Canada Local Custom Tips by Shara.Buchan

Last of the Facts About Canada

<li> Parks and Historic Sites </li>
<p> Canada maintains 39 national parks, which cover about 2 percent of the country's landmass. Banff, located on the eastern slopes of Alberta's Rocky Mountains, is the oldest, having been established in 1885; Tuktut Nogait, in the Northwest Territories, was established in 1996. There are about 850 national historic sites, designated in honour of people, places and events that figure in the country's history. Canada also has over 1 000 provincial parks and nearly 50 territorial parks. </p>

Facts About Canada:

<li> Land Mass </li>
Canada is the world's second-largest country (9 093 507 km2), surpassed only by the Russian Federation.
<li> Geography </li>
Diversity is the keynote of Canada's geography, which includes fertile plains suitable for agriculture, vast mountain ranges, lakes and rivers. Wilderness forests give way to Arctic tundra in the Far North.
<li> Climate </li>
There are many climatic variations in this huge country, ranging from the permanently frozen icecaps north of the 70th parallel to the luxuriant vegetation of British Columbia's west coast. Canada's most populous regions, which lie in the country's south along the U.S. border, enjoy four distinct seasons. Here, daytime summer temperatures can rise to 35°C and higher, while lows of minus 25°C are not uncommon in winter. More moderate temperatures are the norm in spring and fall.
<li> Mountain Ranges </li>
Canada's terrain incorporates a number of mountain ranges: the Torngats, Appalachians and Laurentians in the east; the Rocky, Coastal and Mackenzie ranges in the west; and Mount St. Elias and the Pelly Mountains in the north. At 5 959 metres, Mount Logan in the Yukon is Canada's tallest peak.
<li> Lakes </li>
There are some two million lakes in Canada, covering about 7.6 percent of the Canadian landmass. The main lakes, in order of the surface area located in Canada (many large lakes are traversed by the Canada-U.S. border), are Huron, Great Bear, Superior, Great Slave, Winnipeg, Erie and Ontario. The largest lake situated entirely in Canada is Great Bear Lake (31 328 km2) in the Northwest Territories.

More about Canada

<li> Rivers </li>
<p> The St. Lawrence (3 058 kilometres long) is Canada's most important river, providing a seaway for ships from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. The longest Canadian river is the Mackenzie, which flows 4 241 kilometres through the Northwest Territories. Other large watercourses include the Yukon and the Columbia (parts of which flow through U.S. territory), the Nelson, the Churchill, and the Fraser - along with major tributaries such as the Saskatchewan, the Peace, the Ottawa, the Athabasca and the Liard. </p>
<li> Time Zones </li>
<p> Canada has six time zones. The easternmost, in Newfoundland, is three hours and 30 minutes behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The other time zones are Atlantic, Eastern, Central, Rocky Mountain and, farthest west, Pacific, which is eight hours behind GMT. </p>
<li> Political System </li>
<p> Canada is a constitutional monarchy and a federal state with a democratic system of government. The Parliament of Canada, in Ottawa, consists of the House of Commons, whose members are elected, and the Senate, whose members are appointed. On average, Members of Parliament are elected every four years. </p>
<li> Charter of Rights and Freedoms </li>
<p> Canada's Constitution contains a Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which sets out certain fundamental freedoms and rights that neither Parliament nor any provincial legislature acting alone can change. These include equality rights, mobility rights and legal rights, together with freedoms such as speech, association and peaceful assembly. </p>
<li> Currency </li>
<p> The Canadian dollar is divided into 100 cents. </p>

Even MOre about Canada

<li> Population </li>
<p> In 2000, Canada's population was 30.7 million. </p>
<li> Main Cities </li>
<p> The leading Canadian cities are Toronto (4.68 million), Montreal (3.43 million), Vancouver (2.01 million), Ottawa-Hull, the National Capital Region (1.06 million). </p>
<li> Distribution of the Population </li>
<p> A large majority of Canadians, 77 percent, live in cities and towns. </p>
<li> Family Size </li>
<p> In 1998, the average family size was 3.1, including 1.2 children. </p>
<li> Living Standard </li>
<p> Canada ranks sixth in the world in standard of living (measured according to gross domestic product per capita), behind only the United States, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Germany and Japan. Canada's rank among nations tends to rise even higher in assessments that consider gross domestic product per capita along with other factors (e.g., life expectancy, education) that contribute to the overall quality of life. </p>
<li> Health Care and Social Security </li>
<p> Basic health care, with the exception of dental services, is free at the point of delivery. Also, in most cases, prescription drugs are dispensed without charge to people over 65 and social aid recipients. Canada also has an extensive social security network, including an old age pension, a family allowance, unemployment insurance and welfare. </p>

