Canada is a sovereign state in northern North America, the northern-most country in the world, and the second largest in total area. Bordering the United States, its territorial claims extend north into the Arctic Ocean as far as the North Pole. Canada is a federation of ten provinces and three

territories, governed as a parliamentary representative democracy. Initially constituted through the British North America Act of 1867 and styled as the Dominion of Canada, Canada retains a constitutional monarchy, recognizing Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state with the title Queen of Canada. Canada's official languages are English and French. Its official population estimate for April 2005 is 32.2 million people.