This article presents the current demolinguistics of Canada.

Overview

• Population of Canada: 32.2 million (2005)
• Official languages: English and French (de jure)
• Majority group: Anglophone (56.3%)
• Minority groups: Francophone (28.7%), Chinese, Italian, German, Aboriginal languages

Note: The language by mother tongue is always used unless otherwise specified. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Native American languages are the indigenous languages of the Americas, spoken by Native Americans from the southern tip of South America to Alaska and Greenland. ...

Demolinguistic descriptors

Mother tongue: The language spoken by the mother or the person responsible for taking care of the child is the most basic measure of a population's language. However, with the high number of mixed francophone-anglophone marriages and the reality of bilingualism and trilingualism, this description does not allow to fully determine the real linguistic portrait of Canada. It is, however, still essential, for example in order to calculate the assimilation rate. Bilingualism in Canada refers to laws and policies of the federal government – and some other levels of government – mandating that certain services and communications be available to the public in both English and French. ... Language shift is the process whereby an entire speech community of a language shifts to speaking another language. ...

Home language: This is the language most often spoken at home. This descriptor has the advantage of pointing out the current usage of languages. It however fails to describe the language that is most spoken at work, which may be a different language.

Knowledge of Official Languages: This measure describes which of the two official languages of Canada a person can speak informally. This relies on the person's own evaluation of his/her linguistic competence and can prove misleading. It was developed by Statistics Canada. Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government bureau commissioned with gathering and analysing statistics about Canada. ...

First Official Language Spoken: This is a composite measure of mother tongue, home language and knowledge of official language. It was developed by Statistics Canada. Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government bureau commissioned with gathering and analysing statistics about Canada. ...

Language composition

Of the 32.2 million citizens of Canada, 17.5 million are native English speakers, 7.7 million are native French-speakers and 5.2 million are native speakers of neither of Canada's two official languages.

Statistics Canada, 2001

1. English 17,352,315
2. French 7,703,325
3. Chinese 853,745
4. Italian 469,485
5. German 438,080
6. Punjabi 271,220
7. Spanish 245,500
8. Portuguese 213,815
9. Polish 208,375
10. Arabic 199,940
11. Tagalog 174,060
12. Ukrainian 148,090
13. Dutch 128,670
14. Vietnamese 122,055
15. Greek 120,365
16. Russian 94,555
17. Persian 94,095
18. Tamil 90,010
19. Korean 85,070
20. Urdu 80,895
21. Hungarian 75,555
22. Cree 72,800
23. Gujarati 57,555
24. Hindi 56,325
25. Croatian 54,880
26. Romanian 50,895
27. Serbian 41,180
28. Japanese 34,815
29. Bengali 29,505
30. Inuktitut 29,005
31. Armenian 27,350
32. Serbo-Croatian 26,690
33. Somali 26,110
34. Czech 24,790
35. Finnish 22,405
36. Ojibway 21,000
37. Yiddish 19,295
38. Turkish 18,675
39. Danish 18,230
40. Slovak 17,545
41. Macedonian 16,905
42. Khmer 15,985
43. Lao 12,945
44. Slovenian 12,800
45. Hebrew 12,435
46. Twi 11,070

The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Punjabi (sometimes spelled Panjabi) is the language of the Punjab regions of India and Pakistan. ... The Arabic language (; , less formally, ) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... Tagálog is one of the major languages of the Republic of the Philippines. ... Persian (فارسی = Fârsi . ... Tamil is a classical language and one of the major languages belonging to the Dravidian language family. ... Urdu (اردو) is an Indo-European language of the Indo-Aryan family which developed under Persian influence in the Indian subcontinent during the time of the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire. ... Cree is the name for a group of closely-related Algonquian languages spoken by approximately 50,000 speakers across Canada, from Alberta to Labrador. ... Gujarati (ગુજરાતી; also sometimes Gujrati) is a language native to the state of Gujarat in western India. ... Hindi (हिन्दी) is an Indo-European language spoken mainly in North and Central India. ... The Serbian language is one of the standard versions of the Å tokavian dialect (former standard was known as Serbo-Croatian language). ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Note: This page contains phonetic information presented in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) using Unicode. ... Serbo-Croatian (srpskohrvatski or hrvatskosrpski) is a name for a language of the Western group of the South Slavic languages. ... Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa or Anishinaabemowin in Ojibwe syllabics) is the third most commonly spoken Native language in Canada (after Cree and Inuktitut), and the fourth most spoken in North America (behind Navajo, Cree, and Inuktitut). ... Yiddish (ייִדיש, Jiddisch) is a Germanic language spoken by about four million Jews throughout the world. ... Khmer is one of the main Austroasiatic languages. ... Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by more than 6 million people, mainly in Israel, the West Bank, the United States and by Jewish communities around the world. ... TWI (The Welding Institute) is an independent research and technology organisation based near Cambridge, U.K.. They research technologies for joining materials, such as welding. ...

