Penanag Island

The island was referred to as 檳榔嶼 (Bīnláng Xù) in the navigational drawings used by Admiral Zheng He of Ming-dynasty China in his expeditions to the South Seas in the 15th century. Early Malays called it Pulau Ka-Satu or "First Island".
The name "Penang" comes from the modern Malay name Pulau Pinang, which means island of the areca nut tree (Areca catechu, family Palmae). The name Penang can refer either to the island of Penang or the state of Penang. The capital of Penang state is George Town. More specifically, George Town is also called Tanjung in Malay. Penang Island is simply Pulau Pinang (/'pulaʊ 'pinaŋ/) and Penang state is Negeri Pulau Pinang in Malay.
Penang is also known colloquially as "The Pearl of the Orient" and because of this Penang is also known as "Pulau Pinang Pulau Mutiara" (Penang Island of Pearls). [1]
On July 7, 2008, George Town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

[edit] History
Main article: History of Penang
Penang, originally part of the Malay Sultanate of Kedah, was given to the British East India Company in 1786 by the Sultan of Kedah, in exchange for military protection from Siamese and Burmese armies who were threatening Kedah. On 11 August 1786, Captain Francis Light, known as the founder of Penang, landed in Penang and renamed it Prince of Wales Island in honour of the heir to the British throne.
Many early settlers succumbed to malaria, earning Penang the "the White Man's Grave" epithet. [2]
Unbeknownst to the Sultan, Light had acted without the approval of the East India Company when he promised military protection. When the Company failed to aid Kedah when it was attacked by Siam, the Sultan tried to retake the island in 1790. The attempt was unsuccessful, and the Sultan was forced to cede the island to the Company for an honorarium of 6,000 Spanish dollars per annum. This was later increased to 10,000 dollars, with Province Wellesley being added to Penang in 1800. An annual honorarium of 10,000 ringgits continues to this day be paid by the Malaysian Federal Government to the state of Kedah.
In 1826, Penang, along with Malacca and Singapore, became part of the Straits Settlements under the British administration in India, moving to direct British colonial rule in 1867. In 1946 it became part of the Malayan Union, before becoming in 1948 a state of the Federation of Malaya, which gained independence in 1957 and became Malaysia in 1963.
The island was a free port until 1969. Despite the loss of the island's free-port status, from the 1970s to the late 1990s the state built up one of the largest electronics manufacturing bases in Asia, in the Free Trade Zone around the airport in the south of the island.
On 7 July 2008, George Town, the historic capital of Penang was formally inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside with Malacca. It is officially recognized as having a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia.[3]

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Genting Highland

Genting Highlands
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Genting Highlands Hotel
Genting Highlands (Malay: Tanah Tinggi Genting ; Chinese: 雲頂高原) (1700m above sea level 3°24′6.51″N, 101°46′2.62″E) is a mountain peak within the Titiwangsa Mountains on the border between the states of Pahang and Selangor of Malaysia and is home to a famous mountain resort by the same name which can be reached by car from Kuala Lumpur in one hour. It is also accessible by the world's fastest and South East Asia's longest cable car called Genting Skyway (3.38km[1]). In 2006, the resort had 18.4 million visitors.[1] Genting Highlands was founded by the late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong in the late 1960s.
Contents[hide]
1 Features
2 Events
2.1 Awards ceremony
2.2 Concerts
2.3 Competitions finale
2.4 Sports
3 Awards
4 Climate
5 Gallery
6 References
7 External links
//

[edit] Features
It is sometimes informally known as the Las Vegas of Malaysia, dubbed the 'City of Entertainment' as it is the only legal land-based casino in Malaysia, run by Resorts World Bhd, a sub-company of Genting Group. The resort, Genting Highlands Resort, also features many hotels owned by Genting subsidiaries including Genting Hotel, Highlands Hotel, Resort Hotel, Theme Park Hotel and Awana Genting. First World Hotel has a total of 6,118 rooms, making it the largest hotel in the world.[2] It surpassed MGM Grand Las Vegas, the former largest hotel in the world with 5,690 rooms.
Other facilities in this resort include theme parks, a Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum, a wind-turbine sky diving simulator, world-class golf course and shopping malls.
There is a computerised system outside First World Hotel which can automatically calculate the number of parking-bays left in four hotels; Genting Hotel, Highlands Hotel, First World Hotel and Resort Hotel.
Genting Highlands is also home to a 100 million year old forest.

