The Canadian passport is a travel document used by Canadian citizens. Issued by Passport Canada, an independent agency under Citizenship and Immigration Canada, it allows bearers to enter and exit Canada, as well as travel to other visa-required countries.[1] Canadian citizens who wish to obtain a passport do so by applying to Passport Canada.[2]Origins of the PassportOne of the earliest mentions of a document form used for travel across country borders is in the Hebrew Bible. Nehemiah asks King Artaxerxes I of Persia if he can receive letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and Asaph to ensure his safe passage to Judah.[3] King Artaxerxes ruled from 465 to 425 BC, with the first passport dating to this time period.[4] The later, more official, version of the passport is the Mongolian folk paiza (1206-1370), which was a metal plaque carried by the Mongol administration to display their position and for regulation and communication throughout the Mongol Empire. [5] King Henry V, who ruled Britain from 1413 to 1422, then introduced the next form of passport, which may be more similar to what we consider a passport today, in 1414.[6][7] King Henry V granted documents ensuring "safe conduct" to anyone he wished, although English subjects had to pay for them.[8] From this point on passports began to become more popular. Origins of the British Passport After the introduction of the British passport during the reign of Henry V in the form of "safe conduct",[9] passports in Great Britain were then granted by the Privy Council and signed by the monarch until 1794, when the Secretary State assumed responsibility.[10] Before World War I, no one was required to...... middle of paper ......play on the chip.[40] Additionally, like the photo, both the signature and any personal information displayed on the passport are embedded on the page, preventing tampering. A second photo of the passport holder made in grayscale is present on the opposite page from the main photo.[41]Special inks and lamination further make forgery difficult while ensuring the authenticity of the Canadian passport. For example, depending on the angle of inclination of the passport, the ink will change color and holographic images will be imprinted on the personal information.[42] Additional features include the ability to see the letters "CAN" when pages are held up to the light, as well as a machine-readable area at the bottom of the main page. The information displayed within the machine-readable zone repeats the personal information of the passport holder.[43]