Capital Ottawa, in the province of Ontario. Geography 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. 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.
More moderate temperatures are the norm in spring and fall.
Parks and Historic Sites Canada maintains 39 national parks, which cover about 2 percent of the country's landmass. There are about 850 national historic sites, designated in honour of people, places and events that figure in the country's history. There are some two million lakes in Canada, covering about 7.6 percent of the Canadian landmass. Time Zones Canada has six time zones. Political System Canada is a constitutional monarchy and a federal state with a democratic system of government.