Unit 8: Canada Today In this unit, you will examine our neighbor to the north, Canada. You will learn about its forms of government, including presidential, unitary, monarchy, and parliamentary systems of government. You will read about the French and English European influences and learn about Canada today. KEY TERMS Autocracy: A system in which all of the power is held by one person. In this system of government, the ruler has absolute or unlimited power. (CG1b) Confederation: A group of states or nations that retain most power while granting limited authority to a central government. (CG1a) Constitutional monarchy: A system of government in which a king or queen acts as the head of state, while laws are enacted by a parliament elected by voters. Canada is a constitutional monarchy. (CG3a) Democracy: A system of government in which a nation s citizens vote for their leaders. (CG1b) Federal system of government: A system in which individual states share authority with a central government. Examples include Canada and the United States. (CG1a) Federation: A form of government in which sovereign power is formally divided between a central authority and a number of constituent regions (states, colonies, or provinces) so that each region retains some management of its internal affairs. One example of a federation is Canada. (CG3a) French and English influence: Canada was originally made up of colonies established by France and England. As a result, the majority of the provinces within the nation speak English, while one, Quebec, speaks French. Colonizing nations also established Christianity, mostly Catholicism, within the nation. (H4a, b) Oligarchy: A system in which a small and powerful group controls the government. (CG1b) Quebec: A province located in the east-central part of Canada. Predominantly French-speaking, it has sought independence from Canada at several points to preserve its cultural heritage. (H5a) Parliamentary system of government: A democratic form of government in which voters choose representatives to a governing body called a parliament. Canada is governed under a parliamentary system. (CG1c) Presidential system of government: A republican form of government in which voters choose a president to lead the executive branch of government, which is separate from other branches. (CG1c) Unitary system of government: A system in which an entire country is ruled by a single government. Power is not shared between the central government and smaller states the way that it is in a federal system. (CG1a) Georgia Milestones Grade 6 EOG Study/Resource Guide for Students and Parents Page 201 of 218
Sample Items 13 14 Item 13 Which nation had the MOST influence on the language and religion of Quebec? A. England B. France C. Netherlands D. Spain Item 14 While doing research for a report, Mary found this information: The British Parliament granted Canada many powers of self-government in 1867. The Canada Act of 1982, passed by Great Britain, gave Canada total legislative freedom. Canada remains part of the British Commonwealth, with the Queen as sovereign. Which argument could Mary make in her report that would be supported by the information in the box? A. Canada engaged in a long revolutionary struggle against British rule. B. Great Britain still controls Canada as a colony for the benefit of the empire. C. Canada gained independence slowly and without the use of much violence. D. Great Britain s role in Canadian affairs increased more and more over time. Page 202 of 218 Georgia Milestones Grade 6 EOG Study/Resource Guide for Students and Parents
Unit 9: Environmental and Economic Forces in Canada In this unit, you will turn to the economic and environmental forces in Canada. You will examine its geological features such as the Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, the Canadian Shield, the St. Lawrence River, the Rocky Mountains, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. You will learn about Canada s vast timber resources and other natural resources. KEY TERMS Acid rain: Rainfall made toxic by air pollution. It is a result of waste gases from the burning of fossil fuels. In Canada, acid rain caused by pollution in other countries results in damage to vegetation, lakes, and rivers. (G7a) Atlantic Ocean: The second largest ocean in the world. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Antarctic in the south and is divided into the North Atlantic and the South Atlantic. It is located between North and South America and Europe and Africa. (G5a) Canada: A large country located in the northern part of North America. It is bordered to the south by the United States. Its economy is largely based on natural resources such as timber, minerals, and oil. Because of its location near the top of the northern hemisphere (which is arctic, cold, and dry), the population is mostly located in the southern part of the country. Its largest exports are to the United States and are often carried over water routes, including the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. (G6a, b) Canadian Shield: A large region in central and northern Canada where a thin layer of topsoil covers a bed of Precambrian rock. The area is rich in natural resources, particularly minerals. Mining makes up a large part of the area s economy, though extraction of minerals is sometimes difficult due to climate and location. The population centers in the north are located mostly around accessible natural resources. (G7a) Capital: The property (buildings, machinery, etc.) and technology that represent the chief investments of a person or business. (E3b) Currency exchange: A business that allows individuals or groups to exchange the currency of one country or place for that of another. This exchange is necessary in a world where trade takes place between nations with different monetary systems. (E2d) Embargo: An official ban, usually on trade with another country. Sometimes the ban is on specific goods. (E2b) Entrepreneurship: The process of starting an organization or business. The economies of many countries are supported by small businesses begun by entrepreneurs. (E3d) Great Lakes: A series of freshwater lakes along the border of the United States and Canada. Factories situated along the lakes were not regulated, and runoff from pesticides and fertilizer has contributed to their pollution. (G7a) Hudson Bay: A large inland sea located in northeastern Canada. (G5a) Human capital: The human knowledge, creativity, and habits that contribute to an economy. (E3a) Georgia Milestones Grade 6 EOG Study/Resource Guide for Students and Parents Page 203 of 218
Natural resources: Land, water, forests, and minerals found in nature that are useful to humans. These contribute to the wealth of a country. (E3c) North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): A trade agreement between Canada, the United States, and Mexico that eliminated most tariffs and trade restrictions on goods and services traded among the countries. (E2c) Pacific Ocean: The largest ocean on Earth. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Southern Ocean to the south, Asia and Australia to the west, and North and South America to the east. (G5a) Rocky Mountains: The largest and longest mountain chain in North America, extending from Alaska, through Canada, and into New Mexico in the southern United States. (G5a) Specialization: The focusing of a business or a country on the production of one or a relatively small number of products or services. Because most areas can produce only a limited number of goods or services, they must then trade these goods and services for others that they need. Canada specializes in timber and minerals. (E2a) St. Lawrence River: A river that flows from Lake Ontario in Canada, along the boundary between Ontario and New York State, and into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. (G5a) Tariff: A tax or duty that must be paid on a specific import or export. Tariffs are often used by governments to limit imports from other countries. (E2b) Timber resources: One of Canada s largest exports is wood from its ample forests. The timber industry employs over 200,000 people. (G7a) Page 204 of 218 Georgia Milestones Grade 6 EOG Study/Resource Guide for Students and Parents
Sample Items 15 16 Item 15 Where do the majority of Canadians live? A. near the western border with Alaska B. near the northern border along the Arctic Ocean C. near the southern border with the United States D. near the eastern border along the Atlantic Ocean Item 16 Look at the table. Oil Production in Canada (1980-2010) Year 1980 1990 2000 2010 Barrels of oil per day 1.8 million 2.0 million 2.8 million 3.4 million Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration Which statement MOST LIKELY explains how the trend shown in the table affected Canada during that time? A. It led to unemployment. B. It led to increased trade. C. It led to a lower literacy rate. D. It led to a command economy. Georgia Milestones Grade 6 EOG Study/Resource Guide for Students and Parents Page 205 of 218