0:02 - When I was driving along the roads of Canada, the feeling that the landscapes around resembled homeland did not leave me. In the vicinity of Ottawa, you can find all kinds of trees that grow in the Moscow region or central Russia. The prairies of the western provinces of the country are as immense as the boundless Ukrainian steppes. And the northern latitudes of the country are very similar to the Soviet Arctic. Lagging behind in dimention of territory only to the Soviet Union, Canada has much in common with it in its natural, geographical and climatic characteristics.
0:42 - Its natural resources are as diverse and inexhaustible as in the Soviet Union. It is rich in rivers, lakes, fertile land and many minerals.
0:58 - Its population is only 25 million people. But the majority of the population lives in the south of the country. The vast northern expanses of the country are poorly mastered. Despite this, it is one of the seven most developed capitalist countries.
1:19 - There are several cities in Canada that are much older and larger than Ottawa. It became the capital 123 years ago, when the issue of creating a Canadian federation was resolved. It was chosen because it was located on the border of the two largest provinces of the country. Ontario and Quebec.
1:43 - It is enough to cross a bridge across the Ottawa River so that you find yourself in one of them. This is the city of civil servants where there are almost no industrial enterprises. Here are located government offices, banks and insurance companies.
2:10 - The city is also known for its museums, theaters and two universities.Only in the center of Ottawa there are a number of skyscrapers. And around them as far as the eye can see there is a "sea" of two-storey mansions, among which only occasionally stand out large buildings. Medieval gothic looks somewhat unusual in such the young city.
2:38 - In this architectural style is built the parliament and many buildings around it. But this is only an imitation. However, it gives Ottawa a unique charm of middle ages. And these buildings give a balance by their primness with other buildings built in modern impetuous architecture.
2:57 - Tourists often come here. Canadians generally like to travel and, as a rule, they don’t sit at home on days off. It is especially pleasant to ride a riverboat along the Rideau Canal, which stretches across the city from north to south. In the winter season, when the canal is covered with ice, it turns into a multi-kilometer skating rink. In summer, pleasure boats ply on it.
3:27 - Here you can hear English and French words everywhere. All inscriptions and official documents are made in two languages. This is done in accordance with the laws. This country is bilingual. Most of its population are descendants of English and French settlers. But in Canada there are many other nationalities. In other words, Canada is a motley conglomerate of various ethnic groups. Characteristically, they try to keep apart from each other, carefully preserving their culture, language and traditions.
4:15 - But yet, every citizen of this country considers himself primarily a Canadian. However this does not prevent them from joking at themselves when the issue is about their national identity. One of the jokes sounds like this: Canadians first long proved to the Americans that they are not British, and then they justified themselves before the British that they were not Americans. Therefore, they did not have time to be themselves.
4:43 - To understand this joke you need to look at a history. Canada was discovered 450 years ago by French navigator Jacques Cartier. He not only gave the country this name, but also declared the lands he discovered as possessions of the French king. After that, fur traders rushed here, and after them the rest of the people. Ousting tribes of the Indians, they began to gradually master the eastern coast of Canada. Some time later the British appeared here. They began to enter from the north and south all the way further to the west of the continent. In the middle of the 18th century, a war began between competitors, which ended in victory for the British. All these lands including the former French colonies became the possessions of the English kings. It received the name British North America. Only a hundred years later, on July 1, 1867, it regained the name Canada. Having received the status of dominion, that is, the self-governing territory, Canada remained a part of the British Empire, under the authority of the English king.
5:56 - It is noteworthy that the Canadian national flag with a maple leaf in the center was hoisted above the parliament building quite recently in 1965. Before that there was a British flag. Just five years ago, on July 1, it was first celebrated as Canada Day, and not as Dominion Day. And finally, only three years ago a new constitution of the country was adopted replacing the Act of British North America that had been in force for 115 years. However, in this constitution, as before, the supreme authority of the British Queen is recognized, which is represented by the General Governor appointed by her. But this is only a formality.
6:48 - Having achieved political independence from London, Canada became economically dependent on the United States. It is enough to say that more than 2,500 American companies settled here. 30 percent of US exports go here. In Canada’s foreign trade, the southern neighbor’s share is almost two-thirds (2/3).
7:14 - In front of the federal parliament building in Ottawa, the fire symbolizes the unity of the country. Around the burning fountain there are emblems of 10 provinces and 2 northern territories that are part of the Canadian Federation. The process of its formation was completed only in 1949, when the Newfoundland island became a part of it as a province.
7:48 - Like any other capitalist country, Canada still today has the same problems as the entire West. Rising prices, inflation, decline in industrial production and finally unemployment. Every year hundreds of farmers and thousands of small entrepreneurs are ruined. But the incomes of large monopolies are constantly growing.
8:17 - There are a number of exclusively national problems in Canada. Among them, the desire of the French-speaking province of Quebec to achieve greater autonomy and the struggle of the indigenous people of the country of the Indians for providing them with equal civil rights and many other problems.
8:44 - But the main thing that worries Canadians, as well as all people on Earth, is the threat of nuclear war looming over the world. Using powerful economic levers the United States is increasingly tying the country to its military chariot. Of particular concern to Canadians is Washington’s new Strategic Defense Initiative nicknamed "Star Wars" and its desire to draw its allies into these dangerous plans. Meanwhile, Canada is not only a neighbor, but is also linked to the United States by a separate agreement on joint aerospace defense of North America.
9:25 - On the territory of Canada are tested American cruise missiles. Here began the modernization of the old and the construction of new radar early warning systems. Therefore, a protest movement against this is growing throughout the country and the number of supporters of peace and disarmament is growing. This year, several mass anti-war demonstrations took place in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton and other cities.
10:01 - Already several generations of Canadians do not know what war is. For over 200 years, the country has lived in conditions of peace, which allowed it to achieve great success. And on this festive day, we want to wish that there is always a clear sky over Canada ["Clear sky" is meant a peaceful sky. The sky without bombs, missiles and bombers].
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