[edit] Events

[edit] Awards ceremony
August 2008 will see Genting playing host to the MTV Asia Awards, the first time ever the awards show will be hosted in Malaysia. The ceremony bound to be a glitzy star-studded bash as usual, will be hosted by Hollywood actor and singer, Jared Leto of 'Fight Club', 'Panic Room' and 'Requiem for a Dream' fame.
In 2007, Genting Highlands was the home to the prestigious "Bollywood Oscars", the Zee Cine Awards 2007 and the Pakistani Lux Style Awards at the Arena of Stars, a musical amphitheater for mostly musical performances capable of holding up to 6,000 people at a time.

[edit] Concerts
May 2008 saw the X-Pax 'XLive Festival' come to Genting Theme Park and Arena of Stars, the first outdoor music festival to be held in the Genting Theme Park, which drew a crowd of 15,000 people. Headlining the festival was hip-hop superstar Missy Elliott as well as a string of internationally acclaimed DJs from America to Japan.
Black Eyed Peas
Cyndi Wang
Olivia Newton-John
Michael Learns to Rock
Boyz II Men
Cliff Richard
Jacky Cheung
Stefanie Sun
JJ Lin
Jay Chou
Mayday
Twins
Vanness Wu
S.H.E
Sammi Cheng
Jolin Tsai
Aaron Kwok
Andy Lau
Vanessa-Mae
Wong Kit
Beyond
Westlife

Boyz II Men at Arena of Stars

[edit] Competitions finale
Genting also plays host to a range of popular TV shows being filmed on site including:
Malaysian Idol
Star Idol Malaysia
Project SuperStar (Malaysia)

[edit] Sports
Tour de Langkawi
Genting Highlands serve as the finish point of a stage in the Tour de Langkawi cycling race. It is one of the longest (30 km) climbs featured in a cycling event.

[edit] Awards
Over the years, Genting Highlands have received numerous awards for their excellence including:
World's Leading Casino Resort, World Travel Awards 2007
Best Resort, TTG Travel Awards 2007
The BrandLaureate Awards, The Best Brands In Leisure And Hospitality 2006 - 2007
Top 5 Most Valuable Brands, Malaysia's Most Valuable Brands 2007
The World's Largest Hotel, Guinness World Records 2006
Malaysia Spa & Wellness Awards 2007 - Best Resort Spa

[edit] Climate
Genting Highlands enjoys a cool climate, with temperatures no higher than 25°C and rarely falling below 14°C yearly.

[edit] Gallery

Genting Hotel

Outdoor Theme Park


Sunset above the clouds

First World Plaza

[edit] References
^ a b Scheepstra, Wouter (2007-03-30). "Gokken in regenwoud (Gambling in rainforest)" (in Dutch), Sp!ts, pp. 22. Retrieved on 2007-04-03.
^ [http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news_lite.php?id=237233 Genting's First World Recognized As World's Largest Hotel]