Still More about Canada

<li> Aboriginal Peoples </li>
<p> In 1996, about 3 percent of Canadians belonged to one or more of the three Aboriginal groups recognized by the Constitution Act, 1982: North American Indian, Métis or Inuit. Of this percentage, about 69 percent are North American Indian, 26 percent Métis and 5 percent Inuit. </p>
<li> Religion </li>
<p> According to the 1991 census, more than four-fifths of Canadians are Christian, with Catholics accounting for about 46 percent of the population and Protestants about 36 percent. Other religions include Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism. Some 12.5 percent, more than any single denomination except Roman Catholic, have no religious affiliation at all. </p>
<li> Languages </li>
<p> Canada has two official languages: English, the mother tongue of about 59 percent of Canadians; and French, the first language of 23 percent of the population. A full 18 percent have either more than one mother tongue or a mother tongue other than English or French, such as Chinese, Italian, German, Polish, Spanish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Ukrainian, Arabic, Dutch, Tagalog, Greek, Vietnamese, Cree, Inuktitut, or other languages. </p>
<p> The Official Languages Act makes French and English the official languages of Canada and provides for special measures aimed at enhancing the vitality and supporting the development of English and French linguistic minority communities. Canada's federal institutions reflect the equality of its two official languages by offering bilingual services. </p>

Interesting Facts about Canada

<li> Ethnic Origin </li>
<p> In 1996, about 19 percent of the population reported 'Canadian' as their single ethnic origin, with 17 percent reporting British Isles-only ancestry and 9 percent French-only ancestry. About 10 percent reported a combination of British Isles, French, or Canadian origin, with another 16 percent reporting an ancestry of either British Isles, French or Canadian in combination with some other origin. Some 28 percent reported origins other than the British Isles, French or Canadian. </p>
<li> Education </li>
<p> The educational system varies from province to province and includes six to eight years of elementary school, four or five years of secondary school and three or four years at the university undergraduate level. The 1996 census revealed that, among Canadians aged 15 and over, about 23 percent had graduated from secondary school, some 9 percent had bachelor's degrees, and about 6 percent had advanced degrees. </p>
<li> Sports </li>
<p> Canada's most popular sports include swimming, ice hockey, cross-country and alpine skiing, baseball, tennis, basketball and golf. Ice hockey and lacrosse are Canada's national sports. </p>
<li> Main Natural Resources </li>
<p> The principal natural resources are natural gas, oil, gold, coal, copper, iron ore, nickel, potash, uranium and zinc, along with wood and water. </p>
<li> Leading Industries </li>
<p> These include automobile manufacturing, pulp and paper, iron and steel work, machinery and equipment manufacturing, mining, extraction of fossil fuels, forestry and agriculture. </p>
<li> Exports </li>
<p> Canada's leading exports are automobile vehicles and parts, machinery and equipment, high-technology products, oil, natural gas, metals, and forest and farm products. </p>

Facts about Nunavit
The...

