Canada has long been seen as a country of immigrants. From the French and English who were the first Europeans to settle in the northern half of the North American continent, to the most recent arrivals who have come from almost every country in the world, Canada has a long tradition of welcoming immigrants. Canada is a multicultural society with two official languages. However, almost 17% of the population has a mother tongue other than English or French, with Chinese being the third most prevalent language spoken by Canadians. Through good times and bad Canada's commitment to immigration has never weakened. Throughout the 1990's Canada received between 200,000 and 250,000 immigrants per year, and this trend continues during the 2000's. more... See more text