Traditions, customs, holidays

 

The United Kingdom is one of the world's most cosmopolitan and diverse countries. Each constituent part of the United Kingdom—England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland—maintains its own unique customs, traditions and festivals.

First of all, it concerns United Kingdom political system. In Great Britain there’s no written constitution, only customs, traditions and precedents. After the English Revolution GB became a constitutional monarchy headed by King (now Queen, Elizabeth the second). Traditionally the Queen acts only on the advice of her Ministers. She reigns but she doesn’t rule.

Englishmen have traditions not only in political, but in social life.

English people like to spend their free time in numerous pubs. They can have a glass of beer and talk about different things with their friends.

The English are traditional about their meals. They eat eggs and bacon with toasts for breakfast, pudding or apple pie for dessert. Every English family has five o’clock tea.

A typical feature of an English house is a fireplace, even when there’s central heating in the house. Englishmen pay much attention to their homes. They often say: “My house is my castle.” Traditionally English people fond of gardening and there is always a beautiful garden near every English house.

English people like domestic animals. Every family has a pet: a dog, a cat or a bird.

Historically, English daily life and customs were markedly different in urban and rural areas. Today, even though the English are among the world's most cosmopolitan and well-traveled people, ties to the rural past remain strong. Urbanites, for example, commonly retire to villages and country cottages, and even the smallest urban dwelling is likely to have a garden.

Another divide, though one that is fast disappearing, is the rigid class system that long made it difficult for nonaristocratic individuals to rise to positions of prominence in commerce, government, and education. Significant changes have accompanied the decline of the class system, which also had reinforced distinctions between town and country and between the less affluent north of England and the country's wealthy south.

Many holidays in England, such as Christmas, are celebrated throughout the world, though the traditional English Christmas is less a commercial event than an opportunity for singing and feasting. They also celebrate Easter, the oldest and the most important Christian holidays. Remembrance Day (November 11) honours British soldiers who died in World War I. Other remembrances are unique to England and are nearly inexplicable to outsiders. For example, Guy Fawkes Night (November 5) commemorates a Roman Catholic conspiracy to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605, and Saint George's Day (April 23) honours England's patron saint—though the holiday is barely celebrated at all in England, in marked contrast to the celebrations in Wales, Scotland, and Ireland for their respective patron saints: St Andrew's Day (Scotland's National Day), St David's Day (Wales National Day), St. Patrick's Day (Ireland's Special Day). There are also such holidays as Halloween (October 31), St.Valentine’s Day (February 14), April Fool’s Day – a day of fun and jokes (April 1).

The monarch's official birthday is also observed nationally and commemorated in the summer by a military parade called Trooping the Colour, which has been celebrated since the 18th century.

 

Vocabulary notes

 

affluent - приток (реки)

(to) commemorate - почтить память (в письменном обращении или каким-либо другим образом; отмечать, праздновать

cosmopolitan – космополит; космополитический

diverse - многообразный, различный, разнообразный, разный; разнотипный

dwelling - жилище, (жилой) дом, жилье; местожительство; проживание

feasting - празднование, торжество

fireplace – камин

precedent - предшествующий, предыдущий; превосходящий

(to) reinforce - укреплять, усиливать; повторять с новыми силами

remembrance - воспоминание, поминовение; память (Remembrance Day, Remembrance Sunday — день памяти погибших в первую и вторую мировые войны)

rural areas - сельский район

Trooping the Colour - вынос знамени, торжественный развод караулов с выносом знамени (проводится ежегодно в Лондоне на плац-параде конной гвардии (Horse Guards Parade) в официальный день рождения монарха. Навстречу монарху выносят знамя гвардейского полка, несёт караульную службу во дворце в текущем году)

urban area - городской район

 

British cuisine

English cuisine has traditionally been based on beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and fish, all cooked with the minimum of embellishment and generally served with potatoes and one other vegetable.

Traditional British food usually includes dishes such as fish and chips, roast dishes of beef, lamb, chicken and pork, both sweet and savoury pies and puddings, as well as regional dishes such as the Cornish pasty and Lancashire Hotpot.

The Sunday roast is perhaps the most common feature of English cooking. The Sunday dinner traditionally includes roast potatoes accompanying a roasted joint of meat such as roast beef, lamb, or a roast chicken and assorted vegetables, themselves generally roasted or boiled and served with a thick gravy.

Yorkshire pudding and gravy is now often served as an accompaniment to the main course.

Fish and chips, traditionally wrapped in old newspapers to keep warm on the journey home, has long been one of England's most popular carryout dishes. It is possibly the most popular and uniquely English dish, and is traditionally served with a side order of mushy peas with salt and vinegar as condiments. The advent of take-away foods during the industrial revolution led to foods such as fish and chips, mushy peas, and steak and kidney pie with mashed potato (pie and mash).

The full English breakfast (also known as "cooked breakfast" or "fried breakfast") also remains a culinary classic. Its contents vary, but it normally consists of a combination of bacon, grilled tomatoes, fried bread, black pudding, baked beans, fried mushrooms, sausages, eggs (fried, scrambled or boiled) and other variations on these ingredients and others.