<p><b> Facts about Nunavit </b></p>
<li> The Land </li>
<p> On April 1, 1999, the map of Canada changed with the birth of the new territory of Nunavut. </p>
<p> Nunavut means 'our land' in Inuktitut, the Inuit language. It is a vast territory - larger than Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Quebec combined - that contains one fifth of Canada's land. This is the first major change to the map of Canada since Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949. </p>
<p> Nunavut's lands are made up of the central and eastern portions of the Northwest Territories (NWT). To the Inuit people, this land, their ancestral home for thousands of years, has always been Nunavut. The idea for the territory with its own government was articulated by Inuit leaders in the 1970s. </p>
<li> The History </li>
<p> As the newest partner in the federation, Nunavut is the latest development in Canada's nation building. All Canadians can take pride in the outstanding achievement the birth of the new territory represents. Canada has redrawn its map peacefully, democratically and in partnership. </p>
<p> The creation of Nunavut also marks a profound shift in how Canada relates to Aboriginal peoples. Inuit, as the majority population of Nunavut, are shaping the territorial government in keeping with their culture, traditions and aspirations. </p>
<p> The Government of Nunavut is elected by all residents of the territory regardless of their origin. All citizens have the right to vote and run for office. Jobs in the Government of Nunavut's public service are open to all 28 000 residents. </p>
<p> The Government of Nunavut provides services in English, French and Inuktitut. The government intends to incorporate the best of traditional Inuit and contemporary government systems. </p>
<p> Respect for its citizens' diversity is an essential element of Canada's nation-building process. The creation of Nunavut demonstrates that Canada can adapt its governance to respect the values and traditions of Aboriginal peoples. </p>
<p> Over the millennia, Inuit have adapted successfully to one of the harshest climates on earth. Blending this tradition with modern technology and government organization will be the hallmark of the new government. Nunavut brings a distinctive voice to national policy and direction. It is helping to make Canadians more aware of the challenges of day-to-day life in this vast territory. </p>
<p> The Government of Nunavut is highly decentralized, the better to respond to the needs of its 26 far-flung communities. State-of-the-art communications technology plays a crucial role in this decentralized structure. </p>
<li> The Economy </li>
<p> The settlement of the Nunavut land claim and the creation of the territory of Nunavut provide a solid and stable environment for future economic development in this picturesque and resource rich region. The clear delineation of land ownership and the establishment of the territorial government will bring about the following: </p>
<li> growth of native development corporations, such as Nunasi and Qikiqtaaluk Corporation, representing concerns as varied as shrimp fishing, trucking and the hotel industry; </li>
<li> investment of the annual Land Claim capital transfer payments, totaling $1.15 billion, over 14 years; </li>
<li> development of five-year economic development programs for each region; </li>
<li> creation of government agencies and the training and development of a professional bureaucracy; </li>
<li> further development of mineral deposits which show a potential for copper, gold, silver, lead, zinc and diamonds; and </li>
<li> creation of three federally-funded national parks. </li>
<p> The Government of Nunavut faces enormous challenges, not the least of which is to re-establish self-sufficiency for future generations. About 56 percent of Nunavut's residents are under the age of 25. The government must work to create employment opportunities, increase education and income levels, and cope with a cost of living two to three times higher than that of southern Canada. </p>
<p> The creation of Nunavut restores to Inuit their self-determination as practised for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. The new government puts Inuit of Nunavut on an equal footing with other Canadians in terms of having control over and being accountable for their social and economic well-being. </p>

Facts about Yukon
The Land...