Geographic distribution

The population of Canada being unequally distributed throughout a vast territory, a look at the population of each of its ten provinces and three territories is helpful. The following table details the population of each province and territory by mother tongue.

Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Area 1,076,395 km² (4th) • Land 917,741 km² • Water 158,654 km² (14. ... During the 1960s, a terrorist group known as the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) launched a decade of bombings, robberies and attacks on government offices. ... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Splendour without diminishment) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Area 944,735 km² (5th) • Land 925,186 km² • Water 19,549 km² (2. ... Motto: Fortis et Liber (Strong and free) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Edmonton Largest city Calgary Lieutenant-Governor Norman Kwong Premier Ralph Klein (PC) Area 661,848 km² (6th) • Land 642,317 km² • Water 19,531 km² (2. ... Motto: Gloriosus et Liber (Glorious and free) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Winnipeg Largest city Winnipeg Lieutenant-Governor John Harvard Premier Gary Doer (NDP) Area 647,797 km² (8th) • Land 553,556 km² • Water 64,241 km² (14. ... Motto: Multis E Gentibus Vires (From many peoples, strength) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Regina Largest city Saskatoon Lieutenant-Governor Lynda M. Haverstock Premier Lorne Calvert (NDP) Area 651,036 km² (7th) • Land 591,670 km² • Water 59,366 km² (9. ... | TotalArea = 55,283 | LandArea = 53,338 | WaterArea = 1,946 | PercentWater = 3. ... Motto: Spem reduxit (Hope was restored) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Fredericton Largest city Saint John Lieutenant Governor Herménégilde Chiasson Premier Bernard Lord (PC) Area 72 908 km² (8th) • Land 71 450 km² • Water 1 458 km² (2. ... This is about the island in Canada. ... Motto: Parva Sub Ingenti (The small under the protection of the great) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Charlottetown Largest city Charlottetown Lieutenant-Governor J. Léonce Bernard Premier Pat Binns (PC) Area 5,660 km² (13th) • Land 5,660 km² • Water 0 km² (0%) Population (2004) â... Motto: None Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Yellowknife Largest city Yellowknife Commissioner Tony Whitford Premier Joe Handley (Consensus government - no party affiliations) Area 1,346,106 km² (3rd) Land 1,183,085 km² Water 163,021 km² (12. ... Motto: none Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Whitehorse Largest city Whitehorse Commissioner Jack Cable Premier Dennis Fentie (Yukon Party) Area 482,443 km² (9th) • Land 474,391 km² • Water 8,052 km² (1. ... Motto: Nunavut Sannginivut (Inuktitut, Nunavut our strength / Our land our strength) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Iqaluit Largest city Iqaluit Commissioner Ann Meekitjuk Hanson Premier Paul Okalik (independent) Area 2,093,190 km² (1st) Land 1,936,113 km² Water 157,077 km² (7. ...

Aboriginals

The 900,000 Aboriginals in Canada (3%) speak 50 different languages. The most important languages still used are Cree, Inuktitut, Ojibway, Innu, and Micmac. A 1996 census revealed that about 67.8% of Aboriginals reported to be native English speakers. Nearly half (47%) of Aboriginal peoples in Quebec reported an Aboriginal language as mother tongue, the highest proportion of any province. Aboriginal peoples in Canada are indigenous peoples recognized in the Canadian Constitution Act, 1982 as the Indians (First Nations), Métis, and Inuit. ... Cree camp near Vermilion, Alberta The Cree are an indigenous people of North America whose people range from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean in both Canada and the United States. ... Note: This page contains phonetic information presented in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) using Unicode. ... For other uses of Chippewa, see Chippewa (disambiguation). ... The Innu are the indigenous inhabitants of an area they refer to as Nitassinan, which comprises most of the Quebec-Labrador peninsula in Eastern Canada. ... The Mikmaq (also Míkmaq, Micmac; in Quebec, Migmaq) are a First Nations people indigenous to northeastern New England, Canadas Maritimes and the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec. ... Aboriginal peoples in Quebec total 11 distinct nations. ...

