More than 1,000 years ago, a Viking ship lost at sea drifted into a fish-filled bay in eastern North America. On shore, the sailors saw lush green land and forests. A few years later, Viking explorer Leif Eriksson returned to the island that later became known as Newfoundland.

In 1963, the ruins of a Viking settlement were found at a Newfoundland fishing village, L’Anse aux Meadows. Is this ancient settlement the first place built by Europeans in North America? It could be. Was it built by Eriksson himself? Some historians think so.

Montréal is one of the most important cities in Canada. It’s a center of industry, trade, culture, and tourism. Until the 1990s, Montréal was the largest city in Canada. Now Toronto has more people, and Montréal is Canada’s second largest city.

CITY ON AN ISLAND

Montréal sits on an island. The island is in the St. Lawrence River in the province of Québec. The city’s suburbs have spilled over onto the mainland.

northern Lights

Imagine a cold northern land where there are more caribou than people. Giant piles of stones in the shape of people, called Inukshuk, dot the treeless plains. Built by native people known as the Inuit, these stone figures have been used as landmarks for centuries.

Can you imagine such a place? Then you have an idea what Canada’s Northwest Territories is like!

A BIG PLACE

The Northwest Territories is in northwestern Canada. In the south, it touches the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. In the north, it reaches all the way to the North Pole and includes some large islands in the Arctic Ocean.