[edit] External links
Genting Highlands official website
Genting Highlands travel guide from Wikitravel
[hide]
v • d • e Pahang Darul Makmur
Districts
Bera • Bentong • Cameron Highlands • Jerantut • Kuantan • Kuala Lipis • Maran • Pekan • Raub • Rompin • Temerloh
Towns
Bandar Bera • Bandar Pusat Jengka • Bandar Muadzam Shah • Bandar Tun Abdul Razak • Batu Talam • Belimbing • Benta • Bentong • Beserah • Brinchang • Bukit Tinggi • Ceruk Paluh • Chenor • Cheroh • Chini Lake • Cherating • FELDA Mempaga • FELDA New Zealand • Fraser's Hill • Gambang • Gebeng • Genting Highlands • Genting Sempah • Janda Baik • Jerantut • Kampung Awah • Karak • Kemayan • Ketari • Kuala Lipis • Kuala Pahang • Kuala Rompin • Kuala Tembeling • Kuantan (capital) • Lanchang • Lubuk Paku • Lurah Bilut • Maran • Mengkarak • Mengkuang • Mentakab • Merapoh • Nenasi • Paluh Hinai • Pekan • Raub • Rompin • Sempalit • Sungai Lembing • Sungai Ruan • Tanah Rata • Teluk Cempedak • Temerloh • Teriang • Tringkap
Islands
Pulau Tioman
Townships
Bandar Indera Mahkota • Gohtong Jaya
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genting_Highlands"
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Well, today we've announced its public launch, and we wanted to tell you a little bit more about it and how you might use it to complement your blog. Blogs are great for quickly and easily getting your latest writing out to your readers, while knols are better for when you want to write an authoritative article on a single topic. The tone is more formal, and, while it's easy to update the content and keep it fresh, knols aren't designed for continuously posting new content or threading. Know how to fix a leaky toilet, but don't want to write a blog about fixing up your house? In that case, Knol is for you. Except for the different format, you'll get all the things you've come to expect from Blogger in Knol. Like Blogger, Knol has simple web authoring tools that make it easy to collaborate, co-author, and publish. It has community features as well: Your readers will be able to add comments and rate your article, and, if you want, they'll be able to suggest edits that you can then either accept or reject. And, just like in Blogger, you can also choose to include ads from AdSense in your knols to perhaps make a little money.One other important difference between Knol and Blogger is that Knol encourages you to reveal your true identity. Knols are meant to be authoritative articles, and, therefore, they have a strong focus on authors and their credentials. We feel that this focus will help ensure that authors get credit for their work, make the content more credible.All in all, we think Knol will be a great new way for you to share what you know, inform people about an issue that is important to you, raise your profile as an expert in your field, and maybe even make some money from ads. Create your Knol right now for free.
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Philliphine,Manila

Look past the grimy surfaces and you'll find Manila's hidden treasures.
Modern Manila is a teeming metropolis, with huge tower blocks crowding the few examples of colonial architecture that survived the bombing of the city during WWII. Many people use it only as a base for further travel, but the more adventurous will discover its friendliness and charm.
Give the place a chance - it has a lot to offer and those who stop to explore the city on their way to destinations in other parts of Luzon or other islands often find a few treasures hidden among the urban chaos of the capital. Some come to find the city addictive.

Canada

Canada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

For other uses of "Canada" or "Canadian", see Canada (disambiguation) and Canadian (disambiguation).

Canada


Flag
Coat of arms
Motto: A Mari Usque Ad Mare (Latin)"From Sea to Sea"
Anthem: "O Canada"Royal anthem: "God Save the Queen"

Capital
Ottawa45°24′N 75°40′W / 45.4, -75.667
Largest city
Toronto
Official languages
English, French
Recognised regional languages
Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun, Cree, Dëne Sųłiné, Gwich’in, Inuvialuktun, Slavey, Tłįchǫ Yatiì
Ethnic groups
28% British, 23% French, 3.5% Aboriginal peoples, 47% other
Demonym
Canadian
Government
Parliamentary democracy and Constitutional monarchy
-
Monarch
HM Queen Elizabeth II
-
Governor General
Michaëlle Jean
-
Prime Minister
Stephen Harper
Establishment
-
British North America Act
July 1, 1867
-
Statute of Westminster
December 11, 1931
-
Canada Act
April 17, 1982
Area
-
Total
9,984,670 km² (2nd)3,854,085 sq mi
-
Water (%)
8.92 (891,163 km²/344,080 mi²)
Population
-
2008 estimate
33,340,000[1] (36th)
-
2006 census
31,612,897
-
Density
3.2/km² (219th)8.3/sq mi
GDP (PPP)
2007 estimate
-
Total
$1.274 trillion[2] (13th)
-
Per capita
$38,200[2] (12st)
GDP (nominal)
2007 estimate
-
Total
$1.432 trillion [3] (9th)
-
Per capita
$42,738 (14th)
Gini
32.1 (2005)[2]
HDI (2007)
▲ 0.961 (high) (4th)
Currency
Canadian dollar ($) (CAD)
Time zone
(UTC−3.5 to −8)
-
Summer (DST)
(UTC−2.5 to −7)
Internet TLD
.ca
Calling code
+1
Canada portal
Canada (IPA: /ˈkænədə/) is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean. It is the world's second largest country by total area,[2] and shares land borders with the United States to the south and northwest.
The land occupied by Canada was inhabited for millennia by various aboriginal people. Beginning in the late 15th century, British and French expeditions explored and later settled the Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 after the Seven Years War. In 1867, with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation, Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces.[4][5][6] This began an accretion of additional provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom, highlighted by the Statute of Westminster in 1931, and culminating in the Canada Act in 1982 which severed the vestiges of legal dependence on the British parliament.
A federation now comprising ten provinces and three territories, Canada is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state. It is a bilingual and multicultural country, with both English and French as official languages at the federal level. Technologically advanced and industrialized, Canada maintains a diversified economy that is heavily reliant upon its abundant natural resources and upon trade—particularly with the United States, with which Canada has had a long and complex relationship.
Contents[hide]
1 Etymology
2 History
3 Government and politics
4 Law
5 Foreign relations and military
6 Provinces and territories
7 Geography and climate
8 Economy
9 Demographics
10 Culture
11 Language
12 International rankings
13 See also
14 Notes
15 References
16 External links
//

