How old is Canada?

This country was born more than 100 years ago.

Scientists still have great differences about the earliest people who settled in Canada, their ages and so on.

However, it is generally believed that the indigenous people who migrated from Asia to Canada about 30 thousand years ago through the land connected with Siberia and Alaska should be the first humans to arrive.

Except for some people who settled in Canada, others continued to move south.

To be sure, when early European explorers came to Canada, there were already various aborigines in Canada. Because of the different living environment, the indigenous people at that time lived by hunting, fishing or farming, and lived a nomadic or settled life.

The first contact between Canadian aborigines and Europeans can be traced back to about 1000 years ago, when a Norman from Iceland lived in Newfoundland for some time.

But the arrival of a large number of Europeans was 600 years later.

The first distant colony

British and French explorers came to North America to discover new territories in order to find a new route to the "Oriental" rich market.

They set up new bases in different parts of Canada.

Among them, the French are mostly along the St. Lawrence River, the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River; The British are concentrated in Hudson Bay and the Atlantic coast.

Explorers such as cabot, Cartier and Champlain never found the route to India and China, but they found many equally valuable things in Canada, such as rich fishing grounds and an amazing number of beavers, foxes and bears. Their furs are very valuable.

The British and French didn't officially settle in Canada until the beginning of the17th century.

Although more and more immigrants have promoted the economic development, New France and New England colonies still rely mainly on fur trade economically and France and Britain politically and militarily.

/kloc-After the disintegration of the British and French empires in the 8th century, North America became an important stage for global competition between Britain and France.

After Quebec City came under British control in 1759, the French territory east of the Mississippi River was ceded to Britain by the Treaty of Paris, but Saint Pierre Island and Midland Island near Newfoundland were still owned by France.

Under British rule, 65,000 French residents have a common goal, which is to preserve their traditions, languages and cultures.

In order to alleviate the potential racial hatred, Britain passed the Quebec Act in 1774, which officially recognized the French civil law and guaranteed the freedom of religion and language of French residents.

1776 after the independence of the United States, a large number of English immigrants flooded into Canada.

These royalists loyal to the British Empire hope to seek asylum in Canada.

They mainly live in colonies, such as Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and the Great Lakes region.

179 1 year sustained population growth led to the establishment of Upper Canada (now Ontario) and Lower Canada (now Quebec).

Both administrative regions have their own management institutions.

1837 and 1838 rebellions in upper and lower Canada.

1848, both places were granted sovereignty except diplomacy.

Although Canada continues to gain autonomy, it is still a part of the British Empire.

The birth of this country

The British colonies in Canada, including Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, have been developing and prospering.

However, the more powerful United States after the Civil War made some politicians realize that all British colonies can only resist possible American aggression if they unite.

1 July, 8671day, East Canada, West Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick formed the dominion of Canada.

The political system of this new country is basically British parliamentary system.

The Governor is the representative of the royal family, and the National Assembly consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Congress has the right to legislate on matters involving national interests (such as taxation and national defense), while provinces have the right to legislate on matters involving "special" interests (such as property, citizenship and education).

Development of the state

After the foundation of the Federation, Canada began to grow into a country.

One province after another appeared on the map of Canada.

At the same time, immigration is also increasing, especially to the west.

19 13 The number of immigrants to Canada reached the peak of 400,000.

Before World War II, Canada benefited from the prosperous world economy and established its own industry and agriculture.

Canada's important role in the First World War made it establish an independent image different from that of Britain in the post-war international league.

193 1 year, the adoption of the Westminster Act consolidated Canada's constitutional autonomy.

The global economic recession from 65438 to 0929 made the occupation rate in Canada reach 25%.

Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba also suffered heavy losses due to drought.

In World War II, Canada, as a member of the Allies, played an important role in the supply of military supplies, thus restoring the domestic economy and becoming the fourth largest industrial power in the world after the war.

Expand westward

1869

Canada bought Rupert from the Hudson's Gulf Company.

Under this threat, Louis Riel led the Metis to occupy Fort Gary in Winnipeg in June 5438 +065438+ 10.

1870

Considering the concerns of the local Metis, the federal government reached a compromise with them, that is, set aside a piece from the original Lubert area and set up Manitoba province.

187 1 year

British Columbia joined the dominion after being promised to build a railway connecting the rest of Canada in its territory.

1873

Prince Edward Island joined the dominion.

1898

The northern Yukon was formally established, and Canada's judicial power in this area was established.

1905

The Rupert region is divided into two new provinces: Alberta and Saskatchewan.

The rest became the northwest.

1949

Newfoundland became the tenth province of Canada.

1999

Nunavut is located in the northwest.

After World War II, Canada's economy continued to expand.

Economic development, coupled with the government's social welfare system, such as family allowance, old-age allowance, universal medical insurance and unemployment insurance, has brought Canadians a high standard and high quality of life.

The immigration tide in Canada has also changed significantly.

Before World War II, most immigrants came from the British Isles or Eastern Europe.

After 1945, more and more immigrants came from southern Europe, Asia, South America and Caribbean islands, which also enriched Canada's multiculturalism.

The brewing of a new Federation

In the past 20 years, Canadians have once again faced some basic problems of national identity.

In 1980 and 1995, most French Quebec people voted against the resolution that Quebec has more political autonomy. In these two referendums, most people still want to safeguard the integrity of the country.

The Constitutional Act was signed on 1982.

The new Constitution and its Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms redefine the responsibilities and powers of the federal and provincial governments, and further establish the rights of individuals and ethnic groups.

The Lake Mitch Agreement of 1987 and the Sarot Agreement of 199 1 were both formulated to reform the constitutional system.

The Lake Mitch Treaty failed to come into force because it was not recognized by all provinces and places in legislation. The Salas Treaty will reform the Senate and make major adjustments to the Constitution, but it was rejected by most Canadians in the referendum of 199265438+ held on October 26th.

Canada, established by two opposing nations, Britain and France, is destined to be a compromise country, which combines many foreign cultures, languages, religions, the original aborigines and the diversity of its own geographical environment.

Seeking common ground while reserving differences is Canada's motto.

Modesty and tolerance are the characteristics of the Canadian Federation and the foundation of its survival.

Before the establishment of the Federation

1497

John kay cabot arrived at the east coast of Canada.

1534

Jacques Cartier came to what is now Newfoundland, and marked the Gulf of Saint Lawrence on the map (14 July).

In the following years, he traveled along the St. Lawrence River to Kona (now Quebec) and Hohraga (now Montreal) in Stada.

1608

On July 3rd, champlain established its first permanent European colony-Quebec.

1670

Hudson's Bay Company was established and granted the right to trade land in Lubert area, and all the land was owned by Hudson's Bay Company (May 2).

1759

In the Battle of Abraham Plain (13 September), Britain seized Quebec from France.