Canada is the second largest country in the world after Russia.It is larger than the USA and reaches nearly a quarter of the way round the earth.The distance from east to west is over 5,500 kilometres and the country covers six of the world's 24 time zones.However, its population, about 33.8 million, is only about one­fifth of Russia's.Nearly 90% of Canadians live within 200 km of the border with the United States, which means that Canada contains vast expanses (宽阔的区域) of wilderness to the north.Canada's native peoples make up less than two percent of the population.

　　The weather is different from area to area.In the north, the winters are long and hard, with snow for six months of the year.The temperature can fall to －60℃.The west coast of Canada is the warmest place in winter.The average January temperature is 3℃， and in July it is 18℃.Here it rains a lot every month of the year.Plants grow well all the year round and the parks and gardens are famous for their flowers.

　　Canada has one third of the world's supply of fresh water.There are five great lakes in the south, and there are many others, especially in the north.Most of the electricity is produced by water.The country has a great deal of coal, oil and natural gas, and these are all exploited (开发) for energy.