By convention, at least for middle-income households, the main family meal of the week was the “Sunday joint” when a substantial piece of beef, lamb, or pork was roasted in the oven during the morning and served around midday.

The English sausage is distinctive, being made of fresh meat and rarely smoked, dried, or strongly flavoured. A variant of the sausage is the black pudding. It is made from pig's blood. Pig's trotters, tripe and brawn are also traditional fare in the North.

Pies, originally a way to preserve food, have long been a mainstay of English cooking. Meat pies are generally enclosed with fillings such as chicken and mushroom or steak and kidney (originally steak and oyster). Pork pies are almost always being eaten cold. Open pies or flans are generally served for desert with fillings of seasonal fruit. Another kind of pie is topped with mashed potato — for instance, shepherd's pie, with lamb, cottage pie, with beef, or fisherman's pie.

Britons make kippers, ham, bacon and a wide variety of pickled vegetables. Scottish smoked fish — salmon and Arbroath smokies — is particularly prized.

A formal teatime meal often may include scones with jam and butter or clotted cream. There are also butterfly cakes, simple small sponge cakes which can be iced or eaten plain. Nationwide, assorted biscuits and sandwiches are eaten. At home, the British have many original home-made desserts such as rhubarb crumble, bread and butter pudding, trifle and spotted dick. The traditional accompaniment is custard, known as crème anglaise (English sauce or English Cream). The dishes are simple and traditional, with recipes passed on from generation to generation. There is also Christmas pudding.

Tea itself, usually served with milk, is consumed throughout the day and is sometimes drunk with meals. In recent years herbal teas and speciality teas have also become popular.

 

Vocabulary notes

 

Advent - приход, прибытие

Arbroath smokies - арбротские копчушки (мелкая копчёная пикша) название по Арброту, Шотландия

Brawn - засоленная свинина, консервированная свинина; студень из свиной головы и говяжьих ножек

Clotted cream - сливочный варенец (сливки сквашиваются путем нагревания и медленного охлаждения)

Condiment - приправа

Cornish pasty - корнуэльский пирожок (горячий, жареный; с начинкой из мяса, почек, картофеля и капусты) первоначально выпекался в графстве Корнуолл

Custard - сладкий крем (из яиц и молока)

Embellishment - украшение; декорирование

Flan - открытый пирог с фруктовой, ягодной (и т.п.) начинкой; заварной крем, запеченный с карамельной глазурью

Gravy - подливка (из сока жаркого), соус, сок

Joint - мясной отруб (a joint of meat — кусок мяса)

Kidney - почка

Lamb - (зд.) мясо молодого барашка

Lancashire Hotpot - ланкаширское рагу (то же, что hotpot)

Mainstay - главная поддержка, опора, оплот

Mushy - мягкий; кашеобразной консистенции; мятый

Oyster - устрица

Pickled - соленый; маринованный

Rhubarb crumble – толченый (тертый) ревень

Savoury - острый, пикантный, пряный; острое блюдо, острая закуска (подаваемая в качестве аперитива или диджестива)

Scone - ячменная или пшеничная лепешка

Scramble - взбалтывать (обычно яйца для болтуньи)

Shepherd's pie - картофельная запеканка с мясом

Tripe – рубец или желудок (у жвачного животного), потроха (мн.ч.)

Trifle - бисквит, пропитанный вином и залитый сбитыми сливками

Trotters - ножки (свиные и т. п. как блюдо)

Roast – жаркое; кусок мяса, пригодный для жарки или приготовления жаркого; жареный; to roast - жарить(ся); печь(ся) (особ. в духовке или на открытом огне)

Vinegar - уксус

TESTS

1. Britannia is…

1. a national anthem of the UK;

2. a personification of England;

3. a personification of the UK;

4. an emblem of the England national football team.

 

2. The flag of the UK is commonly known as …

1. the “Merry Roger”;

2. the “Union Cross”;

3. the “Union Jack”;

4. the “Stars and Stripes”.

 

3. In 1801 legislation united … to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

1. Great Britain with Wales;

2. Great Britain with Ireland;

3. Scotland with Ireland and Wales;

4. England with Scotland.

 

4. … established the Church of England.

1. Henry VIII;

2. Elizabeth I;

3. Queen Victoria;

4. William I the Conqueror.

 

5. … must nominate a head of government (Prime Minister).

1. the government;

2. the ministers;

3. the Parliament;

4. the monarch.

6. At present there are two main political parties in England: …

1. the Conservative Party and the Communist Party;

2. the Conservative Party and the Labour Party;

3. the Labour Party and the Royalists;

4. the Liberal Party and the Labour Party.

 

7. The United Kingdom does not have a constitutionally defined official language.

1. have a constitutionally defined official language (English);

2. does not have a constitutionally defined official language;

3. have two constitutionally defined official languages (English and Welsh);

4. have four constitutionally defined official languages (English and Welsh, Irish and Scottish Gaelic).

 

8. Presbyterianism is the official faith in….

1. Scotland;

2. England;

3. Wales;

4. Ireland.

 

9. … is the highest mountain in the British Isles.