<p><b> Facts about Yukon </b></p>
<li> The Land </li>
<p> The Yukon Territory in Canada's northwest covers 483 450 km2. The perimeters of this mountainous territory form a rough triangle bordered on the south by British Columbia, on the west by the U.S. state of Alaska and on the east by the Northwest Territories. The northern tip of the triangle meets the chilly waters of the Beaufort Sea. Mount Logan, Canada's highest peak at 6 050 metres, is located in southwestern Yukon. </p>
<p> The Yukon can be divided into two broad geographical regions: taiga and tundra. Taiga is the boreal forest belt that circles the world in the subarctic zone, including most of the Yukon. Tundra is the vast, rocky plain in the Arctic regions, where the extreme climate has stunted vegetation. </p>
<p> The Yukon has a subarctic climate. The high altitude of much of the territory and the semi-arid climate provide relatively warm summers with temperatures frequently reaching 25°C or more during the long summer days. In winter the temperature ranges between plus 4 and minus 50°C in the south and slightly colder farther north. </p>
<p> Above the Arctic Circle (latitude 66° north), the Yukon is known as 'the land of the midnight sun' because for three months in summer, sunlight is almost continuous. In winter, however, darkness sets in, and the light of day is not seen for a quarter of the year. </p>
<li> The History </li>
<p> The name Yukon was first used in 1846 by the Hudson's Bay Company trader, John Bell. He called it 'Yucon,' derived from the Loucheux word 'Yuchoo,' meaning the greatest river. The Yukon River is the fifth-longest in North America. </p>
<p> The Yukon was the first area in Canada to be settled by people. Anthropologists believe the ancestors of today's Aboriginal peoples may have inhabited the Yukon 10 000 to 25 000 years ago when they migrated from Asia across a Bering Sea land bridge. </p>
<p> The first modern European visitors were Russian explorers who travelled along the coast in the 18th century and traded with the area's Aboriginal peoples. Sir John Franklin anchored off the Yukon's Arctic coastline in 1825, and the Hudson's Bay Company moved into the interior in the 1840s. </p>
<p> U.S. traders arrived after the 1867 Russian sale of Alaska to the United States. With the discovery of gold near Dawson City in 1896, the Klondike became one of the most populous regions in northwestern Canada. The sudden increase in population during the Klondike gold rush prompted the federal government to give the Yukon more control over its affairs. In 1898, the Yukon Territory was officially established to ensure Canadian jurisdiction; the Yukon Act provided for a commissioner and an elected legislative assembly. </p>
<p> Some 40 years later, during the Second World War, the United States built the Alaska Highway, creating a new overland transportation route. In 1979, the Canadian government opened the Dempster Highway, Canada's first all-weather road to cross the Arctic Circle. </p>
<p> As a territory, the Yukon does not have full provincial status, although it achieved a style of government similar to that of the provinces in 1979. The Canadian government retains administrative control over water, land and forestry and the development of all non-renewable resources (i.e. minerals, oil and gas). </p>
<p> The 1970s saw the emergence of the Yukon land claims negotiations. In 1993, the Council for Yukon Indians, the Government of Canada and the Yukon Territorial Government signed an Umbrella Final Agreement that sets out the terms for final land claim settlements in the Territory. Final land claim agreements were also reached with the Vuntut Gwich'in First Nation, the Champagne and Aishihik First Nation, the Teslin Tlingit Council and the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun. These agreements contribute to certainty of land title, and benefits include cash, land and participation on wildlife and other management boards. </p>
<p> In addition to their land claim settlements, the four First Nations also negotiated self-government agreements that give them more control over land use on settlement lands and greater authority in areas such as language, health care, social services and education. </p>
<li> The People </li>
<p> The Yukon's vast interior forests were occupied by the Athapaskans, whose cultural and linguistic traditions go back more than 1 000 years. Today, there are six distinct groups of Athapaskan Aboriginal peoples: Kutchin, Han, Tutchone, Inland Tlingit, Kaska and Tagish. </p>
<p> At present, approximately 30 700 people live in the Yukon; 21 percent of the population is Aboriginal. Over 70 percent of the population lives in Whitehorse, Yukon's capital city. </p>
<li> The Economy </li>
<p> Mining, the Yukon's largest industry, accounts for more than 30 percent of the economy. Tourism, offering a wilderness experience in a unique and relatively unspoiled environment, provides a further base for jobs and services. Efforts have recently been made to promote other sectors, such as the forest industry. </p>
<p> The fur trade continues to be important to the Aboriginal peoples of the Yukon. A small fishing industry operates in Dawson City to export salmon, and other commercial fisheries supply local consumers. </p>
<p>Agriculture - expensive by North American standards - is a small but expanding industry. Although growth of the agricultural industry is limited by climate and the availability of productive land, new research programs hold promise for the future. </p>

Facts About Northwest...

