American national symbols

The Flag of the U.S. The 50-star flag of the United States was raised for the first time officially on July 4, 1960, at Fort McHenry National Monument in Baltimore. The 50^th star had been added for Hawaii, a year earlier the 49^th for Alaska. Before that, no star had been added since 1912, when New Mexico and Arizona were admitted to the Union.

The true history of the Stars and Stripes has become so cluttered by a volume of myth and tradition that the facts are difficult, and in some cases impossible to establish. For example, it’s not certain who designed the Stars and Stripes, who made the first such flag or even whether it ever flew in any sea fight or sea battle of the American Revolution. One they all agree on is that the Stars and Stripes originated as the result of a resolution offered by the Marine Committee of the Second Continental Congress at Philadelphia in 1777.

The thirteen stripes in the modern flag, seven red and six white stand for the thirteen colonies that joined together in 1776 to declare themselves free from the rule of England. The fifty white, five pointed stars stand for the fifty states that now make up the nation.

The Statue of Liberty. Since 1886, the Statue of Liberty has stood in New York harbor. It is the symbol of freedom that millions of people have come to America to find. It also commemorates American friendship for it was given by the people of France, who had long admired the liberty enjoyed by the people of the United States.

CANADA

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Canada is the second largest country in the world. Its common border with the USA is the world’s longest land border. The country of Canada covers most of the northern half of North America. Canada, like the U.S., spreads from ‘sea to shining sea’. The Atlantic Ocean is in the east; the Pacific Ocean is in the west.

In most of Canada, the winters are long and cold. January temperatures average below 0°F in more than two thirds of Canada. In the islands in the Arctic Ocean, January temperatures average below -40°F.

Northern Canada has short, cool summers. These summers are not warm enough or long enough for crops to be grown. In the far northern areas the summer may last only a few weeks. In southern Canada the summers are warmer and longer. Crops can be raised in southern Canada. Most of Canada’s farmland is in the south.

Much of Canada is covered by forests. These forests are one of Canadian most important resources. To the north to the forest area is the tundra.

Canada can be divided into five regions. They are the Appalachian region, the St Lawrence Valley and Lakes Peninsula, the Canadian Shield, the plains region, and the Western mountain region.

The Appalachian region is made up of the three Maritime Provinces. Maritime means “having to do with the sea”. Most of the Appalachian region is made up of low hills. People in the Maritime Provinces live mainly close to the coast, where the soil is better than in the hills. Farming is the chief occupation. Farmers raise dairy cattle and beef cattle. They grow potatoes, fruit, cereals, and feed crops. There are no large cities in the Maritime Provinces. The chief city is Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The region of the St. Lawrence Valley and the peninsula borders on three of the Great Lake – Lake Ontario, Lake Huron and Lake Erie. This is the smallest land region in Canada. Yet, it is one of the most important regions in the country. In fact, about one half of Canada’s people live here. Canada’s two largest cities – Montreal and Toronto – are in this region. Ottawa’s, the capital of Canada, is also in this region.

Canada’s plains stretch from the border with the United States in the south to the Arctic Ocean in the north. The plains region is a very important part of Canada. Much of the country’s farmland is in the plains. In addition, there are large deposits of oil, coal, and gas. Many people have moved to the plains. Manufacturing has developed in the cities. A number of Canada’s largest cities are in the plains. They include Winipeg, Calgary, and Edmonton.

The Canadian Rockies are among the highest mountains in the world. They rise steeply from the plains. The Western mountains are rich in resources. There are deposits of coal, copper, gold, silver, iron, zinc, and tungsten. Mining is a major industry in this region.

Canada is an independent nation. Queen Elisabeth II of Great Britain is also queen of Canada. Canada is a member of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth is made up of independent countries that were once ruled by Great Britain. Canada is a federation that is governed as a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elisabeth II as its head of state. The federation is made up of the ten provinces and the two territories. Each province has its own government. The territories are run mainly by the federal government, although they have some self-government.

The head of the government of Canada is the Prime Minister. Canada also has a governor-general who is appointed by the Queen Elisabeth II on the recommendation of Prime Minister. The lawmaking body of Canada is called Parliament. It has two houses: the Senate and the House of Commons. The people of Canada vote for the members of the House of Commons. The members of the Senate are appointed by the governor-general. The House is the more powerful of the two bodies.

The capital of Canada is Ottawa, in Ontario. Ottawa is chiefly a government city. Its major purpose is to carry on the business of government.

There are two official languages in Canada – English and French. English is the language of most Canadians. In the province of Quebec, where the most French Canadians live, French is the chief language.

Canadian society is very progressive, diverse and multicultural. Historically, Canada has been influenced by British, French, aboriginal cultures and traditions. Many Canadians value multiculturalism and see Canada as being inherently multicultural. American media and entertainment are popular, if not dominant, in English Canada; conversely, many Canadian cultural products and entertainers are successful in the United States and worldwide. The preservation of a distinctly Canadian culture is supported by federal government programs, laws and institutions, such as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the National Film Board of Canada, and the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission.

Canada’s official national sports are ice hockey and lacrosse. Seven of Canada’s eight largest metropolitan areas – Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg have franchises in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Canada’s national symbols are influenced by natural, historical and Aboriginal sources. The use of a maple leaf as a Canadian symbol dates back to the early 18^th century.