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英语国家概况名词术语(英国部分) |
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| 英语国家概况名词术语(英国部分) |
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名词术语
The Prairies
The prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba lie east of the Rockies. The prairies are flat and featureless and have a harsh continental climate. They are called the breadbasket of Canada because the land is well-suited to farming, and wheat is one of the biggest agricultural crops in this area. The prairies are also rich in natural resources.
Central Canada
Central Canada, Ontario and Quebec, are the parts of the country that were first settled. They are the industrial heartland of the country and are also the most densely populated provinces. They have the largest cities like Toronto and Montreat.
The Maritimes
The Atlantic provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland are also known as the Maritimes. They are small in population and largely rely on the fishing industry for their economic wealth. They are rich in farming and forestry products and are quite popular tourist attractions
The Canadian Mosaic
Canada is a nation of immigrants. When Canada is described as a mosaic, it means that each of the immigrant groups do not have to throw off their old customs, languages and traditions, because there is no particular concept of an overarching Canadian identity. This resembles a mosaic of different cultures which overlap but do not overwhelm each other.
“the First Nations”
The first Nations are the native tribes of aboriginal people who lived in Canada before the European explorers settled. They were officially referred to as “the First Nations” because they are the original inhabitants of the country, and because there is not one single group or culture --- there are many “nations”, or tribes, which have different languages, customs and beliefs.
the Inuit
The Inuit used to be called the Estimo. They are a group of aboriginal people who lived in the harsh conditions of the arctic climate by hunting seals, whales and other polar animals. Today, some of these people still live this way; others make a living through selling carvings and handicrafts.
the Metis
The Metis are another group of aboriginal people who emerged when French fur traders married Indian women. In appearance and lifestyle, their children inherited characteristics from both their European and aboriginal backgrounds and their close involvement in the fur trade made their economic development different from other aboriginal peoples.
immigration policy of Canada
Canada’s immigration policy is mainly based on practical economic considerations. Immigration meant importing labour, even today immigration policy is based on who the country needs to help it prosper. Another characteristic is that it accepts more readily groups who will more easily fit into the Canadian society. These make Canada look hard-headed rather than humanitarian. Canada has also been criticized for being more willing to help refugees fleering right wing regimes than left wing ones.
Immigration Act 1976
The immigration Act 1976 encouraged Asian immigration, offering passports to those with capital and / or entrepreneurial skills. Would-be immigrants with more than $250 000 (Cdn) to invest in business that will create jobs and wealth were welcomed to settle in Canada. This created a new category of “entrepreneurial immigrants”.
Quebec
Quebec is a mainly French-speaking province in Canada. Here French speakers comprise 83 per cent of the population. They feel that their linguists and cultural heritages is threatened by the mainly English-speaking environment. And that they economically dominated by English Canada. They are keen to preserve the historic language and French-speaking culture.
the Canadian identity
It refers to something which is distinctively Canadian, which is different from other countries, and which is the very reason for making Canada so special. For example, two official languages of English and French can be considered as part of the Canadian identity.
three factors influencing Canadian economy
First of all, Canadian economy is influenced by Canada’s physical geography, which is rich in natural resources; but the huge size of small population of the country has made extracting and transporting goods to markets difficult. The second influence is the neighbor the US, which has a much powerful economy and a larger market. This means that trade has quite naturally developed north to south, across the Can-Am border, rather than east-west, between provinces and regions. The third influence is federal government’s intervention in the economy: the federal government has constantly intervened in the development of the country’s resources and infrastructure to try manage it, rather than allowing markets forces to play a role.
The Canada-US Free Trade Agreement
The Free Trade Agreement was negotiated between Canada and the United States when conservative leader Brian Malroney was the Prime Minister of Canada. FTA came into effect on 1 January 1989 with a schedule of removing tariff protection on most items by 1998. The idea was that free international trade is beneficial to all. For Canada, this has been an “ imperfect” and controversial agreement. One controversial aspects was the agreement to allow free movement of agricultural products, which put Canadian farmers into direct competition with their larger, more competitive American counterparts. Another controversial issue was the provision of a guarantee that US would retain access to Canadian energy supplies in case of emergency or changes in world supplies, which some critics said was a loss of Canadian sovereignty;
Entering into the FTA also meant a new, reduced role in the economy for a government that has been by tradition, very interventionist. However, FTA will probably bring benefits in the long run as the world becomes more economically interdependent and more tolerant of the free trade principles envisioned by the GATT.
Natural resources in Canada
Canada is very rich in natural resources. It has vast amounts of fuel---oil, gas, coal, uranium for nuclear power, water for hydroelectricity --- and these are a very important source of Canadian wealth. The energy resources are mainly located in the west of Canada, in the sparsely populated, harsh terrain. This gives rise to conflict between the east and the west. The western resource-producing provinces resent having their wealth siphoned off to “ benefit” the manufacturing eastern provinces.
Agriculture in Canada
Canada does not have favorable conditions for farming because of the quality of land, terrain and climate. Despite the difficulties, agriculture remains important to Canadian economy. The major agricultural region is the Prairie Provinces, which specialize in wheat and cereals production, feedstock and cattle. Farms tend to be very large. However, agriculture is not an important part of Canadian economy as it used to be. It has become cheaper to important foodstuffs than to produce such items domestically.
Manufacturing industries in Canada
Although Canada remains mainly an exporter of raw resources and an importer of manufactured goods, it does have a variety of industries which produce paper, technological equipment, automobiles, food, clothing and other goods. In terms of research and development of advanced technology, Canada is known for its adaptation of nuclear technology for peaceful means, hydroelectricity production, and telecommunication. It also has an innovative aerospace industry.
Service industries in Canada
As is the case in other industrialize countries, more Canadians (over 70 per cent) work in service industries than in manufacturing. The services sector of the Canadian economy includes things like banking, health care, construction, communications, education, tourism and government. Export of services is an important part of Canadian economy, though it is still not strong enough to compete with US firms |
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