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|pop = 31,612,897
|currency = Canadian Dollar
|hitch = {{good}} to {{Very Goodvery good}}
|neighbour = ([[Greenland]]), [[Saint Pierre and Miquelon]] (''incorporated''), [[United States of America]]
}}
'''Canada''' is the northernmost country of [[North America]] and is composed of ten provinces and three territories. English and French are the two official languages of the country, English being spoken by 2/3 of the population is the majority language in most provinces while French is the main official language in the province of Quebec but widely spoken in New Brunswick and some areas of Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Manitoba. Inuktitut is the main language in Nunavut and has official status there but English is widely spoken. So for the convenience of the common hitchhiker these provinces and territories are discussed in detail along with their capitals in the following pages.
Canada is a wide country where many visitors do not really realise its scale prior to their arrival and neither realise the various extreme temperature that can suddenly happen and hit at different season. Certain nothern rural regions in each provinces are inhabited by a scarce or even absent permanent population. It might not always be bright to adventure yourself into some wild or less inhabited part of the country without the proper equipement nor having registered yourself to some local authorities prior to do such journey. As a simple reminder, the density of population is about 3,2 habitants/km² and about 75% of that population lives in the south by the border with the USA. It is common and normal in some part of the country to drive few hundreds km without any living soul in the area. Noneless to say, even if the country bear some similitude with its southern and only neighbour, the [[United States]], the cultural and life approach of the population is quite unique.
For a journey over the country, the [[Transcanadian Highway]] is the main road crossing the country coast to coast. The highway system is specific to every provinces and usually quite comprehensive.
=== Car Number Plate ===
Just like it's southern neighbour, the [[United States of America|United States]], every provinces are issuing their own specific car plates. For example, a car from Manitoba will have a specific [http[wikipedia://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/License_plates_of_Canada License plates of Canada|Car licenses]] tagged as such.
== Telecommunication ==
The best and cheapest way is to contact people in the area you are is to find the nearest phone booth, there are usually plenty within in a city and even the in country side, usually you will find one by every petrol station, shops or restaurant. Unlike many countries, they are usually in good condition and reliable so always make sure to have a pre-paid phone-card or a few 'quarters' available. Local calls now costs two 'quarters' (50 cents) although for some stupid historical divisions and economical reasons, in some areas some phone booths will belong to another company and what seems to be a local call will in fact be a 'long distance call' and will request an higher amount. It's often simplest to call using pre-paid calling cards. You can make calls from public phones without using coins when you dail the card's toll-free "1-800" number, and, for many of these cards, there is no extra fee for making the call from a public phone. Credit is deducted from the card at the same rate as with calls from land-lines. Most cards will cost somewhere between 2 and 10 cents per minute for calls to anywhere in Canada. The same, or similar, rates will often apply to calls to the States and parts of Europe as well.
If the person you are trying to contact is expecting a call from you, and you don't have a pre-paid phone card, you can also try to call them 'collect'. It usually cost less than the amount requested by the booth and it is normal practice (does not apply for mobile phone!) to receive and accept collect call. To do a collect call, simply dial '0' and follow the instructions of the operator.
Mobile phone are not widely spread within the country and the networks are expensive, unreliable, primitive and only cover certain urban areas. A mobile phone user usually pay to make call and to receive call, he will also usually have no signal when he reaches the nearest mountains or hills.
Internet cafés are rare and will only be existing in main urban and touristic centre. They are usually not used by locals, so it is possible that nobody knows if there is one in the surrounding. In rural areas, Internet might not even exists or be limited to dial-up only. In most Canadian cities and towns of significant size, there are public libraries which offer free internet access to the general public - regardless of where you are from. This is generally the best bet for travelers without their own computer or access to a friend's. If there are several people waiting to use them though, you may have to wait a while for one to be available. You'll usually be given a time block of anywhere from 15 minutes to one hour.
Colleges and Universities are usually providing huge computer classes for their students but those are only accessible with username and password, it might be worth to ask though people might be keen enough to help you with it.
Because of these strong security measures, a hitch-hiker probably will have to cross the border by foot and start again once the control is done. You might also discuss with your driver beforehand in the matter to get to know each other and to ensure that everything will be alright with the crossing and that he is fine with the hassle (or fine waiting for you if you are being interogated aside). The vast majority of the drivers will most likely be frisky at helping a stranger to cross from Canada to the States in their car. The best way to be at a border control is too remain calm, be confident, do not lie and simply answer the question as asked without being witty or vague. Just remember that you do not have to tell that you are bumming around and bring some suspicious travelling plan (yes, hiking and hitching around in a ''blown by the wind way'' is a suspicious thing! Especially for the the average citizen!). So just be reliable, show enthousiasm and that your adventure is part of a life plan holiday... not a way to escape reality.
It is custom to be ask to prove that you have the means to sustain your holiday (money) and that your holiday is part of a plan (a return ticket).
===== While Crossing the Border =====
=== Passports for U.S. and Canadian citizens ===
U.S. and Canadian citizens are NOT required to show a passport. At least not yet. That doesn't mean a border guard won't ask to see one, though. But, a border guard is not supposed to deny you just because you don't have a passport. Until January of 2008, border guards are supposed to continue accepting "oral “oral declarations of citizenship" citizenship” which basically means, "you “you have to believe me because I told you so."”
If you are a U.S. citizen going into Canada or a Canadian going into the U.S., a guard can deny you entry for a number of reasons (usually because of a criminal record or you don't look like you have enough money for lunch at a fast-food restaurant). But don't think that just 'cause you don't own a passport you can't cross. You can.
