Origin and history of the name

The name Canada comes from a First Nations word, kanata, meaning "village" or "settlement". In 1535, inhabitants of the area near present-day Quebec City used the word to direct Jacques Cartier towards the village of Stadacona. Cartier used the word 'Canada' to refer to not only that village, but the entire area subject to Donnacona, Chief at Stadacona; by 1547, maps began referring to this and the surrounding area as Canada.

The French colony of Canada, New France, was set up along the Saint Lawrence River and the northern shores of the Great Lakes. Later, it was split into two British colonies, called Upper Canada and Lower Canada until their union as the British Province of Canada in 1841. Upon Confederation in 1867, the name Canada was officially adopted for the new dominion, which was referred to as the Dominion of Canada until the 1950s. As Canada increasingly acquired political authority and autonomy from Britain, the federal government increasingly simply used Canada on state documents and treaties. The Canada Act 1982 refers only to "Canada" and, as such, it is currently the only legal (and bilingual) name. This was reflected again in 1982 with the renaming of the national holiday from Dominion Day to Canada Day.

Annotations

incremental – возрастающий, diversified – многосторонний, различный, abundant – обильный, богатый, settlement – поселение, inhabitants - жители

Comprehension Check Exercises

I. Fill in the blank with the correct word:

1. Canada is the world's … -largest country by total area.

2. It shares land borders with … to the south and to the northwest.

3. Canada is a federal constitutional monarchy with a … .

4. It comprises … provinces and … territories.

5. Canada is a … and multicultural nation, with both English and French as official languages at the federal level.

6. The name Canada comes from a First Nations word, kanata, meaning … .

7. Upon Confederation in … , the name Canada was officially adopted.

8. In 1535, inhabitants of the area near present-day Quebec City used the word to direct … towards the village of Stadacona.

9. Cartier used the word 'Canada' to refer to not only that village, but … , Chief at Stadacona.

10. By 1547, maps began referring to this and the surrounding area as … .

II. Find out whether the statement is true or false according to the information in the text:

1. The capital of the country is Toronto.

2. The Prime Minister of the country is Stephen Harper.

3. Canada is a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy.

4. It comprises three provinces and ten territories.

5. Canada is a bilingual and multicultural nation, with both English and German as official languages at the federal level.

6. Canada has had a long and complex relationship with the United States.

7. Canada was founded as a union of British and former French colonies.

III. Questions:

1. What is the capital of Canada?

2. Who is the Monarch of Canada?

3. What is the name of Governor General?

4. What is the official language of the country?

5. Name the borders of the country.

6. What is its political status?

7. What can you say about the economy of the country?

8. What oceans is it washed by?

9. What country does it share its land borders with?

10. When did it gain its independence from the United Kingdom?