The second largest country in the world, Canada occupies two-fifths of the North American continent, stretches across five time zones, and is divided into 10 provinces and two territories. It was once inhabited only by Native Americans and Inuit peoples.The French were the fïrst Europeans to settle in Canada, but after years of fïghting, the British gained control in 1763. Gradually they took over the rest of the country as pioneers and settlers moved west and north. Today, Canada is an important industrial nation and one of the world's richest countries. Most of its manufacturing is based on natural resources of wood, metals, and mineral fuels.
European settlers arrived. Gradually, the settlers took over their lands, leaving the original people to live in poverty. Since 1970, the government has tried to draw these peoples into Canadian society, but many prefer their own culture and traditions. Recently, both groups have begun to win battles for their rights to ancestral lands. In 1999, the Nunavut area in the Northwest Territories will become a self-governing territory, the first part of Canada to be governed by natinve Canadians in modem history.