Canada’s territory is larger than China, so why do more than half of its people choose to squeeze into a small corner?
Canada has a territory of 9.98 million square kilometers, making it the second largest country in the world after Russia, but its population is only 38 million, which is equal to the population of Beijing plus Tianjin. It stands to reason that there are so many people and so little land, it should mean that the land is vast and the people are sparse, but the real situation of Canada is not like this. Canada is in the north of the United States, and the 49° north latitude line is the dividing line between the United States and Canada. But 70% of Canadians actually live south of the 49° north latitude, which is the area around Ontario . What is going on?
It turns out that the Great Lakes region that borders the United States in the east is divided by the center line of the lake. According to the curved shape of the lake, there is a small piece of land that goes deep to the south of the 49° north latitude line. And 70% of Canada's population lives on this land. You must know that most of Canada is located north of the 50° north latitude line, and some areas even penetrate deep into the Arctic Circle . They are cold all year round and the land is hard and unsuitable for planting. So before the 17th century, only Inuit and Indians lived in Canada. The Inuit are better adapted to cold climates, so they make a living by hunting in the north. The Indians practiced slash-and-burn farming in the Great Lakes Basin of the South.
In the 17th century, European colonists broke into the land of Canada. Of course, they did not want to go to the cold north of the Inuit. So they first occupied the Great Lakes region in the south. Because there are abundant water resources here, the vegetation is lush and full of virgin forests that can be cut down. They drove out the Indians with guns, cut down trees to process into lumber, or hunted wild animals for their furs. Then settlements were set up here to carry out commercial trade. For example, Ottawa, the capital of Canada, was originally a town that produced lumber, and the original meaning of its name also meant trade. Toronto, Canada's largest city, was originally a fur trading post established by the French.
Canada became an official country. After driving out the colonists, why didn't it develop such a large land? Instead, it still lived in the original city for development?
I have to mention Canada’s neighbor the United States. Although Canada has a large territory, it only has one superpower neighbor, the United States, so it naturally has to embrace the thigh of the United States in everything. Canada ranks fourth in the world in oil production and third in export volume, but 98% is exported to the United States. The world’s fourth largest producer of natural gas is also exported to the United States, so being closer to the United States is the best choice.
More importantly, the United States developed the steel industry by relying on cheap water transportation and abundant steel resources in the Great Lakes Basin. Later, car cities such as Detroit emerged here. There are more than a thousand automobile manufacturing companies in Canada. The familiar General Motors, Ford, Honda, and Toyota have all set up automobile assembly plants in Ontario on the edge of the Great Lakes. So why are these companies gathered in one place, are they not afraid of fierce competition?
This is about the concept of an industry cluster . Competing companies in an industry will gather in one area invariably. This is not because they have negotiated, but because there are supporting upstream and downstream enterprises in this area. For example, suppliers who provide raw materials, processors of supporting parts, and downstream sales contractors, etc. These companies will also come together as a result. Thus forming a large industrial cluster. What this brings about is the gathering of workers and the development of the city. For the same reason, Canada's chemical manufacturing industry is mainly concentrated in Ontario. Canada's biotechnology industry is world-famous. Large multinational pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies are gathered here. This area has become a world-class biotechnology distribution center.
Canadians are gathering in Ontario to develop industry, but who will develop agriculture and ensure food supply?
According to statistics, from the perspective of industrial structure, Canada's primary industry only accounts for 1.7% of GDP. The tertiary industry is as high as 69.8%.Does Canada rely on imports of agricultural products? The reality may be beyond your expectation. The places in Canada that are truly suitable for human habitation only account for 5% of the country's land area. Many soils are indeed unsuitable for cultivation, and arable land only accounts for 4.8% of the total land area. Therefore, only a small number of people in Canada are engaged in agricultural production. Although Canada's population is not large, its agricultural mechanization level is very high, so the agricultural products produced can not only feed Canadians, but also make Canada the fifth largest exporter of agricultural products in the world.
Because of this, more people choose to develop the tertiary industry, and the tertiary industry is mainly concentrated in cities, and the population is also concentrated in a few important cities. For example, Toronto, the largest city in Canada, is one of the largest financial and investment centers in the world. Financial credit, business services, film and television culture, tourism and other industries are all very developed. The Toronto Stock Exchange is the seventh largest exchange in the world, and the banking industry is also very developed. There are more than 50 foreign bank headquarters and more than a dozen securities companies in one city alone.
The corresponding supporting law firms, audit firms, human resources companies, and consulting agencies have also formed a large scale of commercial services here, attracting more people to work here. In addition, the development of the tertiary industry has brought more income to the area, making the urban construction and environment more suitable for people to live. Moreover, the Great Lakes region itself has a temperate continental humid climate, which is mild and humid and suitable for people to live in. For example, the capital Ottawa is known as the City of Tulips, and Toronto has been rated as one of the most livable cities in the world by the United Nations for many years. Therefore, most people in Canada will choose to live in this area from the perspective of work and employment, as well as the comfort of life. This seemingly unreasonable living situation is actually the most reasonable.