1. Snowdon;

2. Slieve Donard;

3. Ben Nevis;

4. Scafell Pike.

 

10. England has ….

1. a subtropical climate, with plentiful rainfall all year round;

2. a temperate and oceanic climate, with plentiful rainfall in winter;

3. a very dry subtropical climate;

4. a temperate climate, with plentiful rainfall all year round.

11. Today only a small part of the English countryside is woodland, ….

1. a substantial amount of it is a state property;

2. a small part of it is privately owned;

3. a substantial amount of it is privately owned;

4. a half of is a state property.

 

12. …is London's main entertainment and shopping district, with locations such as Oxford Street, Leicester Square, Covent Garden and Piccadilly Circus acting as tourist magnets.

1. the East End;

2. the West End;

3. the City;

4. the North London.

 

13. … is a very famous exhibition of wax figures.

1. British Museum;

2. London Eye;

3. Tate Gallery;

4. Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.

14. … is considered to be the world's first industrialised city.

1. Glasgow;

2. Manchester;

3. Edinburgh;

4. Liverpool.

 

15. Cardiff is the capital, largest and core city of ….

1. Wales;

2. England;

3. Ireland;

4. Scotland.

 

16. English children must go to school when they are ….

1. 5;

2. 7;

3. 6;

4. 8.

 

17. … is the oldest university in Scotland.

1. Oxford University;

2. Cambridge University;

3. The University of St Andrews;

4. Harward.

 

18. St. Patrick's Day honours ….

1. Scotland's patron saint;

2. England's patron saint;

3. Ireland's patron saint;

4. Wales’s patron saint.

 

19. The most popular English carryout dish is... traditionally served with a side order of mushy peas with salt and vinegar as condiments.

1. fish and chips;

2. meat and chips;

3. roasted fish;

4. Sunday joint.

 

20.... is the main business paper, printed on distinctive salmon-pink broadsheet paper.

1. The Sun;

2. The Financial Times;

3. The Guardian;

4. The Daily Telegraph.

21. Andrew Lloyd Webber is a world famous English….

1. ballet dancer;

2. composer;

3. playwright;

4. actor.

 

22. …is the most famous playwright in the world who wrote around 40 plays that are still performed in theatres across the world today.

1. William Shakespeare;

2. Christopher Marlowe;

3. Robert Burns;

4. John Osborne.

 

23. The Royal Albert Hall is …

1. a night club;

2. a theatre;

3. a concert hall;

4. a museum.

 

24.... is a voluntary association of 53 independent sovereign states nearly all of which are former possessions of the British Empire.

1. the United Nations;

2. the Commonwealth of Nations (CN);

3. the UK;

4. UNESCO.

 

25. The world famous English band the Beatles appeared in ….

1. London;

2. Manchester;

3. Leeds;

4. Liverpool.

 

CANADA

 

National symbols

1. Canadian flag

The flag is red and white, the official colours of Canada as appointed by King George V in 1921, with a stylized 11-point red leaf in its centre.

 

 

The search for a new Canadian flag started in earnest in 1925 when a committee of the Privy Council began to research possible designs for a national flag. However, the work of the committee was never completed.

Later, in 1946, a select parliamentary committee was appointed with a similar mandate, called for submissions and received more than 2,600 designs. Still, the Parliament of Canada was never called upon to formally vote on a design.

Early in 1964, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson informed the House of Commons that the government wished to adopt a distinctive national flag. The 1967 centennial celebration of Confederation was, after all, approaching. As a result, a Senate and House of Commons Committee was formed and submissions were called for once again.

In October 1964, after eliminating various proposals, the committee was left with three possible designs - a Red Ensign with the fleur-de-lis and the Union Jack, a design incorporating three red maple leaves, and a red flag with a single, stylized red maple leaf on a white square. (Pearson himself preferred a design with three red maple leaves between two blue borders.)

Two heraldry experts, who both favoured a three-leaf design, played a decisive role in the choice of our flag: Alan Beddoe, a retired naval captain and heraldic adviser to the Royal Canadian Navy, and Colonel Fortescue Duguid, a heraldist and historian.

The names of Mr. John Matheson and Dr. George Stanley are well known in the story of the evolution of a new Canadian flag. Mr. Matheson, a Member of Parliament from Ontario, was perhaps one of the strongest supporters of a new flag and played a key advisory role. Dr. Stanley was Dean of Arts at the Royal Military College in Kingston, and brought to the attention of the committee the fact that the Commandant's flag at the College - an emblem, i.e. a mailed fist, on a red and white ground - was impressive.

Dr. Stanley's design is based on a strong sense of Canadian history. The combination of red, white and red first appeared in the General Service Medal issued by Queen Victoria. Red and white were subsequently proclaimed Canada's national colours by King George V in 1921. Three years earlier, Major General (later the Honourable) Sir Eugene Fiset had recommended that Canada's emblem be the single red maple leaf on a white field - the device worn by all Canadian Olympic athletes since 1904.

The committee eventually decided to recommend the single-leaf design, which was approved by resolution of the House of Commons on December 15, 1964, followed by the Senate on December 17, 1964, and proclaimed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, to take effect on February 15, 1965.

