Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and
Equatorial Guinea. The Atlantic Ocean
lies to the west. Mountains run through
the north and west. The country has hot
temperatures year-round.
Rain forests are in the south. Mangroves
grow along the coasts and rivers. Monkeys
live in the forests. Elephants,
baboons, and antelope live in the
wooded grasslands of the north.
The ethnic groups of Cameroon include
the Fang, the Bamileke, the Duala, and
the Fulani. English and French are the
official languages, but people speak many
other languages. The majority of the
people follow Christianity or traditional
religions. The north is mostlyMuslim.
Cameroon’s economy is based on farming.
The main crops include cassava,
sugarcane, corn, bananas, and sorghum.
The country also produces petroleum
(oil), lumber, and cocoa for export.
Humans have lived in what is now
Cameroon for at least 50,000 years.
Eventually Bantu people settled in the
south and the west, and the Fulani settled
in the north. In the 1470s the Portuguese
established sugar plantations and a slave
trade. Germany gained control in the late
1800s. AfterWorldWar I Cameroon was
divided into French and British zones. In
1960 the French zone became the
independent republic of Cameroon.
..More to explore
Yaounde
People gather to buy and sell goods at a
market in Maroua, Cameroon.
Facts About
CAMEROON
Population
(2008 estimate)
18,468,000
Area
183,569 sq mi
(475,442 sq km)
Capital
Yaounde
Form of
government
Republic
Major cities
Douala, Yaounde,
Garoua, Maroua,
Bafoussam
22 Cameroon BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Canada
Canada is the largest country in the
world after Russia. The country is
divided into 10 provinces and three territories.
The capital is Ottawa.
Geography
Canada lies north of the United States
in North America. The U.S. state of
Alaska sits on its northwestern border.
The Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic oceans
form the rest of its borders.
Canada’s largest natural region is a
rocky, mostly flat area that covers the
eastern, central, and northwestern parts
of the country. In the west, plains stretch
from the Arctic Ocean to the U.S. border.
The Mackenzie, Canada’s longest
river, drains the northwest.West of the
plains are the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
Along the Pacific are the Coast
Mountains. In the south and southeast,
lowlands border the Great Lakes and
Saint Lawrence River.
Because of its size, Canada has great
variety in its climate. Most regions have
very cold and long winters. Temperatures
are most moderate along the
Pacific coast.
Plants and Animals
One of the largest evergreen forests in
the world stretches from Alaska to Canada’s
Atlantic coast. In the south, the
evergreens are mixed with maple, beech,
red oak, and white ash trees. In the far
north is cold land known as tundra,
where only mosses, lichens, and low
shrubs grow.
Many of Canada’s wild animals live in
the northern forest. Among them are
moose, beavers, Canada lynx, black
bears, wolves, and snowshoe hares. Seals,
polar bears, caribou, white foxes, and
snowy owls live in the tundra. The animals
of the plains include deer and antelope.
Fish are plentiful in Canada’s
waters.
People
Nearly half of the people in Canada
have British ancestors, and almost one
fourth have French ancestors. Smaller
groups of people descended from other
European, Asian, or U.S. immigrants.
There are also small groups of American
Indians and Inuit, as well as Metis
(people with both Indian and European
Banff National Park is in southwestern
Alberta, along the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
Facts About
CANADA
Population
(2008 estimate)
33,213,000
Area
3,855,103 sq mi
(9,984,670 sq
km)
Capital
Ottawa
Form of
government
Federal parliamentary
state
Major metropolitan
areas
Toronto, Montreal,
Vancouver,
Ottawa-Hull, Calgary,
Edmonton
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Canada 23
ancestors). Both English and French are
official languages.
About three fourths of Canadians are
Christians. About one sixth of Canadians
follow no religion. The country also
has small groups of Muslims, Jews, Hindus,
and people of other faiths.
Most people live in cities and towns in
the south. The largest city is Toronto,
Ontario, Canada’s business center. The
second largest city is Montreal, Quebec.
It is a major seaport and one of the biggest
French-speaking cities in the world.
Vancouver, British Columbia, is Canada’s
third largest city.
Economy
The economy of Canada is based on
manufacturing and businesses that serve
the public. Among the many service
industries are finance, health care, education,
and tourism. The most valuable
manufactured goods include chemicals,
electronic products, metals, and wood
and paper goods. Canada is also a leading
producer of petroleum (oil), natural
gas, and minerals.
Canada is one of the world’s top food
producers. It is known for its grains,
especially wheat, and oilseeds. Pigs and
cattle are the most important livestock.
Fishers catch salmon, herring, cod, and
other fish in Canada’s waterways.
24 Canada BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
History
Early Peoples and Exploration
For thousands of years, Inuit lived in the
north and American Indian peoples
lived in the south of what is now
