22

SUMMARY ON ORIGIN AND BIRTHPLACE

URBAN AND RURAL DISTRIBUTION
(1) An analysis of the rural and urban distribution of the population by origins in
Canada reveals several significant facts. Approximately one-quarter of the population
of Canada is resident in cities of 25000 and over. The Hebrews show a proportion of
84:06 pec. a percentage three times as large as that for the British. The Greeks with
64-20 p.c., the Italians with 47-92 p.c., the Chinese with 44-87 p.c., and the Negroes with
35-97 p.c., also show an unusual tendency to congregate in large centres. The British with
28-17 p.c. in such cities are slightly more urban than the total population, and the French
with a percentage of 22-45 slightly less. With the exception of the Poles, the Slavs show
much smaller proportions in cities 253,000 and over than the population as a whole, and
those of Germanic and Scandinavian origin are also among the least urban of the peoples
in Canada. The differences are very great, the proportions in large cities ranging all the
way from 2-66 p.c. for the Ukminians to 84:06 pe. for the Hebrews.
(2) Of the immigrants, those from Asia, from the British Isles and from Latin and Greek
countries were domiciled in incorporated cities, towns and villages of all sizes to an extent
far greater than those born in Slavie, Germanic and Scandinavian countries. (See Chart 7.)
(3) A distinction between the behaviour of the immigrants in the east and west is
interesting. Those from South, East and Central Europe resident in the Eastern provinces
are more urban than the total population in those provinces, but those in the West are
somewhat less urban than the population as a whole. Similarly, immigrants from the
United States tend to settle in the cities, especially in Ontario and Quebec, but in Saskatchewan
 and Alberta they take up rural residence. Both in the East and West, the North
Western Europeans are more rural than the populations of the respective provinces in which
they have settled.
There is a marked tendency to segregation among the stocks which congregate in large
cities and among certain very rural peoples; this materially impedes the process of
assimilation.

CHART VII

PERCENTAGES or IMMIGRANTS From SPECIFIED COUNTRIES or
BIRTH, DOMICILED in URBAN AREAS, 1921
Asia
BritisH lees

Larin ano Greer Countries

S. Eastern avo Cent. Europe

Suaviec Countries

Unrreo States

Gervanic Countries

N.WezreanEurore

Scanpinaian Countries

0

10

20%

0

an

y

Hoh:
50 20 %