Etymology
Main article: Name of Canada

Jacques Cartier
The name Canada most likely comes from a St. Lawrence Iroquoian word kanata, meaning "village" or "settlement". In 1535, inhabitants of the present-day Quebec City region used the word to direct explorer Jacques Cartier toward the village of Stadacona.[7] Cartier used the word 'Canada' to refer to not only that village, but the entire area subject to Donnacona, Chief at Stadacona. By 1545, European books and maps began referring to this region as Canada.[8]
The French colony of Canada referred to the part of New France along the Saint Lawrence River and the northern shores of the Great Lakes. Later, it was split into two British colonies, called Upper Canada and Lower Canada until their union as the British Province of Canada in 1841. Upon Confederation in 1867, the name Canada was adopted for the entire country, and Dominion was conferred as the country's title.[9] It was frequently referred to as the Dominion of Canada until the 1950s. As Canada asserted its political autonomy from Britain, the federal government increasingly used Canada on legal state documents and treaties. The Canada Act 1982 refers only to "Canada" and, as such, it is currently the only legal (and bilingual) name. This was reflected in 1982 with the renaming of the national holiday from Dominion Day to Canada Day.

History
Main articles: History of Canada, Timeline of Canadian history, and Territorial evolution of Canada

The fur trade was Canada's most important industry until the 19th century
First Nation and Inuit traditions maintain that aboriginal peoples have resided on their lands since the beginning of time. Archaeological studies support a human presence in the northern Yukon from 26,500 years ago, and in southern Ontario from 9,500 years ago.[10][11] Europeans first arrived when the Vikings settled briefly at L'Anse aux Meadows around AD 1000. Canada's Atlantic coast would next be explored John Cabot in 1497 for England[12] and Jacques Cartier in 1534 for France;[13] seasonal Basque whalers and fishermen subsequently exploited the region between the Grand Banks and Tadoussac for over a century.[14]
French explorer Samuel de Champlain arrived in 1603 and established the first permanent European settlements at Port Royal in 1605 and Quebec City in 1608. These would become respectively the capitals of Acadia and Canada. Among French colonists of New France, Canadiens extensively settled the St. Lawrence River valley, Acadians settled the present-day Maritimes, while French fur traders and Catholic missionaries explored the Great Lakes, Hudson Bay and the Mississippi watershed to Louisiana. The French and Iroquois Wars broke out over control of the fur trade.

The Death of General Wolfe on the Plains of Abraham at Quebec in 1759, part of the Seven Years' War.
The English established fishing outposts in Newfoundland around 1610 and colonized the Thirteen Colonies to the south. A series of four Intercolonial Wars erupted between 1689 and 1763. Mainland Nova Scotia came under British rule with the Treaty of Utrecht (1713); the Treaty of Paris (1763) ceded Canada and most of New France to Britain following the Seven Years' War.
The Royal Proclamation (1763) carved the Province of Quebec out of New France and annexed Cape Breton Island to Nova Scotia. It also restricted the language and religious rights of French Canadians. In 1769, St. John's Island (now Prince Edward Island) became a separate colony. To avert conflict in Quebec, the Quebec Act of 1774 expanded Quebec's territory to the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley and re-established the French language, Catholic faith, and French civil law in Quebec; it angered many residents of the Thirteen Colonies, helping to fuel the American Revolution.[15] The Treaty of Paris (1783) recognized American independence and ceded territories south of the Great Lakes to the United States. Approximately 50,000 United Empire Loyalists fled the United States to Canada.[16] New Brunswick was split from Nova Scotia as part of a reorganization of Loyalist settlements in the Maritimes. To accommodate English-speaking Loyalists in Quebec, the Constitutional Act of 1791 divided the province into French-speaking Lower Canada and English-speaking Upper Canada, granting each their own elected Legislative Assembly.
Canada (Upper and Lower) was the main front in the War of 1812 between the United States and British Empire. Its defence contributed to a sense of unity among British North Americans. Large-scale immigration to Canada began in 1815 from Britain and Ireland. The timber industry surpassed the fur trade in importance in the early nineteenth century.