In due course the final design of the stylized maple leaf was established by Mr. Jacques St-Cyr, the precise dimensions of red and white were suggested by Mr. George Best, and the technical description of precise shade of red defined by Dr. Gunter Wyszchi.

The national flag of Canada, then, came into being, credit to those eminent Canadians: the Right Honourable Lester B. Pearson, who wanted a distinctive national flag as a vehicle to promote national unity; John Matheson, who established the conceptual framework for a suitable flag, then sought out and combined the appropriate components to create it; and Dr. George Stanley, who provided the seminal concept - the central concepts of red-white-red stripes with a central maple leaf - in this process.

 

2. Canadian coat of arms

 

The present design of the arms of Canada was drawn by Mrs. Cathy Bursey-Sabourin, Fraser Herald at the Canadian Heraldic Authority, office of the Governor General of Canada, and faithfully depicts the arms described in the words of the Royal Proclamation dated November 21, 1921. The present design was approved in 1994.

 

3. Canadian motto: A Mari Usque Ad Mare (Latin): " From Sea to Sea "

 

4. National anthem: O Canada

Official Lyrics (English)

O Canada! Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee;
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

 

Extra information

"O Canada" is the national anthem of Canada. Calixa Lavallée composed the music in 1880 as a patriotic song for that year's St. Jean-Baptiste Day ceremony. The first lyrics that were composed for the song were written in French by Sir Adolphe Basile Routhier in 1880 for the same ceremony. An English translation did not appear until 1906, and it was two more years until Robert Stanley Weir penned the English lyrics. Weir's words were altered in 1968 to their present form, although the French lyrics remain unaltered. The choice of "O Canada" for the national anthem did not occur until 1980, when it was signed into law during the Canada Day celebrations that year. It was modified, along with the royal anthem of Canada, God Save the Queen, to be part of the Vice Regal Salute.

 

Vocabulary notes

 

to alter – менять, изменять

anthem - гимн

to depict - изображать

eminent – выдающийся, видный, знаменитый

eventually – в конечном счете, в конце концов; со временем

faithfully – верно, честно

framework – структура, рамки

key - ключевой

to occur – происходить, случаться

seminal – плодотворный, конструктивный

to pen – писать, сочинять

History

Canada doesn't often make the foreign pages of newspapers around the world. Many outsiders think of it as a snowy country, full of quiet, laid-back people - rather a bland nation, in fact. That just goes to show how little they know. If you're thinking of coming to Canada, here are the basics.

Europeans arrived in the 1400s but they weren't the first to set sights on this vast land. The earliest known site occupied by people is the Bluefish Caves of the Yukon. In 1000 AD the Vikings from Iceland and Greenland reached the Labrador coast and Newfoundland, but they didn't stay.

It was the North American Indians who greeted the Europeans. As far back as 30,000 BC, the people arrived in North America from Asia by crossing the Bering Strait. These aboriginal people developed distinct languages, customs and religious beliefs. They depended on the land and devel­oped specialised skills to deal with the climate and geography. The Inuit came after the North American Indians (they are not related to them, however) and settled predo­minantly in the Arctic.

In the early 1500s the Spanish, French, British and Italians were all vying to get to North America. The French explorers and missionaries got to Canada first. Jacques Cartier landed at the gulf of the St Lawrence waterway and this led to the founding of New France. It is thought that Canada got its name from Cartier who noticed the Huron and Iroquois inhabitants referring to the land as' Kanata' which means 'cluster of dwellings' or 'small community'.

The French had discovered a land rich in natural resources and one of their main activities was fur trading with the Native peoples - that is, until the Natives realised they were not properly profiting from the trades. The French and Natives fought throughout the 1600s because of this and because of the French development of aboriginal land.

France wasn't all that interested in its new colony even' though another of its men, Samuel de Champlain, settled Quebec City and Montreal by 1642. The Hudson's Bay Company was founded in 1670, primarily as a fur trading enterprise (it is Canada's oldest business enterprise, existing today as a major department store chain). The English moved into the Hudson Bay area and by the early 1700s had taken over most of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Canada is known as a peacemaking country, but its roots are, like most nations', rooted in war. In 1745 all hell broke loose with the British capture of Fortress Louisbourg from the French. England officially declared war on France in 1756, starting in Europe what is known as the Seven Years' War. Part of that war was played out in Canada.

The French seemed the stronger nation for four years, but the tide changed in one of Canada's most famous battles. Both the French and English generals died in the battle, but it was the British who defeated the French in 1759 in Quebec on the Plains of Abraham. In 1763 France handed Canada over to Britain in the Treaty of Paris. However, most of Canada's population was French. The conclusion of the Treaty of Paris gave rise to concerns over losing their rights and heritage. In response to these fears, Britain passed the Quebec Act in 1774 which granted religious (Roman Catholic) and linguistic freedom to the French.

But what's history without a little revolution and rebellion? The American Revolution saw Britain's 13 colonies in the south fight for independence from Britain from 1775 to 1783. This led to the migration north to Canada of about 50,000 'Loyalists', so called because of their loyalty to Britain, bal­ancing the number of French and British in Canada. In 1791 Lower Canada (Quebec) and Upper Canada (Ontario) were formed.

