Canada was the location of a French colony.
Canada . Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean , covering 9.98 e6km2 , making it the world 's second-largest country by total area and the fourth-largest country by land area . Beginning in the 16th century , British and French claims were made on the area , with the colony of Canada first being established by the French in 1535 during Jacques Cartier 's second voyage to New France . Provinces and territories of Canada . Several of the provinces were former British colonies , and Quebec was originally a French colony , while others were added as Canada grew .