Fathers of Confederation by Robert Harris, an amalgamation of Charlottetown and Quebec conference scenes.
The desire for Responsible Government resulted in the aborted Rebellions of 1837. The Durham Report subsequently recommended responsible government and the assimilation of French Canadians into British culture.[17] The Act of Union (1840) merged The Canadas into a United Province of Canada. French and English Canadians worked together in the Assembly to reinstate French rights. Responsible government was established for all British North American provinces by 1849.
The signing of the Oregon Treaty by Britain and the United States in 1846 ended the Oregon boundary dispute, extending the border westward along the 49th parallel and paving the way for British colonies on Vancouver Island (1849) and in British Columbia (1858). Canada launched a series of western exploratory expeditions to claim Rupert's Land and the Arctic region. The Canadian population grew rapidly because of high birth rates; British immigration was offset by emigration to the United States, especially by French Canadians moving to New England.

An animated map, exhibiting the growth and change of Canada's provinces and territories since Confederation.
Following several constitutional conferences, the Constitution Act, 1867 brought about Confederation creating "one Dominion under the name of Canada" on July 1, 1867, with four provinces: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.[18] Canada assumed control of Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory to form the Northwest Territories, where Métis' grievances ignited the Red River Rebellion and the creation of the province of Manitoba in July 1870. British Columbia and Vancouver Island (which had united in 1866) and the colony of Prince Edward Island joined Confederation in 1871 and 1873, respectively.
Prime Minister John A. Macdonald's Conservative Party established a National Policy of tariffs to protect nascent Canadian manufacturing industries. To open the West, the government sponsored construction of three trans-continental railways (most notably the Canadian Pacific Railway), opened the prairies to settlement with the Dominion Lands Act, and established the North-West Mounted Police to assert its authority over this territory. In 1898, after the Klondike Gold Rush in the Northwest Territories, the Canadian government created the Yukon territory. Under Liberal Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier, continental European immigrants settled the prairies, and Alberta and Saskatchewan became provinces in 1905.

Canadian soldiers won the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917.
Canada automatically entered the First World War in 1914 with Britain's declaration of war, sending volunteers to the Western Front, who played a substantial role in the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The Conscription Crisis of 1917 erupted when conservative Prime Minister Robert Borden brought in compulsory military service over the objection of French-speaking Quebecers. In 1919, Canada joined the League of Nations independently of Britain; in 1931 the Statute of Westminster affirmed Canada's independence.
The Great Depression of 1929 brought economic hardship to all of Canada. In response, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) in Alberta and Saskatchewan presaged a welfare state as pioneered by Tommy Douglas in the 1940s and 1950s. Canada declared war on Germany independently during World War II under Liberal Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, three days after Britain. The first Canadian Army units arrived in Britain in December 1939.[19] Canadian troops played important roles in the Battle of the Atlantic, the failed 1942 Dieppe Raid in France, the Allied invasion of Italy, the D-Day landings, the Battle of Normandy and the Battle of the Scheldt in 1944. Canada is credited by the Netherlands for having provided asylum and protection for its monarchy during the war after the country was occupied and the Netherlands credits Canada for its leadership and major contribution to the liberation of Netherlands from Nazi Germany. The Canadian economy boomed as industry manufactured military materiel for Canada, Britain, China and the Soviet Union. Despite another Conscription Crisis in Quebec, Canada finished the war with one of the largest armed forces in the world.[19] In 1945, during the war, Canada became one of the first countries to join the United Nations
In 1949, Newfoundland joined Confederation. Post-war prosperity and economic expansion ignited a baby boom and attracted immigration from war-ravaged European countries.[20]

