Is Canada the Greatest Country?
Which one is the fairest of them all?
A Burning Question
Changing Populations
Overview
Demography
- Canada has a population of 35.16 million people.
- A birth rate of 10.28 per 1000 people.
- A death rate of 8.42 per 1000 people.
- A natural increase rate of .186%
- A population growth rate of 1.2%
- Using the Rule of 70 (dividing 70 by the population growth rate), we can deduce that it would take about 58.3 years for our population to double
- Has a dependency load of 47.3 % (how much of the population is not able to work for themselves).
- And finally, an average life expectancy of 81.24 years.
Below is a population pyramid of Canada in 2015:
Immigration Factors
- Immigration Rate: 7.41 people per 1000, with a total of about 264,904 immigrants living in Canada.
- Emigration Rate: 1.75 people per 1000, with a total of about 62,560 people who emigrated from Canada.
- Net Migration Rate: 5.66 migrants people per 1000 people. This is the difference between the immigration and emigration rates. (Approximately 202,344 people)
- Philippines, China, and India are where most immigrants originate from.
- Push factors include war, low opportunity, and poverty.
- Jobs, health care, and education are examples of pull factors.
From this data, we can understand that immigrants make up a large role in the economy. Compared to other countries such as China and Pakistan, Canada is able to increase its economy without having to expend internal resources. It also results in foreign relations being created between Canada and other countries, giving advantages to Canada in the future. Furthermore, we can deduce that Canada draws in a large amount of immigrants from other countries. This may be due to superior living conditions, improved wages, and diverse communities among other reasons.
In conclusion, the fact that Canada receives many immigrants allows both the country and its citizens to benefit.
Population Diversity
Thus, Canada's population diversity certainly makes it a better place to live in and a better country in comparison.
First Nations
Population Density
When comparing population density, Canada is often considered to be a much superior country due to having a relatively moderate population of people (38th in the world) and possessing a large area of land (ranked 5th in the world).
Interactions in the Physical Environment
Overview
Climate
- Latitude
- Ocean Currents
- Winds and Air Masses
- Elevation
- Relief
- And finally, Nearness to Water
Therefore, the diversity within Canada's climate certainly makes it a better country to live in.
Air Quality
Landform Regions
- The Western Cordillera
- Interior Plains
- Canadian Shield
- Great Lakes/Saint Lawrence Lowlands
- Appalachian Region
- Hudson Bay/Arctic Lowlands
- And the Innuitian Mountains.
A map displaying where the different landform regions are located in Canada.
Vegetation and Soil
- Firstly, the soil that is found in Canada is extremely rich in nutrients and humus. As a result, a wide variety of different plants can be grown and found within the wild. This further increases the amount of biodiversity that is found across Canada.
- Likewise, different landform regions have different properties of soil. The different properties may include acidity, soil type, and nutrient content. As a result of this, the types of vegetation and therefore resources that are found greatly vary from each other.
- This ends up diversifying and ultimately increasing the amount of different resources that are available in Canada, thus making it a better place to live in.
Ecotourism
- First of all, a large amount of money is made from ecotourism jobs. This directly contributes to Canada's economy, and provides jobs for Canadians each year.
- Moreover, the landforms spread across Canada are widely regarded around the world for their natural beauty. This makes them incredible sights to see, drawing in a large amount of people from around the world.
- Likewise, compared to countries without large ecotourism sites, Canada's citizens are much more entertained and happier, as ecotourism serves as a form of entertainment.
- Finally, the experiences that the tours offer are incredibly exhilarating and remarkable. This is due to the fact that people are able to experience natural entertainment, increasing the quality of life as a result.
Resources and Industries
Overview
Water
- To start, Canada uses many advanced systems to ensure that safe drinking water can be renewed throughout the country. Using this system, water can be cleaned and used again from sewage, storm drains, and polluted streams.
- As a result, less water is wasted, and Canadians will constantly have water available to use.
