Canada is the wordl's second largest country, extending from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean. Occupying most of the northern portion of North America, Canada shares land borders with the United States to the south and to the northwest.
Inhabited originally by aboriginal peoples, Canada was founded as a union of British colonies, some of which had earlier been French colonies. Now a federal dominion of ten provinces and three territories, Canada peacefully obtained sovereignty from the Britain in a process spanning from 1867 to 1982.
Canada is a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy, and defines itself as a bilingual and multicultural nation; both English and French are official languages. A technologically advanced and industrialized nation, its diversified economy relies heavily on an abundance of natural resources and on trade, particularly with the United States, with which Canada has had a long and complex relationship.
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