Travel: 192-PART GUIDE TO THE WORLD PART 32 CANADA

LANGUAGE

Both French and English are spoken - a reflection of Canada's colonial past.

POPULATION

More than 30 million.

SIZE

9,960,000 square kilometres, spanning six time zones.

NATIONAL DISH

French food in Quebec, and maple syrup, which is exported worldwide.

BEST MONUMENT

The CN Tower in Toronto is the tallest building in the world, its height being a staggering 555m. When the weather is clear, visitors can see a panoramic view for up to 160km.

MOST FAMOUS CITIZENS

Plenty to choose from, although in terms of sheer global appeal, the pop stars Bryan Adams and Celine Dion would be pretty hard to beat.

BEST MOMENT IN HISTORY

The British North America Act of 1 July 1867 established the Dominion of Canada, which initially included the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Quebec had formerly been Lower Canada, Ontario Upper Canada.

WORST MOMENT IN HISTORY

On the sporting front Canada has suffered some ignominious moments, not least when the 100-metre sprinter Ben Johnson was stripped of his gold medal after the Seoul Olympics in 1988 for use of a banned substance. On a similar theme, the Olympic stadium for the 1976 games in Montreal was not fully completed until 1990.

ESSENTIAL ACCESSORY

Thermal clothing is vital to combat the long, harsh winters, during which most of the country endures average temperatures of -20C or below.

WHAT NOT TO DO

Canadians are a very proud people but they can sometimes be a little nervous about their country and its identity. On no account should you accuse them of being indistinguishable from their American neighbours.