Canada culture (加拿大文化).doc

Canada-a land of maple leaf李晚露 201403071104 法学院法英班As the second largest country in the world, Canada is larger than the USA and reaches nearly a quarter of the way round the earth. With more than 35 million people, the distance from its east to west is over 5,500 kilometers and the country covers six of the worlds 24 time areas. Different from other foreign countries, there are two official languages in CanadaFrench and English. In the original history of Canada, the first batch of travelers arrived from England in 1497. Later, settlers from France reached Canada in 1534. For two centuries, English and French settlers struggled against each other in order to control the country. Today, one province of Canada is French-speaking-not only the TV and radio programs, but also the teaching in schools. However, despite the vast territory and cultural diversity of Canada, theres one simple thing that runs through almost every aspect of life in Canada-the maple leaf. Next Im going to introduce the maple leaf from two main aspects: 1. Origins of the maple leafAt the beginning of the eighteenth century, the settlements located inNew Francehad attained a population of about 18,000. By this time, the maple leaf had been adopted as an emblem by theFrench Canadiansalong theSaint Lawrence River. Its popularity with French Canadians continued and was reinforced when, at the inaugural meeting of theSocit Saint-Jean-Baptistein 1834,the maple leaf was one of numerous emblems proposed to represent the society. Speaking in its favor,Jacques Viger, the first mayor ofMontreal, described the maple as the king of our forest; . the symbol of the Canadian people. and in 1848, the Maple Leaf, an annual Toronto literary review, declared the maple leaf to be the emblem of Canada. 2. The popularity of maple leafI. PoliticAmong those objects with maple leaf, the most recognizable one must be the national flag. Some people even regard Canada as maple leaf state since its national tree and flower are maple and maple leaf. The maple leaf finally became the central national symbol with the introduction of theCanadian flag(suggested byGeorge F. G. Stanleyand sponsored by M.P.John Matheson) in 1965, which uses a highly stylized eleven-pointed maple leaf, referring to no specific species of maple. The maple leaf has been a common symbol of Canada for generations. Whats more, Canadas national Coat of Arms is almost identical to Britains Coat of Arms, except they have a couple of maple leaves tacked on. On October 13, 2002, Canada used a unique way- paved the red carpet with maple leaves to welcome the queen of England.II. EconomyDue to the significant impact of maple leaf on Canadians and even the visitor worldwide, the authority have combined the maple leaf with other products in order to gain great profits. For instance, in Canada, it is said that one of the most practical ways to invest in gold is to own Gold Maple Leaf coins, produced by Royal Canadian Mint. Since 1979, theRoyal Canadian Minthas producedgold,silver,platinum, andpalladiumbullioncoins, which are officially known asMaple Leafs forgeometricmaple leaves are stamped on them.Its hard to ignore maple syrup when concerning the contribution to economy. Maple syrupis asyrupusually made from thexylemsapofsugar maple,red maple, orblack mapletrees, although it can also be made from othermaplespecies. It was first collected and used by theindigenous peoples of North America.The practice was adopted by European settlers, who gradually refined production methods. Technological improvements in the 1970s further refined syrup processing. TheCanadianprovince ofQuebecis by far the largest producer, responsible for about three-quarters of the worlds output; Canadian exports of maple syrup exceedC$145 million (approximatelyUS$130.5 million) per year.III. CultureBesides the business usage of maple syrup, there is also a special traditional festival to celebrate it. In 1940, during a conversation at the local barber shop, the Maple Syrup Festival was proposed. It began as a way to sell Maple Syrup and to promote the village, but has become so much more than that today. Annually the festival is held by the end of March to early April. People from all over the world can taste different kinds of maple syrups during the time，and children are especially welcomed.IV. Other fieldsMaple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd.(MLSE) is aprofessional sportsandcommercial real estatecompany based inToronto,Ontario, Canada. With assets that include franchises in three of the sixmajor professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada, it is the largest sports and entertainment company in Canada, and one of the largest inNorth America.Influenced by natural, historical, and Aboriginal sources, the maple leaf is the most important symbol of Canada among other prominent symbols include thebeaver, Canada goose,common loon, the Crown, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and more recently, thetote