Canada has a long tradition of welcoming immigrants. Home to two official languages, English and French, Canada is also a multicultural society, with more than 17% of the population reporting a mother tongue other than English or French. During the 1990s, Canada received between 200,000 and 250,000 immigrants per year.

UN says Canada is the best country in the world!

The United Nations has rated Canada the top country in the world, for seven consecutive years. Canadians enjoy a comfortable standard of living, good health care, social security, a high level of education, and a relatively safe and clean environment. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms entrenched in the Canadian constitution guarantees such fundamental rights as equality, mobility and legal rights, as well as freedom of speech, assembly and association.

A 1997 survey of people in 20 countries found that the majority placed Canada in the top ten list of countries where they would like to live. Most consider Canada a generous, peaceful and compassionate nation, while they see Canadians as honest, friendly and polite.

Canada is an affluent, high-tech industrial society, with a market-based, free enterprise economy.

Canada is a politically stable parliamentary democracy that boasts one of the highest standards of living and longest lifespan (>78 yrs.) in the world.

Canada has an official policy of multiculturalism, where immigrants are encouraged to preserve their own cultural heritage. Canada is the second largest country in the world with a land area of 9,220,970 sq km but a population of only 30 million (July'96 est.).

Based on the 1996 census data:

About 28% of the population reported origins other than British Isles, French or Canadian

Recent immigrants had higher levels of education than the Canadian-born population

Six out of ten households owned their own home

University or other post-secondary graduates represented 40% of the population over the age of 15

The number of seniors (age 65+) more than doubled in the last 25 years, to 12.2% of the population

A few facts about Canada

Canada is a land of great natural beauty, from the rugged shores of Newfoundland to the mild climate and beautiful mountains of the west coast. The second largest country in the world, it has six time zones. With its coasts, vast forests, mountain ranges, lakes and expanses of prairies, Canada is rich in natural resources. It contains 38 national parks, more than 1000 provincial parks, and nearly 50 territorial parks.