The War of 1812 is often thought to have brought about the beginnings of Canada's national identity. The Americans invaded Canada believing it would be an easy victory. The British, Native peoples and French banded together and, although outnumbered, stood their ground. Many battles were won and lost by both sides, but it was their first defence of their country against an invader that saw the people of 'British North America.' choose their way of life over that of the republicans to the south. Many heroes and war legends were created. Perhaps one of the least known is that in August 1814, the British captured and burned Washington, including the White House (which in those days wasn't so white and had to be painted white to cover the damage). The war ended in a draw in December 1814 with the Treaty of Ghent.

It wasn't long until the people of Upper and Lower Canada started itching for their own independence. In 1837 rebellions occurred in both colonies, which prompted Britain to join them under a common legislature. Soon afterwards they were granted responsible government and their first taste of poli­tical autonomy. More autonomy was on the way with the achievement of Confederation. In 1867 the Dominion of Canada was created under the British North America Act (BNA Act) passed by the British government. Sir John A. Macdonald became the first Prime Minister of the Dominion that included Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Within the next six years Manitoba, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island were admitted into the Dominion.

If you come to Canada with children, they will undoubtedly learn about the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in school. Many scandals erupted during that time, but when it was completed in 1885 the CPR was the longest railway in the world and its construction within five years was considered a great engineering feat. It was built to connect the country from east to west and to encourage settlement. This was met with resistance from the Native peoples who were already settled on that land. The aboriginals lost their fight and large numbers of European immigrants came on promises of free land in the west. Between 1881 and 1891, 680,000 people immigrated into Canada and many of them are responsible for the emergence of large-scale grain farming. In 1904-5 Alberta and Saskatchewan entered Confederation, leaving only Newfoundland on its own.

The 1900s saw rapid change due to the industrial revolution: Canada was a significant participant in both World Wars, notably at Vimy Ridge in WW I and Dieppe and Normandy in WW2 as well as in the air and at sea. English-French tensions continued and the labour movement became organised with the creation of the unions. Canada developed social security programmes such as unemployment insurance, welfare and eventually 'Medicare'. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) was formed and natural resource industries became an integral part of the Canadian economy. Women got the vote, Newfoundland joined Con­federation in 1949 and the Maple Leaf flag was adopted in 1965. In 1967 Canada turned 100 years old and celebrated with Expo festivities in Montreal. In the 1970s there was major upheaval in Quebec when the separatist movement took on a violent nature, but in 1980 a referendum showed the majority of Quebecois were against indepen­dence. Also in that year, Canada officially adopted O Canada! as its national anthem, although the original French version dates from 1880. Speaking of national symbols, the beaver is Canada's national animal.

The eighties were characterised by constitutional issues. Canada's constitution (the BNA Act) was an act of the British Parliament and, as an independent country, Canada wanted to 'bring home' the constitution. In 1982, parts of the BNA Act were changed and it became a Canadian act: The Constitution Act. Included in it is the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Quebec is the only province that did not sign the new constitution and two subsequent attempts to bring it in, the Meech Lake Accord and the Charlottetown Accord, failed. In 1995 another Quebec refer­endum on independence took place and the 'no' side (against independence) won by a very narrow margin.

 

Vocabulary notes

 

to end in a draw - окончиться “ничьей”, т.е. без победителя

to grant – дарить, жаловать, предоставлять

heritage - наследие

integral – неотъемлемый, существенный

invader- завоеватель

issue – проблема, вопрос

legislature – законодательная власть

notably – именно; а именно

predominantly – в основном; большей частью

to proclaim - провозглашать

rebellion - восстание

subsequent - последующий

 

Political system

Canada is a constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada as head of state, and a parliamentary democracy with a federal system of parliamentary government and strong democratic traditions. Many of the country's legislative practices derive from the unwritten practices of and precedents set by the United Kingdom's Westminster parliament; however, Canada has evolved variations. Party discipline in Canada is stronger than in the United Kingdom, and more of the votes are considered confidence votes, which tends to diminish the role of non-cabinet Members of Parliament (MPs). Such members, in the government caucus, and junior or lower-profile members of opposition caucuses, are known as backbenchers. Backbenchers can, however, exert their influence by sitting in parliamentary committees, like the Public Accounts Committee or the National Defence Committee.

The political system under which Canada operates, known as the Westminster system, was enshrined by the British Parliament in the Constitution Act, 1867 (also known as the British North America Act), but the federal model and division of powers were devised by Canadian politicians. Particularly after World War I, citizens of the self-governing "dominions" began to develop a strong sense of identity, and in the Balfour Declaration, 1926, the British government expressed its intent to grant full autonomy to these dominions. Thus in 1931, the British Parliament passed the Statute of Westminster giving legal recognition to the autonomy of Canada and other dominions. Canadian politicians were unable to obtain consensus on a process for amending the constitution until 1982. Therefore, amendments to Canada's constitution required the approval of the British Parliament. Similarly, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in Britain continued to make the final decision on legal issues until 1949, such as whether a woman could be appointed to the Senate (see Persons Case). As well, because of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and rulings of courts on legislation, Canada is becoming more like a constitutional democracy, as opposed to the parliamentary democracy of its design.

