Capital: Ottawa
Population: 33,304,000
Area: 3,855,103 square mi 9,984,670 square km
Languages: English, French
Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant (United Church, Anglican), other Christian
Literacy: 99.0%
Life Exp.: 80.2 years
GDP (PPP): $39300

The second largest country in area after Russia, Canada has coastlines on the Atlantic, Arctic, and Pacific Oceans, giving it the longest coastline of any country. In area, Canada is slightly larger than the United States, but has only 11 percent as many people. It is one of the least densely inhabited and most prosperous countries. A vast region of swamps, lakes, and ancient rock, known as the Canadian Shield, radiates out from Hudson Bay to cover half of the country; it is agriculturally poor with few people but rich in mineral deposits and forests. The shield stretches from the Arctic to the Great Lakes and Labrador, cutting the country in half and contributing to a division between easterners and westerners. The Canadian Shield and rugged western mountains experience subarctic climates, resulting in a near empty north-an estimated 75 percent of Canadians live within 161 kilometers (100 miles) of the U.S. border.

France pioneered settlement, but Britain gained control in 1763. In 1867 the British North America Act united English-speaking Upper Canada (Ontario) and French-speaking Lower Canada (Quebec) with Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in a self-governing confederation-with independence in 1931. Canada is a multicultural society dependent on immigration for growth. Some 28 percent are of British descent, 23 percent claim French descent (concentrated in Quebec), 2 percent are aboriginal peoples-other minorities include Italians, Germans, Ukrainians, and Chinese. Canada's population is highly urbanized, with most people living in four areas: southern Ontario, Montreal region,

Vancouver city and southern Vancouver Island, and the Calgary-Edmonton corridor. The urban economy has a large manufacturing base, and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has brought an economic boom-about 80 percent of Canada's trade is with the U.S.

Industries

transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products, petroleum and natural gas

Agriculture

wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy products; forest products; fish

Exports

motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft, telecommunications equipment; chemicals, plastics, fertilizers; wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity, aluminum

Your Family

We pay special attention to families. We provide cross-cultural orientation and information to the new professional's family (spouse, children, parents, and other important people) about location-specific needs such as social overview, spousal employment opportunities, document management, medical, housing, schooling, and travel. We assist the company's recruitment department to support the family's transition to a new country and culture so the experience can be as positive as possible.

Capital: Washington, D.C.
Population: 304,486,000
Area: 3,794,083 square mi 9,826,630 square km
Languages: English, Spanish, other Indo-European languages, Asian and Pacific island languages
Religions: Protestant, Roman Catholic
Literacy: 99.0%
Life Exp.: 78.1 years
GDP (PPP): $47000

In 1776, after 169 years of distant and undemocratic British rule, the 13 Colonies declared independence. With the Constitution of 1787, the United States of America's four million people embarked on a political experiment: a democratic republic with representation at the local, state, and federal lev-with a built-in balance among executive, legislative, and judicial branches. From 1861 to 1865, the union of the United States was tested by the Civil War; it survived after a great loss of life.

On September 11, 2001, America witnessed death not seen on its soil since the Civil War, when 3,025 people died as four passenger jets were hijacked and turned into terrorist bombs-crashing in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The images of a destroyed World Trade Center and damaged Pentagon had a momentous impact on the country, and the government launched a "war on terror." In October 2001 the U.S. led a military campaign against terrorists in Afghanistan, driving the Taliban regime from power. In November 2002 the Department of Homeland Security was created to protect the nation against terrorist attacks. In March 2003 a U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq, toppling Saddam Hussein's hostile dictatorship.

Industries

leading industrial power in the world, highly diversified and technologically advanced; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining

Agriculture

wheat, corn, other grains, fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish; forest products

Exports

agricultural products (soybeans, fruit, corn) 9.2%, industrial supplies (organic chemicals) 26.8%, capital goods (transistors, aircraft, motor vehicle parts, computers, telecommunications equipment) 49.0%, consumer goods (automobiles, medicines) 15.0%

Your Family

We pay special attention to families. We provide cross-cultural orientation and information to the new professional's family (spouse, children, parents, and other important people) about location-specific needs such as social overview, spousal employment opportunities, document management, medical, housing, schooling, and travel. We assist the company's recruitment department to support the family's transition to a new country and culture so the experience can be as positive as possible.

Capital: Manama
Population: 1,569,446
Area:785.08 square km
Languages: Arabic
Religions: Muslim including Shaf'i (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shiite)
Literacy: 97.5%
Life Exp.: 73 years
GDP (PPP): $78.760 billion

Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is a country in the Persian Gulf. The island nation comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered around Bahrain Island which makes up around 83 percent of the country's landmass. The country is situated between the Qatari peninsula and the north eastern coast of Saudi Arabia to which it is connected by the 25-kilometre (16 mi) King Fahd Causeway. According to the 2020 census, Bahrain's population numbers 1,501,635 people, of which 712,362 are Bahraini nationals. At 760 square kilometres (290 sq mi) in size, it is the third-smallest nation in Asia after the Maldives and Singapore. The capital and largest city is Manama.

Bahrain is the site of the ancient Dilmun civilization. It has been famed since antiquity for its pearl fisheries, which were considered the best in the world into the 19th century. Bahrain was one of the earliest areas to be influenced by Islam, during the lifetime of Muhammad in 628 CE. Following a period of Arab rule, Bahrain was ruled by the Portuguese Empire from 1521 until 1602, following the conquest by Shah Abbas I of the Safavid dynasty. In 1783, the Bani Utbah clan captured Bahrain from Nasr Al-Madhkur and it has since been ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family, with Ahmed al Fateh as Bahrain's first hakim.

In the late 1800s, following successive treaties with the British, Bahrain became a protectorate of the United Kingdom. In 1971, it declared independence. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared an Islamic constitutional monarchy in 2002. In 2011, the country experienced protests inspired by the regional Arab Spring. Bahrain's ruling Al Khalifa royal family has been criticised for violating the human rights of groups including dissidents, political opposition figures, and its majority Shia Muslim population.

Bahrain developed the first post-oil economy in the Persian Gulf, the result of decades of investing in the banking and tourism sectors; many of the world's largest financial institutions have a presence in the country's capital. It consequently has a high Human Development Index and is recognised by the World Bank as a high-income economy. Bahrain is a member of the United Nations, Non-Aligned Movement, Arab League, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Industries

crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale production of cotton textiles and leather goods; food processing; handicrafts; small aluminum products factory; cement; commercial ship

Your Family

We pay special attention to families. We provide cross-cultural orientation and information to the new professional's family (spouse, children, parents, and other important people) about location-specific needs such as social overview, spousal employment opportunities, document management, medical, housing, schooling, and travel. We assist the company's recruitment department to support the family's transition to a new country and culture so the experience can be as positive as possible.