<p><b> Facts About Northwest Territories: </b></p>
<li> The Land </li>
<p> The Northwest Territories (NWT) lie north of the 60th parallel, above Saskatchewan, Alberta, and eastern British Columbia, and between the Yukon and Nunavut. These dimensions represent a recent change. With the creation of Nunavut on April 1, 1999, the area of the former Northwest Territories, which stretched from the Yukon east to Baffin Island and included all of the Arctic archipelago, was reduced by approximately two-thirds, from 3 426 320 km2 to 1 171 918 km2. </p>
<p> This is not the first time that the Northwest Territories has undergone dramatic boundary changes. At one point or another during the NWT's history, it has included all of Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Yukon and most of Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. </p>
<p> Like the Yukon, the Northwest Territories can be divided into two broad geographical regions: the taiga, a boreal forest belt that circles the subarctic zone; and the tundra, a rocky Arctic region where the cold climate has stunted vegetation. Remarkable features include the Great Bear Lake, which at 31 328 km2 is the eighth largest in the world; the Great Slave Lake, the tenth largest in the world at 28 568 km2; and the Mackenzie River (Canada's longest), which flows 4 241 kilometres from the Great Slave Lake to the Beaufort Sea. </p>
<li> The History </li>
<p> The ancestors of the Dene Indian people lived along the Mackenzie Valley in the NWT 10 000 years ago. The first Inuit people are believed to have crossed the Bering Strait about 5 000 years ago, spreading east along the Arctic coast. </p>
<p> In 1789, Alexander Mackenzie discovered the Mackenzie River and followed it to its mouth at the Arctic Ocean. Fur traders soon established posts in the Mackenzie River basin. Late in the next century, missions were founded in the area. The Europeans reshaped the North, bringing with them a new economy and way of life. Communities grew around trading posts, mission schools and Royal Canadian Mounted Police stations. </p>
<p> In 1870, the British government transferred control of the North-Western Territory to Canada. Ten years later, the British government annexed the islands of the Arctic archipelago, which also became part of the Territories. In 1905, both Alberta and Saskatchewan were created from the Territories. Finally in 1912, the provinces of Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec were enlarged, fixing the Northwest Territories with a size and shape that remained unchanged until 1999, when Nunavut was established. </p>
<p> By the Second World War, mineral exploration and the military were playing a role in northern development, prompting a more active interest in the NWT by the rest of Canada. </p>
<li> Government and Politics </li>
<p> Although not a province, the NWT government has the same general responsibilities as provincial governments: taxation, municipal bodies, education, wildlife, health and hospital services, forest management, housing, social services and economic development. It lacks jurisdiction over land and resource administration, including control over the pace and scale of resource development and subsurface water rights. </p>
<p> The issue of settling Aboriginal land claims in the NWT emerged in the 1970s. In 1984, a final agreement was reached with the Inuvialuit of the western Arctic; it provided some 2 500 people with 91 000 km2 of land, financial compensation, social development funding, hunting rights and a greater role in wildlife management, conservation and environmental protection. </p>
<p> In 1992, the Gwich'in settled a comprehensive land claim that provided 22 422 km2 of land in the northwest part of the NWT and 1 554 km2 in the Yukon, subsurface rights, a share in the resource royalties derived from the Mackenzie River Valley, tax-free capital transfers, hunting rights, a greater role in the management of wildlife, land and the environment, and the right of first refusal on a variety of activities related to wildlife. </p>
<p> The year 1993 saw the conclusion of the Nunavut land claims agreement. It was the largest land claim ever settled in Canada. The agreement gave the Inuit people control of more than 350 000 km2 of land (of which 36 000 km2 include mineral rights), more than $14 billion over 14 years, and guaranteed participation in decisions on land and resource management. In April 1999, according to the agreement, the former Northwest Territories was divided, creating the new territory of Nunavut. </p>
<li> The People </li>
<p> The present population of the NWT is over 42 000. Dene, Inuvialuit and Métis peoples make up 48 percent, the non-Aboriginal population about 52 percent. Most live in small communities; Yellowknife, the capital, has a population of more than 15 000. </p>
<li> The Economy </li>
<p> The economy relies heavily on resource industries subject to wide fluctuations in world markets. Mining is by far the largest private industrial sector of the NWT economy. Oil and gas exploration and development are also important. </p>
<p> The Aboriginal peoples' traditional subsistence activities - fishing, hunting and trapping - also have an impact on the NWT economy. Sports fishing and big-game hunting play a small role as well. Commercial fishery development in the NWT - freshwater and saltwater - is being encouraged. Fur harvesting continues to be very important, supplementing the income of many Aboriginal families. </p>
<p> Recently, tourism has become increasingly important. The NWT offers a variety of landscapes of great natural beauty, conducive to fishing, wildlife observation and other outdoor activities. </p>
<p> The settling of northern land claims sets the stage for increased economic activity in which all can share and have a voice. However, development, which is welcome and necessary for economic prosperity, will need to be managed so as not to threaten the fragile Arctic ecosystem and the traditional lifestyles of the northern peoples. </p>

Facts About New Brunswick
...

