In this episode of Fun with Maps we look at three Caledonia's! First, of course, is the original Caledonia - Scotland. Scotland was called Caledonia by the Roman Empire and it is still a romantic or poetic name for Scotland. The folk song "Caledonia" written by Dougie MacLean in 1977 is considered as an unofficial national anthem of Scotland. We touch on Hadrian's Wall and the Antonine Wall as well.
Did you know that the second Caledonia is in what is now British Colombia in Canada? New Caledonia was a fur-trading district of the Hudson Bay Company (HBC). Simon Fraser of HBC thought the terrain reminded him of the Scottish Highlands so he named it New Caledonia.
The third Caledonia is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean about 750 miles east of Australia. When explorer James Cook sighted the land on his second voyage in 1774 he, like Fraser in Canada, thought it was reminiscent of Scotland so he named it New Caledonia. In 1853 under orders of Emperor Napoleon III France took possession and so it is part of the Republic of France. They sent 22,000 convicts and political prisoners there in the late 1800's. There have been three referendums so far to vote on independence from France and possibly become the Kanak Republic. The Kanaks are the indigenous people of the islands and make up a little over 40% of the population. All three referendums have failed so far. New Caledonia was an important Allied base in World War II. As you will see the main South Pacific Fleet of the US Navy moved to New Caledonia's capital of Noumea in 1942 and turned back the Japanese Navy in the Battle of the Coral Sea.
In this video we touch on some popular songs, shout out to Sheldon Cooper of the Big Bang Theory and learn why Tesla agreed to a partnership with the Goro Mine on the island. (Hint: the mines are full of nickel which is needed for lithium-ion batteries.)
Cleveland was the proud host of the 2024 Pan-American Masters Games from July 12-21, 2024. A major event of the International Masters Games Association, the Games offer an opportunity to showcase competitive spirit and athletic ability of masters athletes on a global stage. Thousands of athletes from 6 continents (sorry Antarctica), 48 states and more than 70 countries, including Canada, came to Cleveland in a celebration of health, vitality, friendship and an active lifestyle at any age.
In this episode of Fun with Maps, host Dan Hanson looks at the 2nd largest country in the world - Canada. Canada is huge and diverse and many of its cities, provinces, territories, rivers, lakes, etc. would be good topics for future Fun with Maps episodes but this episode concentrates on one area - showing the 10 provinces and 3 territories of Canada.
The 10 provinces are Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Saskatchewan. The three territories are Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon.
Young Athletes from Canada at Continental Cup in Cleveland
The Continental Cup, put on by the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, is now in its 10th year and the 2015 event had 3300 athletes from 11 countries including Tanzania, Kenya, Mongolia, China, Bermuda, China, Colombia, Canada, Brazil, Nepal and Greece.
Canada was very well represented with hundreds of athletes.
Young Athletes from Canada at Continental Cup in Cleveland
The Tall Ships Festival at the Port of Cleveland drew several international ships including a few from Canada.
Tall Ships from Canada
2012
O Canada sung by Marie Crawley Diamond at the Robert Burns Dinner put on by the Scottish Heritage Association of Northeast Ohio (SHANO) on January 21, 2012.
ClevelandPeople.Com Canadian Ambassador Richard Arnold with his wife Elizabeth and baby Madalyn at The Cleveland Home & Garden Show. Canada was the featured country at the January 2011 show.
Canada was well represented at the annual Continental Cup July 1-4, 2010 at John Carroll University in Cleveland.
The BC Regiment, DCO, marching in New Westminster, 1940. 1.1 million Canadians served in WWII. Canadian servicemen played a major part in the D-Day landings of 6 June, 1944.
Canadian History and Culture
The name Canada comes from a St. Lawrence Iroquoian word, kanata, meaning "village" or "settlement". In 1535, indigenous inhabitants of the present-day Quebec City region used the word to direct French explorer Jacques Cartier towards the village of Stadacona.
Cartier later used the word Canada to refer not only to that particular village, but also the entire area subject to Donnacona (the chief at Stadacona); by 1545, European books and maps had begun referring to this region as Canada.
Jacques Cartier
Canada
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 faces the political challenges of meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care and education services, as well as responding to separatist concerns in predominantly francophone Quebec.
Canada also aims to develop its diverse energy resources while maintaining its commitment to the environment.
Read more about the Canadian and other Ambassadors. If you are interested in being considered to be an official ClevelandPeople.com Ambassador to the Cleveland Canadian community, please contact us.
