Official bilingualism is the term used in Canada to collectively describe the policies, constitutional provisions, and laws which give English and French a special legal status over other languages in Canada’s courts, parliament and administration.

 

Official bilingualism should not be confused with personal bilingualism, which is the capacity of a person to speak two languages. However, the promotion of personal bilingualism in English and French is an important objective of official bilingualism in Canada, and is addressed more fully below.

 

Canada actually has two Constitutions. The first is the Canadian Constitution 1867, when Canada officially became a country. Or more accurately, when the first four provinces (Upper Canada - now Ontario, Lower Canada - now Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick) formed the country of Canada from various British colonies. The remaining provinces joined at different times until 1949 when Newfoundland was the last province to join. 

Canada's first people, the ancestors of the Native Americans, or Indians, arrived in North America from Asia around 40,000 years ago. Later arrivals were the Inuit (Eskimos), who also came from Asia. Europeans reached the Canadian coast in 1497 and a race began between Britain and France for control f the territory. 

Ottawa City Hall France gained an initial advantage, and the French founded Quebec in 1608. But the British later occupied eastern Canada in1867, Britain passed the British North America Act, which set up the Dominion of Canada, which was made up of Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Other areas were added, the last being Newfoundland in 1949. Canada fought alongside Britain in both World Wars and man Canadians feel close ties with Britain. Canada is a constitutional monarchy, and the British monarch is Canada's head of state.