First
discovered by Viking Adventurers in the 10th
century, the knowledge was lost for another
400 years, until British and French fishermen
ventured far into the North Atlantic, and
discovered one of the World's richest fishing
grounds; the Grand Banks off of Newfoundland.
Over the next 300 years the fur trade drove
the exploration of North America, and fueled
competition between the French and English
for control of the Continent.
The
name Canada, was given to this
land by the French explorer, Jacques Cartier
- who misunderstood an Indian Chief's name
for his village as that for this entire vast
territory.
Occupying
the top half of North America, Canada, is
the second largest country on earth and is
home to a unique assortment of animals and
terrain. Key geographical features include
The Rocky Mountains in Western Canada; the
Canadian Shield and the St. Lawrence Seaway
in Central and Eastern Canada.
