Several people participated in designing the Canadian flag. Jacques St. Cyr contributed the stylized maple leaf, George Bist the proportions, and Dr. Gunter Wyszechi the colouration. The final determination of all aspects of the new flag was made by a 15 - member parliamentary committee, which is formally credited with the design. After lengthy debate, the new flag was adopted by Parliament. It officially became the national flag on February 15, 1965, now recognized as Canada's Flag Day.
O Canada was composed in 1880, with music by Calixa Lavallée and words by Judge Adolphe-Basile Routhier. In 1908, Robert Stanley Weir wrote the translation on which the present English lyric is based. On July 1, 1980, a century after being sung for the first time, O Canada was proclaimed the national anthem.
Currency
The Canadian Currency consists of 7 denominations in the coin form and 6 denominations in the note form , they are :-
As of the summer of 1996, Canada's population was over 30 million.
Main Cities
As of July 1, 1996, the leading Canadian cities are Toronto (4.44 million), Montreal (3.36 million), Vancouver (1.89 million), Ottawa-Hull, the National Capital Region (1.03 million).
Distribution of Population
A large majority of Canadians, 77%, live in cities and towns.
Family Size
At the time of the 1996 national census, the average family size was 3.1, including 1.2 children.
Living Standard
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 GDP per capita along with other factors (e.g., life expectancy, education) that contribute to "quality of life."
Health Care and Social Security
Basic health care, with the exception of dental services, is free at the point of delivery. And prescription drugs are in most cases 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.
