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About Living and Working in Canada

Today, as is known to all, Canada, a transcontinental nation, is one of the most developed countries in the world. But when the four colonies of British North America united to found Canada on July 1, 1867, its future was not secure. At that time, Canada was a small country, with unsettled borders, vast empty lands, and a powerful neighbor, the United States.

It was quite difficult for the young country to confront these challenges. Though Canada was independent in domestic matters, Britain still controlled its diplomatic policy. Over the next fifty years or so, Canada's leaders and its people gradually took control of their diplomatic policy. By the end of World War 1, Canada was in full control of its international relations. After decades of Canadian endeavor, Canadians now enjoy a high standard of living and overall quality of life.

Brief History

It has been said that Canada is a “nation of immigrants.” It is a country of different cultures and different peoples. Aboriginals have occupied the territory for thousands of years. There are three major groups of Aboriginal peoples in Canada: the First Nations, the Inuit and the Métis. More than 50 different languages are spoken by Canada’s Aboriginal peoples, most of which are spoken only in Canada. As a matter of fact, the name “Canada” perhaps came from the word “Kanata,” which means a settlement in the language of the Huron-Iroquois First Nations peoples.

English and French explorers came to North America to find a new route to the mysterious Orient. It was not until the 17th Century that Englishmen and Frenchmen began to settle in what we call Canada today. So nowadays, most Canadian citizens are English Canadian or French Canadian.
The Dominion of Canada, formed from the union of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the united province of Canada (Canada East and Canada West, which became Quebec and Ontario); was founded On July 1, 1867. The country, however, was still very much like a part of the British Empire. The conduct of its diplomacy was in the hands of British statesmen.

Owing to its positive influence during World War 1 Canada gave the world an impression that was different from that of Britain. In 1931, Canada announced its autonomy and became a completely independent nation. In 1965, the new maple leaf flag replaced the Canadian Red Ensign as the national flag of Canada. The two red vertical rectangles on the flag stand for the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean. The white part in the middle and the maple represent the wide lands and all the people of Canada respectively. Nowadays, Canada enjoys the reputation of a "Maple Leaf State".
In 1982, Queen Elizabeth II (UK) approved the “Canadian Constitution Act” raised by the British Upper House and the Lower House, symbolizing that Canada had taken over its sovereign rights and had won all the powers of legislation and amendment. From then on, getting rid of its last vestige as a British colony, Canada became a truly autonomous country.