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| Home >>North America >>Canada >> Tour Canada |
Canada: Education, Weather & Stay |
Introduction
The word Canada traces its origin to the word Kanata meaning a “village” or a “settlement”. Geographically, Canada occupies most of the northern part of North America. The US lies to its south and to the northwest lies the US state of Alaska. It is the second largest country in the world after Russia. The population of the country as per Statistics Canada estimates is 32.5 million people.
Canada is a member of the most elite groups of the world like the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and is counted amongst the richest nations of the world. The country has an open market economy with a GDP that has traditionally been low.
Canada has a constitutional monarchy. The Queen, Elizabeth II, is the head of the state. The country has a parliamentary democracy with deep-rooted democratic traditions. The states of the country are federating with the center. The Canadian Constitution that includes the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms governs the legal framework in the country. One of the principal characteristics of the Constitution is the written text and the unwritten conventions that govern it. A Governor General, who is the representative of the Queen in Canada, formally appoints the Prime Minister to head the government at the center.
The country has one of the lowest population densities in the world with 3.5 people per square kilometer. It can also be called the country of lakes, as the number of lakes here is more than in any other country in the world.
Climate in Canada
Due to its vast geographical stretch the average temperatures across the country differ widely. In Prairies provinces particularly, winters can be harsh. The daily average temperature in these regions is near –15 degree centigrade, which drops down to –40 degree centigrade with chilling winds.
The summers also depend on the location. In the eastern and western coasts of the country summer temperatures are generally near 20 degree centigrade. Between the costs the average summer temperatures range between 25 and 30 degrees. Some interior locations experience extreme heat during the summer
Education in Canada
The education system in Canada is very advanced partly due to the fact that illiteracy rate in the country is pretty low (at 4%). The government of Canada has laid special emphasis on education. The education system in the country has been divided into Elementary education, Secondary education and Higher education.
Higher education in the country begins after the secondary education. Students depending on their specialization pursue professional or vocational courses. In Canada at least 900000 people have been employed under the education sector. The sector has promising prospects for those wishing to pursue higher education.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada have formulated policies for international students who complete a degree, diploma or certificate program in Canada. This does not apply to Exchange or School of English/ESL students. This policy allows for up to a maximum of 2 years of work following the completion of an eligible program.
Stay in Canada
One of the major decisions that a student has to take upon his arrival in Canada is, where to live? While for undergrads staying at home and attending a local institution is the best bet, for those willing to attend universities movement is necessary. This makes it mandatory for the students to have a decent place to live in.
There is a range of staying options for students who are away from their home and attending universities. Here, the most important thing is to decide on whether to live inside the campus or off-campus. A few institutions, however, do not have on-campus living options. In these cases the students have to look for their own arrangements. Whether high-rise apartments, heritage buildings, residences, refurbished apartments or downtown locations, one can get accommodation in these places depending on the budget.
On campus living also presents significant number of options. Campus residences may have a number of feature like study rooms, computer facilities, common areas, etc. in these cases, however, personal preferences are of utmost importance and selections should be made based on these criteria. The most important thing is to contact the students living in the campus and get a feel of the place.
Off-campus living is completely different from on campus living. The former can give the students the option of living in communities and continuing their studies. In larger town or cities one has the option of staying away from the campus but factors like access to various services (educational or otherwise), transportation costs, rents should be taken into consideration. Moreover, finding an affordable housing option is not an easy option and one may have to toil hard.
The list below presents an overview of the rental prices existing across Canada.
| Weighted average rent by metropolitan area (2005) |
| City |
Two-bedroom apt. - cost/month |
| Toronto | $1,052 |
| Vancouver | $1,004 |
| Ottawa | $920 |
| Calgary | $837 |
| Victoria | $808 |
| Kingston | $805 |
| London | $775 |
| Halifax | $762 |
| Winnipeg | $683 |
| St. John's | $634 |
| Regina | $621 |
| Montreal | $616 |
| Quebec | $607 |
| Saint John | $526 |
| Sherbrooke | $505 |
Source: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Also, the Citizenship and immigration Canada has formulated policies for international students who finish their degree, diploma or a certificate program in the country. The policies allow the students who have successfully finished their program to work for a maximum of two years.
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