<Tr> <Th> ISO 3166 code </Th> <Td> CA </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Internet TLD </Th> <Td>. ca </Td> </Tr> <P> Canada (/ ˈkænədə / (listen); French: (kanadɑ)) is a country in the northern part 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 southern border with the United States is the world's longest bi-national land border . The majority of the country has a cold or severely cold winter climate, but southerly areas are warm in summer . Canada is sparsely populated, the majority of its land territory being dominated by forest and tundra and the Rocky Mountains . It is highly urbanized with 82 per cent of the 35.15 million people concentrated in large and medium - sized cities, many near the southern border . Its capital is Ottawa, and its five largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa . </P> <P> Various indigenous peoples have inhabited what is now Canada for thousands of years prior to European colonization . Beginning in the 16th century, the British and French established colonies, the first being the colony of Canada established by France in 1535 . As a consequence of various armed conflicts, British North America gained and lost territory until, by the late 18th century, it controlled most of what comprises Canada today . On July 1, 1867, the colonies of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia were federated to form the semi-autonomous federal Dominion named Canada . This began an accretion of provinces and territories to the Dominion to the present ten provinces and three territories forming contemporary Canada . Canada achieved independence gradually beginning with responsible government in the 1830s and culminating with the patriation of the Constitution in 1982 . In 1931, Canada achieved near - total independence from the United Kingdom with the Statute of Westminster 1931, except for the power to amend its constitution . </P>

What country lies to the south of canada