The position of Prime Minister, Canada's head of government, belongs to the current leader of the political party that can obtain the confidence of a plurality in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister and their Cabinet are formally appointed by the Governor General (who is the Monarch's representative in Canada). However, the Prime Minister chooses the Cabinet, and by convention, the Governor General respects the Prime Minister's choices. The Cabinet is traditionally drawn from members of the Prime Minister's party in both legislative houses, and mostly from the House of Commons. Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and Cabinet, all of whom are sworn into the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, and become Ministers of the Crown. The Prime Minister exercises vast political power, especially in the appointment of other officials within the government and civil service. Michaëlle Jean has served as Governor General since September 27, 2005, and Stephen Harper, leader of the Conservative Party, has been Prime Minister since February 6, 2006.

The federal parliament is made up of the Queen and two houses: an elected House of Commons and an appointed Senate. Each member in the House of Commons is elected by simple plurality in a "riding" or electoral district; general elections are called by the Governor General when the Prime Minister so advises. While there is no minimum term for a Parliament, a new election must be called within five years of the last general election. 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.

 

Vocabulary notes

 

amendment – поправка (к закону и т.п)

to appoint - назначать

backbencher – рядовой член парламента, “заднескамеечник”

caucus – предвыборное фракционное или партийное совещание

consensus - согласие

current – текущий, настоящий

to diminish – уменьшать, приуменьшать

to enshrine – хранить, лелеять

official - чиновник

plurality - множество

Languages

Canada's two official languages, English and French, are the mother tongues of 59.7% and 23.2% of the population respectively, and the languages most spoken at home by 68.3% and 22.3% of the population respectively. On July 7, 1969, under the Official Languages Act, French was made commensurate to English throughout the federal government. This started a process that led to Canada redefining itself as an officially bilingual nation.

Extra information

English and French have equal status in federal courts, Parliament, and in all federal institutions. The public has the right, where there is sufficient demand, to receive federal government services in either English or French. While multiculturalism is official policy, to become a citizen one must be able to speak either English or French, and 98.5% of Canadians speak at least one (English only: 67.5%, French only: 13.3%, both: 17.7%).

French is mostly spoken in Quebec, but there are substantial Francophone populations elsewhere, mainly in the northern parts of New Brunswick, eastern, northern and southwestern Ontario, and southern Manitoba. Of those who speak French as a first language, 85% live in Quebec. Ontario has the largest French population outside Quebec. French has been the only official language of Quebec since 1974; New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual province in the country. No provinces other than Quebec and New Brunswick have constitutionally official language(s) as such, but French is used as a language of instruction, in courts, and other government services in all of the majority English or Inuktitut speaking provinces and territories. In Ontario, French has some legal status but is not fully co-official. Several aboriginal languages have official status in Northwest Territories. Inuktitut is the majority language in Nunavut, and one of three official languages in the territory.

 

Vocabulary notes

bilingual – двуязычный

commensurate – соответственный, соразмерный; зд.: равноправный

instruction – обучение

respectively - соответственно

 

Religion

 

Canada has a wide mix of religions, but it has no official religion, and support for religious pluralism is an important part of Canada's political culture. However, most people report they are Christians, and this is reflected in several aspects of Canadian life. According to the census of 2001, 72% of the Canadian population list Roman Catholicism or Protestantism as their religion. The Roman Catholic Church in Canada is by far the country's largest single denomination. Those who listed no religion account for 16% of total respondents. In British Columbia, however, 35% of respondents reported no religion - more than any single denomination and more than all Protestants combined.

 

 

Vocabulary notes

census – перепись (населения)

religious pluralism – религиозный плюрализм, т.е. сочетание множества религий

respondent - респондент

Geography and climate

Canada is composed of ten provinces and three territories. The provinces are Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. The three territories are the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon. The provinces have a large degree of autonomy from the federal government, the territories somewhat less. Each has its own provincial or territorial symbols.

The provinces are responsible for most of Canada's social programs (such as health care, education, and welfare) and together collect more revenue than the federal government, an almost unique structure among federations in the world. Using its spending powers, the federal government can initiate national policies in provincial areas, such as the Canada Health Act; the provinces can opt out of these, but rarely do so in practice. Equalization payments are made by the federal government to ensure that reasonably uniform standards of services and taxation are kept between the richer and poorer provinces.

All provinces have unicameral, elected legislatures headed by a Premier selected in the same way as the Prime Minister of Canada. Each province also has a Lieutenant-Governor representing the Queen, analogous to the Governor General of Canada, appointed on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Canada, though with increasing levels of consultation with provincial governments in recent years.

Average winter and summer high temperatures across Canada vary depending on the location. Winters can be harsh in many regions of the country, particularly in the Prairie provinces, where daily average temperatures are near −15°C (5°F), but can drop below -40°C (-40°F) with severe wind chills. Coastal British Columbia is an exception and enjoys a temperate climate with a mild and rainy winter.

