CANADA TODAY

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I. CHALLENGES FOR CANADA TODAY

A. Natural Resources 1. Canada tries to balance the opportunities they can have with their natural resources and the need to protect the environment 2. lumber companies look for ways to produce wood products without destroying entire forests 3. aboveground pipelines are useful because of the permafrost in Canada, but it creates barriers for migrating caribou and other animals

B. Urbanization

1. 77% of Canada’s population live in cities

2. urbanization has created many problems, including housing and services, pollution, and overcrowding

II. LINKS WITH THE UNITED STATESA. The border between Canada & the US is the longest

undefended border in the world (5,000+ miles)1. Travelers pay customs (fees charged by one country’s government on goods you are taking in from the other country)

B. Cultural Links1. People living close to the border can watch tv and listen to

radio stations from both countries2. Baseball and hockey leagues include teams from both

countries

A. Economic Links1. Canada buys 25% of all US exported goods & the US

buys 85% of Canada’s exported goods2. FTA – Free Trade Agreement – (1988) ended tariffs (taxes

on imported goods which cause their prices to rise)3. NAFTA – North American Free Trade Agreement – (1993)

established a free-trade zone across all of North American (Canada, US, Mexico)

III. AN UNEVEN RELATIONSHIP

A. Canada’s location provides its people with great opportunities since it is so close to the US

B. Canadians often know what is going on in the US, while Americans could often times care less what is going on in Canada

C. Canada’s identity is often overshadowed by the huge identity that the US has