Canada Hotels

With ten provinces and three territories, after Russia, Canada is the biggest country in the world, but with a population of only about 35m people. It lies north of the USA and reaches from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans, and north into the Arctic Circle. Canada has a long history of occupation by tribal peoples, and today this tradition colours a diverse culture. It is democratic, a member of the Commonwealth, and recognises the British Monarchy. All this makes it a rich and varied place, ancient and modern, with major cities - the capital is Ottawa and the biggest city is Toronto - and vast open spaces of many landscapes.

The main language is English, but French is spoken in Quebec which has strong cultural ties with France. This is a prosperous, civilised and successful nation, well-educated and generally stable; the Canadian dollar is a reliable currency - and they drive on the right. There is wilderness in Canada, with its vast forest and mountain regions, its prairies and many, many freshwater lakes - more than any country in the world.

There are two fine coastlines, east and west, where the climate can be temperate. However, winters can be harsh in many places, though there are high summer temperatures in some inland areas. There is stunning scenery with glaciers, volcanoes, arctic tundra, the Rocky Mountains and the Great Lakes.

There are only just over three people per square kilometre, so for those who like solitude, it is not crowded.