On the east and west coast average high temperatures are generally in the low 20°C (68 to 74°F), while between the coasts the average summer high temperature range between 25°C to 30°C (78 to 86°F) with occasional extreme heat in some interior locations exceeding 40°C (104°F).

 

A satellite composite image of Canada. Boreal forests prevail throughout the country, ice is prominent in the Arctic and through the Coast Mountains and Saint Elias Mountains, and the relatively flat Prairies facilitate agriculture. The Great Lakes feed the St. Lawrence River (in the southeast) where lowlands host much of Canada's population.

 

Canada occupies most of the northern portion of North America, sharing land borders with the contiguous United States to the south and with the US state of Alaska to the northwest, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west; to the north lies the Arctic Ocean. Since 1925, Canada has claimed the portion of the Arctic between 60°W and 141°W longitude; this claim is not universally recognized. The northernmost settlement in Canada (and in the world) is Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island—latitude 82.5°N—just 817 kilometres (450 nautical miles) from the North Pole.^[27] Canada is the world's second-largest country in total area, after Russia, and the fourth largest in land area, after Russia, China and the United States.

 

The population density of 3.5 people per square kilometre (9.1/mi²) is among the lowest in the world. The most densely populated part of the country is the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor along the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River in the southeast. To the north of this region is the broad Canadian Shield, an area of rock scoured clean by the last ice age, thinly soiled, rich in minerals, and dotted with lakes and rivers—Canada by far has more lakes than any other country in the world and has a large amount of the world's freshwater.

 

The Horseshoe Falls in Ontario is the largest component of Niagara Falls, one of the world's most voluminous waterfalls, a major source of hydroelectric power, and a tourist destination.

 

In eastern Canada, the Saint Lawrence River widens into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the world's largest estuary; the island of Newfoundland lies at its mouth. South of the Gulf, the Canadian Maritimes protrude eastward along the Appalachian Mountain range from northern New England and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are divided by the Bay of Fundy, which experiences the world's largest tidal variations. Ontario and Hudson Bay dominate central Canada. West of Ontario, the broad, flat Canadian Prairies spread toward the Rocky Mountains, which separate them from British Columbia.

 

Northern Canadian vegetation tapers from coniferous forests to tundra and finally to Arctic barrens in the far north. The northern Canadian mainland is ringed with a vast archipelago containing some of the world's largest islands.

Average winter and summer high temperatures across Canada vary depending on the location. Winters can be harsh in many regions of the country, particularly in the Prairie provinces, where daily average temperatures are near −15°C (5°F), but can drop below -40°C (-40°F) with severe wind chills. Coastal British Columbia is an exception and enjoys a temperate climate with a mild and rainy winter.

On the east and west coast average high temperatures are generally in the low 20°C (68 to 74°F), while between the coasts the average summer high temperature range between 25°C to 30°C (78 to 86°F) with occasional extreme heat in some interior locations exceeding 40°C (104°F).

Vocabulary notes

average - средний

coniferous - хвойный

mild - мягкий, умеренный (о погоде и т.п.)

occasional - случающийся время от времени, редкий

to protrude – простираться

severe – резкий, сильный, суровый

to taper – зд: сводится к

uniform – однородный, единый, постоянный

 

Plant and animal life

A great range of plant and animal life characterizes the vast area of Canada, with its varied geographic and climatic zones. The flora of the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence region resembles that of the adjacent US section, with white pine, hemlock, sugar and red maples, yellow birch, and beech trees. Coniferous trees—particularly red spruce - predominate in the Maritime region, black spruce in the eastern Laurentian zone, white spruce in the western. In the east are also found the balsam fir, white cedar, tamarack, white birch, and aspen, with jack pine in the drier areas. From the prairie grassland to the Arctic tundra there are aspen, bur oak, balm of Gilead, cottonwood, balsam poplar, white birch, and other deciduous trees. Conifers dominate the northern section. Many types of grasses grow on the interior plains. The wet area along the west coast is famous for its tall, hard conifers: western hemlock and red cedar, Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, and western white pine. Subalpine forests cover the Rocky Mountain area, where there are such conifers as alpine fir, Engelmann spruce, lodgepole pine and aspen, and mountain hemlock. The great Arctic region is covered with low-growing grasses, mosses, and bushes.

The fauna of the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence region includes deer, black bear, opossum, gray and red squirrels, otter, beaver, and skunk; birds include eastern bluebird, red-winged blackbird, robin, wood thrush, woodpecker, oriole, bobolink, crow, hawk, bittern, heron, black duck, and loon. In the boreal forest area there are moose, caribou, black bear, lynx, timber wolf, marten, beaver, porcupine, snowshoe rabbit, red squirrel, and chipmunk. Typical mammals of the Rocky Mountain area are grizzly bear, mountain goat, moose, wapiti, cougar, and alpine flying squirrel. In the plains are rabbits, gophers, prairie birds, and waterfowl. Abundant on the west coast are deer, Cascade mountain goat, red squirrel, mountain beaver, various species of mice, and Puget striped skunk; common birds include northern Pigmy-owl, band-tailed pigeon, black swift, northern flicker, crow, rufous-sided towhee, and black brant. Over the stretches of the Arctic are the musk ox and reindeer, polar bear, caribou, white and blue fox, arctic hare, and lemming, as well as the snowy owl, ptarmigan, snow bunting, arctic tern, and other birds. Walrus, seals, and whales inhabit Canada's coastal waters.

