen.Cook was the first ship’s captain to stop the disease scurvy (now known to be caused by a lack of vitamin C) among sailors by providing them with fresh fruits. Before this, scurvy had killed or incapacitated many sailors on long trips.For more information on James Cook, click here.
Gaspar Corte Real (1450?-1501?) was a Portuguese explorer who sailed to Greenland in 1500, and perhaps also reached the coast of North America (Newfoundland). Gaspar was lost at sea about 1501, and his brother Manuel died trying to find him.For more information on Corte Real, click here.
DE FUCA, JUAN
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle (1643-1687) was a French explorer. He was sent by King Louis XIV (14) to travel south from Canada and sail down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. He was the first European to travel the length of the Mississippi River (1682). His mission was to explore and establish fur-trade routes along the river. La Salle named the entire Mississippi basin Louisiana, in honor of the King, and claimed it for France on April 9, 1682. He also explored Lake Michigan (1679), Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario. He tried to start a settlement in the southern Mississippi River Valley, but the venture ended in disaster.For more information on La Salle, click here.
Leif Ericsson (also spelled Eriksson) the Lucky (980?-1020?) was a Viking (Norse) explorer who was possibly the first European to sail to North America. Leif sailed north from the southern tip of Greenland, then went south along the coast of Baffin Island down to Labrador, and then landed in what is now called Newfoundland (which he called Vinland). Ericsson sailed around the year 1000.Ericsson was born in Iceland and was one of the sons of the explorer Eric the Red.Ericsson was probably preceded to Vinland by the Icelandic explorer Bjarni Herjulfsson, who spotted the coast of North America in 985 or 986 when blown off course from Iceland to Greenland (but he did not go ashore). Hearing of Herjulfsson’s discovery, Ericsson sailed for North America in the year 1000 with a crew of 35. He landed in what is probably southern Baffin Island (which he called Helluland, meaning the “land of the flat stone”). He then went on the what is now Labrador (which he called Markland, meaning “forest land”). In 1001 they reached Vinland (perhaps the southern tip of Newfoundland), where remains of an ancient Norse settlement have been found). Ericsson and his crew returned to Green land in the spring of 1002.Ericsson later inherited his father’s position as leader of the Norse colony in Greenland.
Sir Martin Frobisher (1535?-1594) was an English privateer (a pirate licensed by the British government), navigator, explorer, and naval officer. After years of sailing to northwestern Africa, and then looting French ships in the English Channel, Frobisher sailed to northeastern North America to search for a Northwest Passage (a sea route across northern Canada from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, making the trip to Asia easier).For more information on Frobisher, click here.
Sir Humphrey Gilbert (1539-1583) was an English nobleman, Army officer, member of Parliament, and explorer.Early in his career, Gilbert started English settlements in Ireland (to try to stop the Irish rebellion) and, much later, sailed to North America in search of a Northwest Passage (a sea route to Asia through North America). He founded an English settlement in Newfoundland.For more infromation on Gilbert, click here.
HUDSON, HENRY
Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye (1685-1749) was a Canadian soldier and explorer who traveled farther west than any previous European explorer had; he traveled to Lake Winnipeg and then southwest, almost reaching the Missouri River. He was searching for a route across Canada from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. His father was the sieur de Varennes, the governor of Trois Rivières, Quebec, Canada.For more information on La Vérendrye, click here.
Jean Nicollet [also spelled Nicolet] (1598 – 1642) was a French explorer who was the first European to travel through the Great Lakes area, visiting Lake Michigan and what are now Wisconsin and Illinois, possibly reaching the Mississippi River. For many years, Nicollet lived among the Native Americans in what is now the Ontario, Canada area.For more information on Nicollet, click here.
John Rae (1813-1893) was a Scottish explorer, surveyor, and surgeon who explored the Canadian Arctic. Rae made three voyages, in 1848-1849, 1851, and 1853-1854, to find the Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin, who had disappeared together with his Arctic expedition. Rae surveyed and mapped over 1,400 miles (2255 km) of uncharted Canadian coastline. He also showed that King William Land was an island. On his third journey, Rae determined that Franklin and his expedition had died of starvation and exposure in the Arctic; Eskimos at Pelly Bay told Rae of Franklin’s fate. During his Arctic expeditions, the hearty Rae walked over 23,000 miles (37000 km).
Captain George Vancouver (1758-1798) was an English explorer and navigator who sailed to the northwest coast of North America. His two ships, “Discovery” and “Chatham,” reached the Strait of Juan de Fuca (near what is now the US-Canadian border) in May, 1792. He then sailed to Puget Sound (near what is now Seattle); Vancouver named Puget Sound (he named it for Lieutenant Peter Puget who was sailing under Captain Vancouver on the ship “Discovery”). Vancouver also named Mt. Rainier, Whidbey Island, and the Hood Canal. The expedition then sailed north, discovering what is now called Vancouver Island, and then sailing around it. Vancouver Island and the city of Vancouver are named for him. Vancouver had previously served under Captain James Cook on his second and third voyages sailing around the world.
VERRAZZANO, GIOVANNI DA 
