Canadian Citizenship Test Study Guides

Canada's first peoples are the Indigenous peoples: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. They lived across the land for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. Aboriginal and treaty rights are recognized in the Constitution, and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples is an important part of Canada today.

Canada is a federal state, a parliamentary democracy, and a constitutional monarchy. The King is Canada's head of state, while the Prime Minister is the head of government who actually runs the country. The Sovereign is represented in Canada by the Governor General at the federal level and by Lieutenant Governors in each province.

Canada is the second-largest country in the world by area. It spans six time zones and is bordered by three oceans: the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Arctic. It shares the longest undefended border in the world with the United States to the south. The national capital is Ottawa, in the province of Ontario.

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms has been part of the Constitution since 1982. It sets out the rights and freedoms Canadians believe are necessary in a free and democratic society. It protects fundamental freedoms such as freedom of religion, freedom of thought and expression, freedom of peaceful assembly, and freedom of association, along with mobility, legal, and equality rights.

Canada's national symbols reflect its history and values. The national flag, with its single red maple leaf on a white square between two red bands, was first raised in 1965. The maple leaf itself is Canada's best-known symbol. “O Canada” is the national anthem, and the Crown is a symbol of government shared by all Canadians.

Canada has a strong, modern economy built on trade. Its three main types of industry are service industries, where most Canadians work, manufacturing industries, and natural resources such as forestry, fishing, agriculture, mining, and energy.

Canada is founded on the rule of law, which means everyone, including governments, is subject to the law and no one is above it. Canada's legal tradition draws on English common law, the civil law of France used in Quebec, and the customs of Indigenous peoples. Historic milestones such as the Magna Carta of 1215, known as the Great Charter of Freedoms, and the right of habeas corpus shaped these freedoms.