90年代加拿大移民地区结构新特点

90年代是战后以来加拿大移民的高峰时期，本文总结了这一时期加拿大移民来源地和居住分布的新特点。其突出表现是：亚洲已成为加拿大最大的移民来源地，其中来自香港、中国大陆和台湾的华人成为最大的移民群体；移民选择大城市，尤其是多伦多、温哥华和蒙特利尔三大都市区作为定居地的倾向进一步加强。

The Characteristics of Canada's Immigrant Population in 1990's

This paper described Canada's immigrant population in term of its size, its geographic distribution and its origins, with special emphasis on those who immigranted between 1991 and 1996. Canada was home to about five million immigrants in 1996, a 14. 5% increase since 1991.This increase was slightly more than three times the growth rate (4% ) of the Canadian - born population. Immigrants represented 17. 4% of the total population, which is the largest share in more than 50 years. The sources of immigrantion to Canada have changed greatly. Throughout much of this century, the Europe has been the main source of immigrants to Canada. In recent years, however, this trend has changed, with increasing numbers immigranting to Canada from Asia. In 1996, just over one million persons in Canada were immigrants who arrived between 1991 and 1996. The Asian - born accounted for more than half(57% ) of these recent drivals, up from 33 % of immigrants who came in the 1970's and 12% of those who arrived in the 1960' s.The Asian - born represented only 3 % of these who arrived before 1961. Among the Asian - born immigrants who arrived between 1991 and 1996, nearly 40% were Chinese from Hon Kong,Mainland of China and Taiwan. Chinese has been the largest group of immigrants to Canada and accounted for 22% of aIl new arrivals between 1991 and 1996. Immigrants, particulary the new arrivals, were more likely than people born in Canada to live in large urban centers. In 1996,85% of all immigrants and 93% of those who arrived between 1991 - 1996 lived in a census metropolitan area, compared with just 57 % of Canadian - born people. The new immigrants were especially attracted to Canada's three largest urban areas. In 1996, nearly three - quarters of new immigrants lived in either Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver, compared with just over one -quarter of population born in Canada.