The Constitution Act, 1982 during the official signing ceremony by Queen Elizabeth II in Ottawa on April 17, 1982.
Under successive Liberal governments of Lester B. Pearson and Pierre Trudeau, a new Canadian identity emerged. Canada adopted its current Maple Leaf Flag in 1965. In response to a more assertive French-speaking Quebec, the federal government became officially bilingual with the Official Languages Act of 1969. Non-discriminatory Immigration Acts were introduced in 1967 and 1976, and official multiculturalism in 1971; waves of non-European immigration changed the face of the country. Social democratic programs such as universal health care, the Canada Pension Plan, Canada Student Loans, the Foreign Investment Review Agency, and the National Energy Program were established in the 1960s and 1970s; provincial governments, particularly Quebec and Alberta, opposed many of these as incursions into their jurisdictions. Finally, constitutional conferences led by Prime Minister Trudeau resulted in the patriation of the constitution from Britain, enshrining a Charter of Rights and Freedoms based on individual rights in the Constitution Act of 1982. Canadians continue to take pride in their system of universal health care, their commitment to multiculturalism, and human rights.[21]
Quebec underwent profound social and economic changes during the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s. Quebec nationalists under Jean Lesage began pressing for greater autonomy .[22] The radical Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) ignited the October Crisis in 1970 with bombings and kidnappings demanding Quebec independence. The more moderate Parti Québécois of René Lévesque came to power in 1976 and held an unsuccessful referendum on sovereignty-association in 1980. Efforts by the Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney to constitutionally recognize Quebec as a "distinct society" with the Meech Lake Accord collapsed in 1989. Regional tensions ignited by the constitutional debate helped fledgling regional parties, the Bloc Québécois under Lucien Bouchard and the Reform Party under Preston Manning in Western Canada, relegate the Progressive Conservatives to fifth place in the federal election. A second Quebec referendum on sovereignty in 1995 was rejected by a slimmer margin of just 50.6% to 49.4%..[23] In 1997, the Canadian Supreme Court ruled unilateral secession by a province to be unconstitutional, and the Liberal government of Jean Chretien passed the "Clarity Act" outlining the terms of a negotiated departure.[23] The Reform Party would expand to become the Canadian Alliance and merge with the Progressive Conservatives to form the Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. The Conservatives were elected as a minority government under Stephen Harper in the 2006 federal election. Later that year, Canada's parliament passed a symbolic motion to recognize the Quebecois as a nation within Canada.[24]
Years of neglect and abuse by government agencies prompted aboriginal First Nations in the 1960's to use federal courts to press land claims and initiate negotiations with federal and provincial governments to recognize historical treaty rights. In the 1990's, frustration at the slow pace of negotiations gave way to violent confrontations in Oka, Ipperwash, and Gustafsen Lake. However, in 1999 Canada recognized Inuit self-government with the creation of Nunavut, and settled Nisga'a claims in B.C. In 2008, Canada's government officially apologized for abuses at residential schools set up to culturally assimilate aboriginal peoples.

Government and politics
Main articles: Government of Canada, Politics of Canada, and Monarchy of Canada

Parliament Hill, Ottawa.
Canada is a constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, as head of state and the Prime Minister as the head of the government.[25][26] The country is a parliamentary democracy with a federal system of parliamentary government and strong democratic traditions.
Executive authority is formally and constitutionally vested in the monarch.[27] However, by convention, the monarch and her appointed representative, the Governor General, act in a predominantly ceremonial and apolitical role, deferring the exercise of executive power to the Cabinet,[28][29] which is made up of ministers generally accountable to the elected House of Commons, and headed by the Prime Minister, who is normally the leader of the party that holds the confidence of the House of Commons. Thus, the Cabinet is typically regarded as the active seat of executive power.[30][27] This arrangement, which stems from the principals of responsible government,[31][28] ensures the stability of government, and makes the Prime Minister's Office one of the most powerful organs of the system, tasked with selecting, besides the other Cabinet members, Senators, federal court judges, heads of Crown corporations and government agencies, and the federal and provincial viceroys for appointment.[32] However, the sovereign and Governor General do retain their right to use the Royal Prerogative in exceptional constitutional crisis situations.[33]
The leader of the party with the second most seats usually becomes the Leader of the Opposition and is part of an adversarial parliamentary system that keeps the government in check. Michaëlle Jean has served as Governor General since September 27, 2005; Stephen Harper, leader of the Conservative Party, has been Prime Minister since February 6, 2006; and Stéphane Dion, leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, has been Leader of the Opposition since December 2, 2006.

