A
land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing
dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the British crown. Economically and
technologically the nation has developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor
to the south across an unfortified border. Canada's paramount political problem
is meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care and education
services after a decade of budget cuts. The issue of reconciling Quebec's
francophone heritage with the majority anglophone Canadian population has
moved to the back burner in recent years; support for separatism abated after
the Quebec government's referendum on independence failed to pass in October
of 1995.