<p><b> Facts About New Brunswick </b></p>
<li> The Land </li>
<p>New Brunswick borders on Nova Scotia, Quebec and the U.S. state of Maine. It is rectangular in shape, extending 322 kilometres north to south and 242 kilometres east to west. </p>
<p> New Brunswick has a land mass of 73 500 km2, 85 percent of which is forest. The northern part of the province is quite mountainous, the tallest peak being Mount Carleton at 820 metres high. The interior consists mainly of a rolling plateau, flatter in the east and more hilly in the southeast. </p>
<p> The main rivers are the Miramichi, Nepisguit, Restigouche and Saint John. Known as 'oa-lus-tuk' or 'beautiful river' to the Aboriginal people, the Saint John waters the fertile lands of the western part of the province over a distance of 725 kilometres. Downstream, in the Madawaska area, it traces a natural boundary between Canada and the state of Maine. </p>
<p> Twice a day, with the rising tide of the Atlantic Ocean, 100 billion tonnes of water stream past a rocky headland in the Bay of Fundy. The current created is practically equal to the flow of all the world's rivers over a 24-hour period. The eastern end of the Bay has tides of nearly 15 metres, the highest in the world, sufficient to completely submerge a four-storey building. </p>
<li> The History </li>
<p> The existence of New Brunswick was known to the Europeans as early as the 1400s, when intrepid Basque fishermen plied their trade off Miscou in the northeast region of the province. At that time, the region was inhabited by the Malecite and Micmac peoples. The Micmacs were the first to receive Samuel de Champlain and the French when they landed in New Brunswick in 1604. The Aboriginal people established good relations with the French from the outset, helping the French settlers, known as Acadians, to adapt to their new country and taking part in the French attacks on New England. </p>
<p> The British and French feuded over the area for a century. Control passed back and forth until 1713, when Acadia was ceded to the British under the Treaty of Utrecht. With time, France lost interest in the Acadians, turning most of its attention to New France and the burgeoning fur trade. </p>
<p> By 1755, England had established its dominance as a colonial power. Fearing that the Acadians were a security threat, the British deported, mainly to the United States, more than 10 000 Acadians who would not swear allegiance to the British Crown. Their exile lasted eight years, after which a significant number returned to their homeland. </p>
<p> The New Brunswick we know today was first part of Nova Scotia. In 1783, the western part of Nova Scotia became the home of thousands of Loyalists who had taken flight in the aftermath of the American Revolution. These American colonists, wishing to remain faithful to the British Crown, founded communities in the northern part of present-day New Brunswick and soon were anxious to establish a new colony. The separation of territory took effect in 1784 and the name 'New Brunswick' was chosen in honour of King George III (1760-1820), a descendant of the Brunswick House. In 1867, New Brunswick joined other provinces to form the Dominion of Canada. </p>
<li> The People </li>
<p> In 2000, the population of New Brunswick was 757 000. With the highest percentage of Francophones outside Quebec (almost 35 percent), New Brunswick is Canada's only officially bilingual province. </p>
<p> The heritage of New Brunswick's people is a blended one, combining elements of the French, British Loyalist, Scottish and Irish traditions, with later elements of German, Scandinavian and Asian. The little municipality of New Denmark boasts North America's largest Danish colony. The Aboriginal people of New Brunswick number more than 10 000, most of them Micmac and Malecite. </p>
<p> The coasts and river valleys are the areas of heaviest population; Saint John is the largest city, followed by Moncton and Fredericton, the provincial capital. </p>
<li> The Economy </li>
<p> Leading the manufacturing industries is food, followed by wood-based industries, pulp and paper and related products, metal processing and transportation equipment. Processing of non-metallic ores and primary metals is also a significant manufacturing industry. </p>
<p> Tourism is a vital part of the province's economy. In 1998, nearly 1.5 million people visited New Brunswick's tourist attractions, including its two national parks and numerous provincial parks. </p>
<p> New Brunswick has an abundance of natural resources. Forests occupy 85 percent of the land mass; consequently, wood and wood products are a cornerstone of the economy, with black spruce and fir leading the list. Mining, too, is important. New Brunswickers mine silver, bismuth, cadmium, coal, copper, natural gas, gold, oil, lead, potash, peat, tungsten, silica, salt and zinc. </p>
<p> Fishing and agriculture are also very important. More than 50 varieties of fish and shellfish are caught here; in fact, the town of Shediac has been called the'lobster capital of the world.'In agriculture, New Brunswick is self-sufficient in the production of forage, milk and poultry. Its potatoes are renowned in over 25 countries; strawberries, apples, blueberries and vegetables are produced for local consumption and for export. </p>
<p> New Brunswick exports a great deal to the New England states - more than $2.5 billion in 1999. Petroleum products, lumber, electrical energy, frozen lobsters and wood pulp are among the most exported commodities. </p>
<p> In recent years, New Brunswick has undertaken an effort to further promote economic development that has resulted in new industries and companies being established in the province. Information technology has been a growth industry for the province, which now describes itself as the 'Call Centre Capital of North America,' with more than fifty companies having established facilities in the province. </p>