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- <text id=93CT1640>
- <title>
- Canada--Travel
- </title>
- <history>
- Compact ALMANAC--CIA Factbook
- North America
- Canada
- </history>
- <article>
- <source>CIA World Factbook</source>
- <hdr>
- Travel
- </hdr>
- <body>
- <p> Customs: Documentation, passports, and visas are not
- required of U.S. citizens visiting Canada as tourists, but they
- must be prepared to show evidence of citizenship, such as a U.S.
- birth certificate, or naturalization certificate.
- </p>
- <p> Climate and clothing: Variety of climate, scenery, and
- people are the major sources of Canada's Popularity with
- vacationers.
- </p>
- <p> Currency: The unit of currency is the Canadian dollar.
- Canadian and U.S. dollars are fully convertible at banks and at
- most border crossings points. The rate of exchange varies daily
- (avg. 1988 was C$1=U.S.$0.81)
- </p>
- <p> Transportation: Travel to Canada may be made by automobile,
- bus, train and, plane. Dozens of major border crossings points
- are provided from the U.S.
- </p>
- <p> Tourist attractions: For most of Canada, winter offers
- diverse cold-weather sports and activities-skiing, skating,
- curling, and ice hockey. Winter carnivals also are popular; the
- biggest is the Quebec Winter Carnival. One also can view some of
- the world's finest professional ice hockey at this time. In the
- late spring and summer many people move to cottages by lakes and
- streams, while others prefer to swim, fish, sail, motor, and
- golf. Many open-air festivals take place, and each Province and
- Territory has its own events.
- </p>
- <p> Newfoundland's annual regatta is one of the oldest sporting
- events in North America Prince Edward Island features Country
- Days and Old Home Week, with music, agricultural and handicraft
- displays, harness racing, and parades. Events in Nova Scotia
- include the Annapolis Apple Blossom Festival, the Halifax
- Tattoo, and the Highland Games. New Brunswick provides a
- variety of festivities related to its fishing industry, such as
- the Shediac Lobster Festival, the Richibukto Scallop Festival,
- and the Campbellton Salmon Festival.
- </p>
- <p> Quebec has many attractions including Man and His World
- (formerly Expo'67) and the Sherbrooke Festival des Cantos,
- featuring Quebecois shows, horsepulling, soirees, and gourmet
- cuisine. In Ontario, drama festivals in Stratford and
- Niagara-on-the-Lake are major attractions
- </p>
- <p> Events in western Canada tend to reflect its cultural
- diversity and pioneer heritage. They include the National
- Ukrainian Festival in Manitoba and the Oktoberfest in
- Vancouver, British Columbia. Saskatchewan has its Pioneer Days,
- and Alberta has its Indian Days and the popular Calgary
- Stampede, one of the greatest rodeo shows in the world.
- </p>
- <p> Canada is abundantly endowed with natural playgrounds. The
- federal government maintains 34 national parks, most of them
- with campsites and other basic camping facilities, and each
- province maintains a number of similar parks. In addition, 96
- national historic parks and sites are maintained by the
- government of Canada.
- </p>
- <p> Time zones in Canada correspond to those in the United
- States, with the exception of Atlantic time (1 hour ahead of
- eastern standard time), which is observed in New Brunswick,
- Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island; and Newfoundland time (1
- hours and 30 minutes ahead of eastern standard time), which
- observed only in the Province of Newfoundland.
- </p>
- <p> National holidays: Most Canadian holidays do not occur on
- the same date annually but rather are set to fall on Mondays.
- Canadian holidays include Victoria Day in May, Canada Day in
- July, and the Fete Nationale, which is observed only in Quebec,
- in June. Many municipalities observe a civic holiday in late
- July or August.
- </p>
- <p> Virtually all U.S. products are available in Canada. Canadian
- telephone facilities are excellent, and direct and dialing is
- possible between the U.S. and Canada. Public transportation,
- education, and health services are generally excellent.
- </p>
- <p> Further information about Canada is available from the
- Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. and Canadian consulates in
- 15 U.S. cities.
- </p>
- <p>Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs, June
- 1989.
- </p>
-
- </body>
- </article>
- </text>
-
-