Many countries around the world have a President as their head of state and a Prime Minister as the head of government. In some countries, the President is more powerful than the Prime Minister, while in other countries the Prime Minister is more powerful.

 

In Canada, we don’t have a President. Our head of state is the Queen of England! Her representative in Canada is called the Governor General, though this person is mainly a figurehead.

In the 18th century, thirteen colonies in British America fought a revolutionary war against the British and united to form their own country, the United States of America. The other colonies and territories in North America (including what is now Canada) remained part of the British Empire.

In 1867, the country of Canada was created by the British Parliament. The last British colony in North America joined Canada in 1949. Though still part of the British Empire, Canada was largely autonomous. It wasn’t until 1982 that all dependence on the British finally ended. We remain part of the British Commonwealth.

The royal family visits Canada often and is always warmly received! So, whenever William and Kate become King and Queen of England, they will be King and Queen of Canada, too!

 

Vocabulary
a figurehead
= a leader who has no real power; in Canada the Prime Minister is elected by the people and chooses the Governor General

autonomous
= independent, make decisions by yourself (person), govern yourself (country), though you are part of a larger organization or group

warmly received
= welcomed in a friendly and caring way