 

Vocabulary notes

alpine - горный

aspen - осина

beaver - бобр

bittern - выпь

bobolink - рисовый трупиал (птица)

boreal – северный

caribou - карибу (северный канадский олень)

cedar - кедр

chipmunk – бурундук

cottonwood

cougar – пума, кугуар

deciduous – лиственный

flicker - дятел

hawk – ястреб

hemlock – болиголов крапчатый (растение)

heron - цапля

lemming – лемминг, пеструшка

loon - гагара

lynx - рысь

mammal - млекопитающее

marten - куница

moose – американский лось

oriole – иволга

porcupine - дикобраз

ptarmigan - белая куропатка

robin – малиновка

seal - тюлень

skunk – скунс

spruce – ель

swift – стриж

walrus - морж

wapiti - вапити (олень)

whale - кит

woodpecker - дятел

 

Ottawa

Ottawa is the capital of Canada and the country's fourth largest municipality, as well as the second largest city in the province of Ontario. It is located in the Ottawa Valley on the eastern edge of the province of Ontario, 400 kilometers (250 mi) north-east of Toronto and 190 kilometres (120 miles) west of Montreal. Ottawa lies on the banks of the Ottawa River, a major waterway that forms the boundary between Ontario and Quebec.

 

In 2005, the city was estimated to have 859,704 residents, while the metropolitan area, which includes the city of Gatineau, Quebec, was estimated to have a population of 1,148,785. Ottawa has a significant Francophone population, and under city government policy, all municipal services are available in both English and French. The current mayor of Ottawa is Larry O'Brien, who succeeded Bob Chiarelli on December 1, 2006. Ottawa has the highest per capita concentration of residents with PhDs (Doctor of Philosophy) in Canada.

 

On December 31, 1857, Queen Victoria was asked to choose a common capital for the then province of Canada (modern Quebec and Ontario) and chose Ottawa. There are old folk tales about how she made the choice: that she did so by sticking her hatpin on a map roughly halfway between Toronto and Montreal, or that she liked watercolours she had seen of the area. While such stories have no historical basis, they do illustrate how arbitrary the choice of Ottawa seemed to Canadians at the time. While Ottawa is now a major metropolis and Canada's fourth largest city, at the time it was a sometimes unruly logging town in the hinterland, far away from the colony's main cities, Quebec City and Montreal in Canada East, and Kingston and Toronto in Canada West.

 

In fact, the Queen's advisers had her pick Ottawa for three important reasons: first, it was the only settlement of any significant size located right on the border of Canada East and Canada West (Quebec/Ontario border today), making it a compromise between the two colonies and their French and English populations; second, the War of 1812 had shown how vulnerable the major cities were to American attack, since they were all located very close to the border while Ottawa was (then) surrounded by a dense forest far from the border; third, the government owned a large parcel of land on a spectacular spot overlooking the Ottawa River. Ottawa's position in the back country made it more defensible, while still allowing easy transportation via the Ottawa River to Canada East, and the Rideau Canal to Canada West.

 

Two other considerations were that Ottawa was at a point nearly exactly midway between Toronto and Quebec City (~500 km/310 mi) and that the small size of the town made it less likely that politically motivated mobs could go on a rampage and destroy government buildings, as had been the case in the previous Canadian capitals.

In 2001, the old city of Ottawa (estimated 2005 population 350,000) was amalgamated with the suburbs of Nepean (135,000), Kanata (56,000), Gloucester (120,000), Rockcliffe Park (2,100), Vanier (17,000) and Cumberland (55,000), and the rural townships of West Carleton (18,000), Osgoode (13,000), Rideau (18,000) and Goulbourn (24,000), along with the systems and infrastructure of the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton, to become one municipality. Ottawa-Carleton used to be just Carleton County before 1969 and consisted of what is now the City of Ottawa except for Cumberland.

 

Ottawa is home to a wealth of national museums, official residences, government buildings, memorials and heritage structures. Federal buildings in the National Capital Region are managed by the Public Works Canada, while most of the federal lands in the Region are managed by the National Capital Commission or NCC; its control of much undeveloped land gives the NCC a great deal of influence over the city's development.

 

Ottawa is home to a wealth of national museums, official residences, government buildings, memorials and heritage structures.

 

The Supreme Court of Canada viewed from Parliament Hill:

.

 

 

The Château Laurier in downtown Ottawa:

 

The glass façade of Canada's National Gallery:

 

 

The historic buildings of Elgin Street, looking towards Parliament Hill:

 

 

 

Vocabulary notes

 

to go on a rampage – неистовствовать, прийти в ярость

hinterland - районы вглубь от границы; провинция, периферия

per capita (лат.) – на душу населения

prominent – известный, выдающийся, видный

spectacular – эффектный, захватывающий

vulnerable – уязвимый

waterway – водный путь