Allophones

Languages other than the official languages are important in Canada, with 5,470,820 people listing a non-official language as a first language. Among the most important non-official first language groups are Chinese (853,745 first-language speakers), especially Cantonese (322,315); Italian (469,485); German (438,080); and Punjabi (271,220). Punjabi (sometimes spelled Panjabi) is the language of the Punjab regions of India and Pakistan. ...

Francophones

The francophones of Canada numbered some 6.7 million individuals in 2001. 85% of francophones reside in Quebec. There are also French Canadian communities in North and Eastern Ontario and Southern Manitoba, as well as influential communities of Acadians in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. In addition to Canadian-born francophones, numerous French-speaking people from Haiti, Congo, Lebanon, Morocco, Rwanda, Syria, Algeria, France and Belgium have immigrated to Quebec and Francophone Ontario since the 1960s. The first European explorer of what is now Quebec was Jacques Cartier, who planted a cross either in the Gaspé in 1534 or at Old Fort Bay on the Lower North Shore and sailed into the St. ... French Canadian is a term that has several different connotations. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Area 1,076,395 km² (4th) • Land 917,741 km² • Water 158,654 km² (14. ... Motto: Gloriosus et Liber (Glorious and free) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Winnipeg Largest city Winnipeg Lieutenant-Governor John Harvard Premier Gary Doer (NDP) Area 647,797 km² (8th) • Land 553,556 km² • Water 64,241 km² (14. ... The Acadians (French: Acadiens) are the original French settlers of parts of the northeastern region of North America comprising what is now the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. ... Motto: Spem reduxit (Hope was restored) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Fredericton Largest city Saint John Lieutenant Governor Herménégilde Chiasson Premier Bernard Lord (PC) Area 72 908 km² (8th) • Land 71 450 km² • Water 1 458 km² (2. ... | TotalArea = 55,283 | LandArea = 53,338 | WaterArea = 1,946 | PercentWater = 3. ... Motto: Parva Sub Ingenti (The small under the protection of the great) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Charlottetown Largest city Charlottetown Lieutenant-Governor J. Léonce Bernard Premier Pat Binns (PC) Area 5,660 km² (13th) • Land 5,660 km² • Water 0 km² (0%) Population (2004) â... The first European explorer of what is now Quebec was Jacques Cartier, who planted a cross either in the Gaspé in 1534 or at Old Fort Bay on the Lower North Shore and sailed into the St. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Area 1,076,395 km² (4th) • Land 917,741 km² • Water 158,654 km² (14. ...

Constitutional basis of bilingualism

The principles of Bilingualism in Canada are protected in sections 16 to 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which establishes that: Bilingualism in Canada refers to laws and policies of the federal government – and some other levels of government – mandating that certain services and communications be available to the public in both English and French. ... (1) English and French are the official languages of Canada and have the equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in all institutions of the Parliamnet and government of Canada. ... Section Twenty-three of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is the section of the Charter that constitutionally guarantees minority language educational rights to French-speaking communities outside Quebec, and, to a lesser extent, English-speaking minorities in Quebec. ... The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a constitutionally entrenched bill of rights which forms part of the Constitution Act, 1982, added to the Constitution of Canada in 1982. ...

• French and English are equal to each other as official languages;
• Debate in Parliament may take place in either official language;
• Laws shall be printed in both official languages, with equal authority;
• Anyone may deal with any court established by Parliament, in either official language;
• Everyone has the right to receive services from the federal government in his or her choice of official language;
• Members of a minority language group of one of the official languages if learned and still understood (i.e., French speakers in a majority English-speaking province, or vice versa) or received primary school education in that language has the right to have their children receive a public education in their language, where numbers warrant.

See also

• Demographics of Canada
• Constitution of Canada
• Bilingualism in Canada

Demographics of Canada, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands. ... The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law in Canada. ... Bilingualism in Canada refers to laws and policies of the federal government – and some other levels of government – mandating that certain services and communications be available to the public in both English and French. ...

External links

• Statistics Canada: Canadian Statistics: Population
• The Atlas of Canada - Mother tongue
• The Atlas of Canada - English-French Bilingualism
• 1996 Census: Aboriginal data
• Population autochtone du Canada (in French)