Canada is the second largest country in the world, but it's also one of the least densely populated. The overwhelming majority of its only 36 million inhabitants live within 100 miles of the American border, staying out of the Arctic Circle and its cripplingly low temperatures. Canada is a free and sovereign nation, a member of the Commonwealth, and the results of two major empires - France and Britain - being beaten out of a place whose inhabitants were determined to be, well, self-determined.

Widely considered to have the best living standards in the western hemisphere and among the best in the world, Canada is one of those countries nobody dislikes. It's not that everyone likes it, it's just they either have a positive opinion or not much of one at all. The literacy and numeracy rates are world class, the healthcare system is universal and affordable, and the crime levels are pretty darn decent. Many people are bilingual, and indeed, were it not for the very shady history concerning the native First Nations peoples, Canada would have very little to apologize about at all!

Canadians are so proud of their very nice, very safe country that they have been lobbying their government to bring in more Syrian and other refugees so they can share the wealth - and if you're not a refugee but you are highly skilled and a good person, they want you too. That means even if you're not born there, it's worth finding out whether you're Canadian at heart because it might be possible to become one officially!