- Furthermore, Canada also uses its water as a form of renewable energy. Due to the fact that Canada features a large abundance of water, engineers have devised of a way to generate electricity using it.
- As a result, Canada is able to generate clean, sustainable, and renewable energy to its citizens.
Oil
- First of all, the oil industry generates large amounts of jobs for Canadians. In 2014, over 100 000 people were employed in Northern Alberta alone
- Moreover, due to the fact that Canada has a large amount of oil, Canadians are able to purchase oil for a cheaper price
- As a result, Canadians can save money and also contribute to the local economy. Finally, Canada also exports its oil out to other countries
- Thus, both Canada's economy and amount of jobs increase, directly benefiting the citizens
Therefore, oil allows Canadians to live much better lives compared to countries without it.
However, the method is retrieving oil from oil sands is rather unsustainable. For example, large amounts of fresh water are used in order to extract the crude oil from the sands, wasting a precious resource that is already limited. Also, the practices put severe tolls on the environment and the atmosphere, reducing the quality of life as a result.
Forests
- First and foremost, the forestry industry is extremely large and successful. It also generates large amounts of jobs that Canadians can work in. In fact, over 350 000 people worked in a forestry related job in 2015.
- Likewise, as the forestry industry is so large, Canadian citizens are able to get paper and wood products for cheaper prices. This allows Canadians to contribute to the industry while also saving money.
- Finally, the biodiversity of plants and animals in Canada are also increased. This means that more species can be found in the Canadian wilderness.
As a result, Canadians are able to enjoy nature much more compared to countries without large amounts of forests.
Mining
Energy
- For example, as Canada has a large abundance of uranium and thorium, it uses nuclear energy to supply electricity to homes across Canada.
- Furthermore, hydroelectricity is used to generate power in an environmentally friendly and resource friendly manner.
- Likewise, solar panels are installed throughout major cities in Canada in order to take advantage of the raw power of the sun
- In addition, windmills are installed throughout Canada to capture the energy of winds currents.
- Finally, Canada utilizes bio-matter and waste in order to create energy, effectively using space that would otherwise be used for landfills as energy production instead.
Solar Power
Nuclear Power
Wind Energy
Agriculture
- Firstly, Canada grows a large amount of different plants. These include flax seed, canola, and durum wheat. This means that these plants and products that contain these plants are much cheaper to Canadians, as they are locally grown.
- Moreover, the agriculture industry provides many jobs to Canadians. In fact, 2% of Canada's labor force is comprised of the agriculture industry.
- Furthermore, Canada's agriculture industry provides fresh and unprocessed produce to the country. As a result, the produce that is put in Canadian markets is much healthier, benefiting the citizens.
- Likewise, agriculture generates a large amount of income. Canada is then able top to use this money to directly benefit the citizens of Canada.
- Finally, the sustainable practices that Canada uses greatly affect the crops that are produced. A few of these include using natural pest predators instead of pesticides, and using crop rotation so that the soil becomes healthier. As a result of these, the crops that are produced are much healthier and of a higher quality.
Therefore, Canada's refined agriculture system increases the quality of life.
Health Care
- First and foremost, Canada's health care system allows citizens to stay healthy. This is by far the sole reason why health care exists; to keep the people in a healthy state.
- Moreover, Canada's health care system is free to patients. This is because Canada's government pays for the health care system, unlike other countries. As a result, Canadians do not have to pay large amounts of money in order to stay healthy.
- Likewise, Canadians are guaranteed free health care for their entire lives. In fact, they are eligible for health care as soon as they are born. As a result of this, Canadian citizens are ensure to have a reliable health care system covering them.
- Finally, everyone is treated fairly when it comes to the type of health care that one would receive. No matter what type of job or income that a person has, they will all receive the same type of treatment that anybody else would.
Therefore, Canada's health care industry is extremely great at keeping its citizens healthy.
