History. Canada doesn't often make the foreign pages of newspapers around the world

Canada doesn't often make the foreign pages of newspapers around the world. Many outsiders think of it as a snowy country, full of quiet, laid-back people - rather a bland nation, in fact. That just goes to show how little they know. If you're thinking of coming to Canada, here are the basics.

Europeans arrived in the 1400s but they weren't the first to set sights on this vast land. The earliest known site occupied by people is the Bluefish Caves of the Yukon. In 1000 AD the Vikings from Iceland and Greenland reached the Labrador coast and Newfoundland, but they didn't stay.

It was the North American Indians who greeted the Europeans. As far back as 30,000 BC, the people arrived in North America from Asia by crossing the Bering Strait. These aboriginal people developed distinct languages, customs and religious beliefs. They depended on the land and developed specialised skills to deal with the climate and geography. The Inuit came after the North American Indians (they are not related to them, however) and settled predominantly in the Arctic.

In the early 1500s the Spanish, French, British and Italians were all vying to get to North America. The French explorers and missionaries got to Canada first. Jacques Cartier landed at the gulf of the St Lawrence waterway and this led to the founding of New France. It is thought that Canada got its name from Cartier who noticed the Huron and Iroquois inhabitants referring to the land as' Kanata' which means 'cluster of dwellings' or 'small community'.

The French had discovered a land rich in natural resources and one of their main activities was fur trading with the Native peoples - that is, until the Natives realised they were not properly profiting from the trades. The French and Natives fought throughout the 1600s because of this and because of the French development of aboriginal land.

France wasn't all that interested in its new colony even' though another of its men, Samuel de Champlain, settled Quebec City and Montreal by 1642. The Hudson's Bay Company was founded in 1670, primarily as a fur trading enterprise (it is Canada's oldest business enterprise, existing today as a major department store chain). The English moved into the Hudson Bay area and by the early 1700s had taken over most of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Canada is known as a peacemaking country, but its roots are, like most nations', rooted in war. In 1745 all hell broke loose with the British capture of Fortress Louisbourg from the French. England officially declared war on France in 1756, starting in Europe what is known as the Seven Years' War. Part of that war was played out in Canada.

The French seemed the stronger nation for four years, but the tide changed in one of Canada's most famous battles. Both the French and English generals died in the battle, but it was the British who defeated the French in 1759 in Quebec on the Plains of Abraham. In 1763 France handed Canada over to Britain in the Treaty of Paris. However, most of Canada's population was French. The conclusion of the Treaty of Paris gave rise to concerns over losing their rights and heritage. In response to these fears, Britain passed the Quebec Act in 1774 which granted religious (Roman Catholic) and linguistic freedom to the French.

But what's history without a little revolution and rebellion? The American Revolution saw Britain's 13 colonies in the south fight for independence from Britain from 1775 to 1783. This led to the migration north to Canada of about 50,000 'Loyalists', so called because of their loyalty to Britain, balancing the number of French and British in Canada. In 1791 Lower Canada (Quebec) and Upper Canada (Ontario) were formed.

The War of 1812 is often thought to have brought about the beginnings of Canada's national identity. The Americans invaded Canada believing it would be an easy victory. The British, Native peoples and French banded together and, although outnumbered, stood their ground. Many battles were won and lost by both sides, but it was their first defence of their country against an invader that saw the people of 'British North America.' choose their way of life over that of the republicans to the south. Many heroes and war legends were created. Perhaps one of the least known is that in August 1814, the British captured and burned Washington, including the White House (which in those days wasn't so white and had to be painted white to cover the damage). The war ended in a draw in December 1814 with the Treaty of Ghent.

It wasn't long until the people of Upper and Lower Canada started itching for their own independence. In 1837 rebellions occurred in both colonies, which prompted Britain to join them under a common legislature. Soon afterwards they were granted responsible government and their first taste of political autonomy. More autonomy was on the way with the achievement of Confederation. In 1867 the Dominion of Canada was created under the British North America Act (BNA Act) passed by the British government. Sir John A. Macdonald became the first Prime Minister of the Dominion that included Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Within the next six years Manitoba, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island were admitted into the Dominion.

If you come to Canada with children, they will undoubtedly learn about the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in school. Many scandals erupted during that time, but when it was completed in 1885 the CPR was the longest railway in the world and its construction within five years was considered a great engineering feat. It was built to connect the country from east to west and to encourage settlement. This was met with resistance from the Native peoples who were already settled on that land. The aboriginals lost their fight and large numbers of European immigrants came on promises of free land in the west. Between 1881 and 1891, 680,000 people immigrated into Canada and many of them are responsible for the emergence of large-scale grain farming. In 1904-5 Alberta and Saskatchewan entered Confederation, leaving only Newfoundland on its own.

The 1900s saw rapid change due to the industrial revolution: Canada was a significant participant in both World Wars, notably at Vimy Ridge in WW I and Dieppe and Normandy in WW2 as well as in the air and at sea. English-French tensions continued and the labour movement became organised with the creation of the unions. Canada developed social security programmes such as unemployment insurance, welfare and eventually 'Medicare'. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) was formed and natural resource industries became an integral part of the Canadian economy. Women got the vote, Newfoundland joined Confederation in 1949 and the Maple Leaf flag was adopted in 1965. In 1967 Canada turned 100 years old and celebrated with Expo festivities in Montreal. In the 1970s there was major upheaval in Quebec when the separatist movement took on a violent nature, but in 1980 a referendum showed the majority of Quebecois were against independence. Also in that year, Canada officially adopted O Canada! as its national anthem, although the original French version dates from 1880. Speaking of national symbols, the beaver is Canada's national animal.

The eighties were characterised by constitutional issues. Canada's constitution (the BNA Act) was an act of the British Parliament and, as an independent country, Canada wanted to 'bring home' the constitution. In 1982, parts of the BNA Act were changed and it became a Canadian act: The Constitution Act. Included in it is the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Quebec is the only province that did not sign the new constitution and two subsequent attempts to bring it in, the Meech Lake Accord and the Charlottetown Accord, failed. In 1995 another Quebec referendum on independence took place and the 'no' side (against independence) won by a very narrow margin.

Vocabulary notes

to end in a draw - окончиться “ничьей”, т.е. без победителя

to grant – дарить, жаловать, предоставлять

heritage - наследие

integral – неотъемлемый, существенный

invader- завоеватель

issue – проблема, вопрос

legislature – законодательная власть

notably – именно; а именно

predominantly – в основном; большей частью

to proclaim - провозглашать

rebellion - восстание