Which company is best for DSLR cameras, Nikon or Canon?

I Love photography, I'm a beginner in this line.
I want to buy a DSLR camera but i'm confused in both companies that which one is best or long life cameras?
Secondly can you please suggest me a good camera, i'm a beginner in photography.

The best is Hasselblad, then Leaf/Mamiya, then Leica, then nikon and canon simultaneously (pretty much)

Either Canon or Nikon will do. What matters is how you feel when using the camera. Some prefer Canon, some prefer Nikon

Nikon D3100, D3200, D5100
Canon Rebel T3, T2i, T3i (and upcoming T4i)

Neighter! You chose a camers based on how it fits you personally, location of controls, price of accessorys (lenses, etc.). If you are a beginner are you sure you "need" to start with a DSLR?

Nikon has been making cameras for professionals since 1959, Canon since 1988 with a brief pro camera (the F-1 New) being produced in 1971 but made obsolete in 1988 by the introduction of the Canon EOS system.

Almost ANY of the Nikon and Canon cameras have extremely long lives.

I still use an old Nikon F2 (circa 1971) when shooting in hazardous (Div 1, Class 1) environments where NO ignition sources are allowed.

Neither is better. Both make fine cameras and lenses, each have their pros and cons, too long to list here. While Canon and Nikon have been making cameras for decades, most of that time has been making film cameras, not digital ones.

Sony has been in the digital camera business longer than both companies, they make digital cameras for consumers, and pros in TV and the film industry. They also supply image sensors to many, many brands of cameras and cell phones. All the image sensors in Nikon dSLRs are made by Sony.

Some Sony alpha cameras models are better than certain Canon and Nikon cameras. Their A57 beats out any Canon or Nikon in the same price range. The same can be said for Pentax, their K-5 and K30 are really good cameras too.

Any entry level or mid range dSLR is fine for a first timer. Nikon's D3100, 3200 or D5100, Sony's A37 or A57, A65, Pentax K30, Canon T2i or T3i all fine choices.

If you don't want the bulk of a dSLR, but the controls and same image quality, take a look at some large image sensor compacts, Sony's NEX F3, Samsung's NX1000, Panasonic's GF5.

Canon is pretty good and so is nikon. It depends on your price range and since your a begginer you should start out with a begginers dslr camera. I personally perfer canon film camera's and digital nikon camera's.

It depends on what you are shooting. For example the nikon d800 would be good for landscapes etc because of its 38mp (something like that) sensor, but if you were doning something like sports photography, something with a fast shutter speed, such as the canon eos 1d mk4 would be good for its 10fps shutter speed…

Sony and Pentax probably did it before either of them.

Hasselblad, Leica, Linhof all make superb equipment if you don't mind robbing a bank to put down the deposit. Mamiya and Bronica are slightly cheaper - but still widely used in certain circles.

KMZ have made more SLRs and rangefnders than both combined.

Canon and Nikon spend a lot on advertising.