Trade
- First of all, Canada receives many different imports that cannot be found within the country. These include oranges, plastics, and different metals. From this, the citizens of Canada are able to receive useful products that would otherwise be unavailable.
- Moreover, there are many jobs that are related to trade. In fact, about 4 million jobs were created between 1993 to 2008 that related to trade. Due to this, Canadians are able to find more jobs and therefore have more opportunities.
- Furthermore, Canada generates a large amount of income from exports. Some of the exported products include canola oil, crude oil, and diamond. The increase in economy allows Canada to use more income to benefit the needs of the citizens.
Compared to other countries without developed or strong trade systems, Canada's trade system surely makes it a better place to live in.
Livable Communities
Overview
Residential Land Use
There are a variety of different housing options that can be found within Canada, including:
Detached Houses
Apartments
Farm Houses
Commercial Land Use
Town Centers
Plazas
Urban Stores
Industrial Land Use
Green Space
Below are the three different categories of green space:
Recreational
Ecological
Aesthetic
Aesthetic green spaces are rather self explanatory. Aesthetic green spaces allow people to observe and admire the environment for their natural beauty. Types of these green spaces include fountains, monuments, and naturally occurring landmarks.
Settlement Patterns
- These provinces and major cities will become overpopulated/crowded.
- There will be lower amounts of space for people to live in.
- Products and cost of living will become more expensive to match the high demand.
- The total amount of job opportunities will diminish, leaving very little opportunity for new people coming to Canada to grow.
- Urban sprawl will start to become larger, reducing the amount of rural space that is available.
Urban Sprawl
- Containing larger amounts of space for families.
- Lower housing prices compared to city residences.
- Wider roads for more efficient car transportation.
- Inefficient land usage and waste of space due to larger homes and a lower population density.
- Increased energy usage due to larger homes.
- Negative health risks and effects on the environment due to the excessive usage of cars.
- Distances between places are extremely far away. This encourages the usage of cars, which have obvious negative impacts.
Thus, while urban sprawl does have a few benefits, the negative impacts that it has on Canada are much worse.
Transportation
- First of all, cars are extremely reliable and efficient to get around. They can be found almost everywhere across Canada. As long as roads continue to exist and are maintained; cars will always be a part of a community.
- Moreover, public buses are also reliable and efficient to get around. They are found in the same areas as cars. Buses are able to carry many passengers at a time while saving energy, making them very sustainable and efficient.
- Likewise, subways are extremely efficient and extensive. Subways are primarily found in urban cities. They are also able to carry many passengers to set destinations, and are also unaffected by road traffic.
- In addition, street cars and light rail vehicles do not pollute the environment and are fast. Street cars are mostly found in urban or high density areas. As they run on electricity, they do not pollute the environment. Also, they have their own dedicated lanes, meaning that they are not affected by ongoing traffic.
- Finally, trains are extremely efficient and can carry freight as well as people. They can be found all over Canada. In fact, the Trans-Canada Railway is a railroad that runs all the way from British Columbia to Ontario. They can move extremely fast, and are meant for traveling long distances.
The Verdict
Canada has:
- A stable population
- A multicultural society
- A democratic government
- Fair immigration systems
- A variety of climates
- Many different landform regions
- Clean air
- Large variety of different resources (water, plants, etc.)
- Ecotourism
- Reliable and successful industries
- A renowned health care system
- Clean sources of energy
- A myriad of job opportunities
- A variety of different modes of transportation
- Different housing options and residential areas
- Huge amounts of green space
- And finally, many different transportation options within cities.
However, Canada also has:
- A mistreatment of certain ethnic groups (i.e: First Nation Peoples)
- Large amount of unused and wasted space
- Unsustainable oil management
- Some water pollution
- Pollution caused by nuclear waste
- Negative settlement patterns
- And finally, an unsustainable situation concerning urban sprawl.
By weighing the pros and cons, I have come to the conclusion that in my opinion, Canada is the overall greatest country to live in compared to other countries around the world.
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