The chamber of the House of Commons.
The federal parliament is made up of the Queen (represented by the Governor General) and two houses: an elected House of Commons and an appointed Senate.[34][35] Each member in the House of Commons is elected by simple plurality in a riding or electoral district. General elections are either every four years as determined by fixed election date legislation, or triggered by the government losing the confidence of the House (usually only possible during minority governments). Members of the Senate, whose seats are apportioned on a regional basis, are chosen by the Prime Minister and formally appointed by the Governor General, and serve until age 75.
Four parties have had substantial representation in the federal parliament since 2006 elections: the Conservative Party of Canada (governing party), the Liberal Party of Canada (Official Opposition), the New Democratic Party (NDP), and the Bloc Québécois. The Green Party of Canada does not have current representation in Parliament but garners a significant share of the national vote. The list of historical parties with elected representation is substantial.
In line with Canada's federalist structure, the constitution divides government responsibilities between the federal government and the ten provinces, whose unicameral provincial legislatures operate in parliamentary fashion similar to the federal House of Commons. Canada's three territories also have legislatures, but with less constitutional responsibilities than the provinces, and with some structural differences (for example, the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut has no parties and operates on consensus).

Law
Main article: Law of Canada
See also: Court system of Canada

The Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa, west of Parliament Hill.
The constitution is the supreme law of the country,[36] and consists of written text and unwritten conventions.[37] The Constitution Act, 1867, affirmed governance based on parliamentary precedent "similar in principle to that of the United Kingdom" and divided powers between the federal and provincial governments; the Statute of Westminster, 1931, granted full autonomy; and the Constitution Act, 1982, added the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees basic rights and freedoms that usually cannot be overridden by any level of government – though a notwithstanding clause allows the federal parliament and provincial legislatures to override certain sections of the Charter for a period of five years – and added a constitutional amending formula.[38]
Canada's judiciary plays an important role in interpreting laws and has the power to strike down laws that violate the Constitution. The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court and final arbiter and is led by the Right Honourable Madam Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, P.C. since 2000. Its nine members are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister and Minister of Justice. All judges at the superior and appellate levels are appointed after consultation with non-governmental legal bodies. The federal cabinet also appoints justices to superior courts at the provincial and territorial levels. Judicial posts at the lower provincial and territorial levels are filled by their respective governments.
Common law prevails everywhere except in Quebec, where civil law predominates. Criminal law is solely a federal responsibility and is uniform throughout Canada. Law enforcement, including criminal courts, is a provincial responsibility, but in rural areas of all provinces except Ontario and Quebec, policing is contracted to the federal Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Foreign relations and military
Main articles: Foreign relations of Canada, Canadian Forces, and Military history of Canada

The Peacekeeping Monument in Ottawa.
Canada and the United States share the world's longest undefended border, co-operate on military campaigns and exercises, and are each other's largest trading partners. Canada has nevertheless maintained an independent foreign policy, most notably maintaining full relations with Cuba and declining to participate in the Iraq War. Canada also maintains historic ties to the United Kingdom and France and to other former British and French colonies through Canada's membership in the Commonwealth of Nations and La Francophonie (French-Speaking Countries). Canada is noted for having a strong and positive relationship with the Netherlands which Canada helped liberate during World War II, and the Dutch government traditionally gives tulips, a symbol of the Netherlands, to Canada each year in remembrance of Canada's contribution to its liberation.
Canada currently employs a professional, volunteer military force of about 64,000 regular and 26,000 reserve personnel.[39] The unified Canadian Forces (CF) comprise the army, navy, and air force. Major CF equipment deployed includes 1,400 armoured fighting vehicles, 34 combat vessels, and 861 aircraft.[40]
Strong attachment to the British Empire and Commonwealth in English Canada led to major participation in British military efforts in the Second Boer War, the First World War, and the Second World War. Since then, Canada has been an advocate for multilateralism, making efforts to resolve global issues in collaboration with other nations.[41][42] Canada joined the United Nations in 1945 and became a founding member of NATO in 1949. During the Cold War, Canada was a major contributor to UN forces in the Korean War and founded the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) in cooperation with the United States.