 Some people say that 97% of all Canadians are immigrants or descendents of immigrants.  Canada’s population is considered a multicultural society.  Multicultural – Characteristic of a society that is made up of many different cultures.

 Unlike the USA which considers their population to be a melting pot, Canada encourages multiculturalism. Each new person coming to Canada brings with them their culture, traditions, language, and ethnic background which contributes to Canada’s culture in some way.

Canada’s Immigration History  Immigration is a dominate theme in Canada’s history. This can be the result of two reasons. 1. The huge amount of immigrates over the last 400 years has been a key factor in Canada’s population growth. 2. Immigrants from so many different countries have made Canada the culturally diverse nation it is today.

Why do people migrate?  Canada is known throughout the world as a friendly peaceful democracy, offering many economic opportunities and personal freedom.  Quite often Canada becomes a safe haven for those people seeking freedom from the political and economic oppression of their homeland.

 Throughout the 19 th and first half of the 20 th century, most of Canada's immigrants came from the British Isle and Europe.  It is difficult to tell where immigration to Canada will come from in the future. Many believe most immigration will come from Asia; however, only time will tell as political and economic conditions change all over the world.