And does your article also tell you how much of the land is covered in lakes or snow? I can tell you that Canada is not like Britain, the farmers/ranchers there do own their land, they are not tenant farmers renting from the Queen! A little help here Canucks???!!!! :shock: :shock:
Canada is the second largest country in the world but has about the same population as the state of California, which is about 4 percent of Canada’s size. This is because the north of Canada, with its harsh Arctic and sub-Arctic climates, is sparsely inhabited. Most Canadians live in the southern part of the country. More than three-quarters of them live in metropolitan areas,
Following is a breakdown of Canada's area by provinces and territories east to west, together with two columns of percentages which, when compared, show how area relates to settlement:
Total Area Land in square kilometres Freshwater in square kilometres Percent of Canada Area Rank Percentage of Population
Canada 9,970,610 9,215,430 755,180 100.0 -- --
Newfoundland 405,720 371,690 34,030 4.1 9 1.8
Prince Edward Island 5,660 5,660 150 0.1 12 0.5
Nova Scotia 55,490 52,840 2,650 0.6 11 3.1
New Brunswick 73,440 72,090 1,350 0.7 10 2.5
Quebec 1,540,680 1,356,790 183,890 15.5 2 24.1
Ontario 1,068,580 891,190 177,390 10.7 3 37.8
Manitoba 649,950 548,360 101,590 6.5 6 3.7
Saskatchewan 652,330 570,700 81,630 6.5 6 3.4
Alberta 661,190 644,390 16,800 6.6 5 9.7
British Columbia 947,800 929,730 18,070 9.5 4 13.2
Yukon Territory 483,450 478,970 4,480 4.5 8 0.1
Northwest Territories 3,426,320 3,293,020 133,300 34.4 1 0.2
The population of Canada has gradually shifted westward. In 1900, more than 90% of Canadians lived in Atlantic Canada, Québec, and Ontario. In 2000, it is about 70%.
Even though Canadians define themselves as a northern people, 90% of the Canadian population lives within 300 km of the USA border. That is to say, most Canadians live as far south in the country as the availability of employment permits. Historically, Canadians had to live where they could grow their own food, and most land in Canada is simply beyond the northern limits of agriculture. A sufficiently long growing season (that is, number of days in a year without frost) is available only towards the USAmerican border.