[center] [img=http://www.xero.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Canadian-flag.jpg]
Canada
[I]"A Mari Usque Ad Mare"
"From Sea to Sea" [/I] 

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[b]Basic Information[/b]
Name- Canada
Official Languages- English.French
Capital City - Ottawa 
Demonym- Canadian
Population -14,845,000

[b]History: [/b]
Canada, which has been inhabited by natives including the First Nations and the Inuit for about 10,000 years, was first visited by Europeans around 1000, when the Vikings briefly had a settlement. 
More permanent European visits came in the 16th and 17th century, as the French settled here. They traded much of their lands with the British in 1763, and after the American Revolution, many British Loyalists settled in Canada. With the passing of the British North America Act the British government granted the request of the French and English leaders of the colony of Canada, the status of an self-governing country on July 1, 1867. More definitive independence came in 1931 with the Statute of Westminster

[b]Politics and Government:[/b]
The politics of Canada function within a framework of parliamentary democracy and a federal system of parliamentary government with strong democratic traditions. Canada is a constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is head of state. Louis St. Laurent succeeded Mackenzie King as prime minister

[b]Military:[/b]
The title, Canadian Army, first came into official use in November 1940, and is still used today
The Canadian Forces were involved in the 1950–1953 Korean War conflict and its aftermath. Canada participated on the side of the United Nations in the Korean War, with 26,000 Canadians participating in the War, and Canada sending eight destroyers. Canadian aircraft provided transport, supply and logistics. 516 Canadians died in the conflict, 312 of the deaths were from combat.
During the early 1950s the Army advertised in British newspapers for British ex-servicemen to join the Canadian Army. These recruits were transported to Canada for training. After a 6-month trial period the soldiers' families were allowed to emigrate to join the father. Transport was usually by scheduled sea transport.
WWII saw science and industry harnessed to fight the enemy. The National Research Council (NRC), created during WWI to advise the government on industrial research, grew exponentially as did Canadian war industries. A tight bond was formed between the two.
The NRC itself helped develop radar, the proximity fuse, the explosive RDX, high velocity artillery, fire control computers and submarine detection equipment among other things
[hider=Military Stats and Points of Interest]
Seven Infantry Regiments - (21,000-35,000)
Three Armoured Regiments - (9,000-15,000)
Twelve Air Division Squadrons - (144-288)
Warships - 40

[u]Canadian Armed Forces Firearms In 1953[/u]
[u]Handguns[/u]
Smith & Wesson Model 10 "Military & Police Victory model"
Inglis "High Power" Pistol
[u]Sub-Machineguns[/u]
Sten Gun
[u]Service Rifles[/u]
Lee-Enfield No.4 Mk.I
[u]Machineguns[/u]
Bren LMG
M1919 Browning machine gun
[u]Anti Tank[/u]
PIAT
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[b]Geography:[/b]
Canada occupies a major northern portion of North America, sharing land borders with the contiguous United States to the south (the longest border between two countries in the world) and the US state of Alaska to the northwest.
Canada stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west; to the north lies the Arctic Ocean
Since the end of the last glacial period, Canada has consisted of eight distinct forest regions, including extensive boreal forest on the Canadian Shield.
Canada has around 31,700 large lakes, more than any other country, containing much of the world's fresh water.

[b]Economy:[/b]
Since the early 20th century, the growth of Canada's manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy to an urbanized, industrial one. Like many other developed nations, the Canadian economy is dominated by the service industry, which employs about three-quarters of the country's workforce. However, Canada is unusual among developed countries in the importance of its primary sector, in which the logging and petroleum industries are two of the most prominent components

[b]Culture:[/b]
Canada's culture draws influences from its broad range of constituent nationalities, and policies that promote multiculturalism are constitutionally protected.
Canada is in theory a cultural mosaic – a collection of several regional, aboriginal, and ethnic subcultures. Government policies such as publicly funded health care, higher taxation to redistribute wealth, the outlawing of capital punishment, strong efforts to eliminate poverty, strict gun control, and the legalization of same-sex marriage are further social indicators of Canada's political and cultural values.

[b]Infrastructure , science and development:[/b]
The years following WWII introduced even more innovations including: television, the transistor radio, synthetic fabrics, plastic, computers, super highways, shopping centres, atomic energy, nuclear weapons, transcontinental energy pipelines, long range electric transmission, transcontinental microwave networks, fast food, chemical fertilizer, insecticides, the birth control pill, jet aircraft, cable TV, colour TV, the instant replay, the audio cartridge and audio cassette, satellite communications and continental air defense systems.

[b]Analysis (optional for some, required for major nations, denoted by * on list):[/b]
Louis Stephen St. Laurent stated desire was for Canada to occupy a social, military and economic 'middle power' role in the post-World War II world
Always highly sensitive to cleavages of language, religion and region, he stressed national unity, insisting, "that our external policies shall not destroy our unity....for a disunited Canada will be a powerless one." He also stressed political liberty and rule of law in the sense of opposition to totalitarianism
St-Laurent's government was modestly progressive, fiscally conservative and run with business-like efficiency. Robertson says, "St Laurent's administrations from 1949 to 1956 probably gave Canada the most consistently good, financially responsible, trouble-free government the country has had in its entire history