Governing Canada
Canada is both a constitutional monarchy, with a Governor General (the Queen of England’s representative in Canada) as the head of state, and a self-governing democracy, represented by
301 Members of Parliament (MPs) who sit in the House of Commons and 104 appointed representatives who sit in the Senate.
Citizens across the country elect an MP for their riding; the number of seats in the House per province is calculated by a formula that takes into account population distribution, with the more populous provinces retaining more seats. Senators representing the provinces are appointed by the Governor General on advice of the Prime Minister.
Synopsis
The animation begins with a blank map of Canada. Provincial and territorial boundaries are quickly added, then, one by one, each province and territory is coloured individually. As the viewer rolls the mouse over each province or territory, a label appears indicating the number of seats it has in the House of Commons.