on what continent is canada found?
North America
entailment
 Canada ( / ˈkænədə / ; French : [ ka.na.da ] ) is a country in the northern half of North America . Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean , covering 9 @.@ 98 million square kilometres ( 3 @.@ 85 million square miles ) , making it the world 's second @-@ largest country by total area and the fourth @-@ largest country by land area . Canada 's border with the United States is the world 's longest land border . Canada is sparsely populated , the majority of its land territory being dominated by forest and tundra and the Rocky Mountains ; about four @-@ fifths of the country 's population of 35 million people live near the southern border . The majority of Canada has a cold or severely cold winter climate , but southerly areas are warm in summer . 

entailment
 Canada occupies much of the continent of North America , sharing land borders with the contiguous United States to the south , and the US state of Alaska to the northwest . Canada stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west ; to the north lies the Arctic Ocean . Greenland is to the northeast . By total area ( including its waters ) , Canada is the second @-@ largest country in the world , after Russia . By land area alone , however , Canada ranks fourth , the difference being due to it having the worlds largest proportion of fresh water lakes . 

entailment
 Canada has had many political debates between the French speakers and English speakers , particularly in the province of Quebec . Canada holds both French and English as official languages . The politics in Quebec are largely defined by nationalism as French Québécois wish to gain independence from Canada as a whole , based on ethnic and linguistic boundaries . The main separatist party , Parti Québécois , attempted to gain sovereignty twice ( once in 1980 and again in 1995 ) and failed by a narrow margin of 1 @.@ 2 % in 1995 . Since then , in order to remain united , Canada granted Quebec statut particulier , recognizing Quebec as a nation within the united nation of Canada . Canada is often described as a cultural mosaic . 

entailment
 Canada is geologically active , having many earthquakes and potentially active volcanoes , notably Mount Meager , Mount Garibaldi , Mount Cayley , and the Mount Edziza volcanic complex . The volcanic eruption of the Tseax Cone in 1775 was among Canada 's worst natural disasters , killing 2 @,@ 000 Nisga 'a people and destroying their village in the Nass River valley of northern British Columbia . The eruption produced a 22 @.@ 5 @-@ kilometre ( 14 @.@ 0 mi ) lava flow , and , according to Nisga 'a legend , blocked the flow of the Nass River . Canada 's population density , at 3 @.@ 3 inhabitants per square kilometre ( 8 @.@ 5 / sq mi ) , is among the lowest in the world . The most densely populated part of the country is the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor , situated in Southern Quebec and Southern Ontario along the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River . 

entailment
 Canada is a developed country and has the tenth highest nominal per capita income globally as well as the ninth highest ranking in the Human Development Index . It ranks among the highest in international measurements of government transparency , civil liberties , quality of life , economic freedom , and education . Canada is a Commonwealth Realm member of the Commonwealth of Nations , a member of the Francophonie , and part of several major international and intergovernmental institutions or groupings including the United Nations , the North Atlantic Treaty Organization , the G8 , the Group of Ten , the G20 , the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Asia @-@ Pacific Economic Cooperation forum . 
