Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over 9.98 million square kilometres (3.85 million square miles), making it the world’s second-largest country by total area.
Its southern and western border with the United States, stretching 8,891 kilometres (5,525 mi), is the world’s longest binational land border.
Canada’s capital is Ottawa, and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.
Indigenous peoples have continuously inhabited what is now Canada for thousands of years. Beginning in the 16th century, British and French expeditions explored and later settled along the Atlantic coast. As a consequence of various armed conflicts, France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763. In 1867, with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation, Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces.
This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom. This widening autonomy was highlighted by the Statute of Westminster 1931 and culminated in the Canada Act 1982, which severed the vestiges of legal dependence on the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
List of facts
Canada’s capital is Ottawa
Ottawa is the second coldest capital in the world.
The Vikings settled the east coast of Canada in 1000 AD.
Canada has ten provinces and three territories
The Canadian motto, A Mari Usque ad Mare, means “From sea to sea.”
“Canada” is an Iroquoian word meaning “Village.”
Canada’s three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.
Canada is the second largest country in the world by total area.
In 2019, the population of Canada was approximately 37.59 million.
72.9 percent of the population report having European descent
The National Flag of Canada came into being in 1965 to replace the Union Jack.
About 90% of Canada’s population is concentrated within 100 miles of the Canada/US border.
Six cities in Canada have a population of over 1 million: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa.
The U.S. / Canada Border is the longest international border in the world
Canada has the world’s eighth-largest economy
Canada has the largest coastline in the world.
Canada has two official languages – English and French
The lowest temperature ever recorded in Canada was in Snag, Yukon at -63 degrees C
In Canada, the one-dollar coin is called the ‘loonie’ and the two-dollar coin is called the ‘toonie’.
Canada has six time zones
Montreal is the world’s second-largest French-speaking city after Paris.
Canada’s lowest recorded temperature was -81.4 degrees Fahrenheit
The oldest rocks on earth can be found in The Canadian Shield at 4.28 billion years old
98% of Canadians can speak either or both English and French
The most common last name in Canada is “Li”.
Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world’s combined
Ontario, Canada, has more than 250,000 lakes
These lakes contain about 1/5 of the world’s fresh water
Americans have invaded Canada twice, in 1775 and 1812. They lost both times.
Canada consumes more macaroni and cheese than any other nation in the world
Canada has over 2,000,000 lakes
Licence plates in the Canadian Northwest Territories are shaped like polar bears
The boreal forest of Canada is considered to be the largest intact forest on Earth
At 1,896 km, Yonge Street in Canada, is the longest street in the world.
Dildo is a town on the island of Newfoundland, Canada
Canada has the third largest oil reserves of any country in the world
Canada’s national parks are free for kids.
50% of the world’s polar bears live in Nunavut.
There are about 630 bird species in Canada.
There are nearly 2.5 million caribou in Canada.
Canada consumes the most doughnuts and has the most doughnut shops per capita of any country in the world.
Canada’s first National Park, Banff National Park was established in 1885
Canada became the 2nd country in the world to fully legalize marijuana in 2017
The Hawaiian Pizza was invented in Canada
The North American Beaver is the national animal of Canada.
A 9.3 kg lobster caught in Nova Scotia in 1977 is the largest documented lobster.
Canada is home to 15 million cattle, 9 million of which live on the Prairies.
Approximately 12.1 percent of the nation’s landmass and freshwater are conservation areas
Canada has a strategic maple syrup reserve to ensure global supply in case of emergency
Canada’s largest national wildlife region is the Scott Islands Marine National Wildlife Area, which spans 11,570.65 square kilometres
Canada is the largest producer of uranium in the world
Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area is the world’s largest freshwater protected area, spanning roughly 10,000 square kilometres
Three of the largest islands in the world are located within Canada – Baffin Island, Victoria Island, and Ellesmere Island
Canada has the largest freshwater island in the world – Manitoulin Island in Ontario.
Canada has one of the highest per-capita immigration rates in the world
A record number of 405,000 immigrants were admitted to Canada in 2021
Canada is the world’s largest source of the rare element Caesium
Canada’s newest territory is Nunavut, which separated from the Northwest Territories in 1999.
Nunavut is Canada’s largest area by landmass and takes up one-fifth of Canada’s total land area.
Mount Logan is the highest mountain in Canada at 5959 metres
Winnipeg has the longest skating rink in the world.
Ontario’s Wasaga beach is the longest freshwater beach in the world.
The highest waterfall in Canada is Della Falls, British Columbia, at 440 metres
Canada is the 5th largest diamond producer in the world by volume
The official phone number for Canada is 1-800-O-Canada.
Canada’s National Drink is the Ceasar and was invented in Calgary back in 1969
Canada is famous for its ice wine, which is made from pressed frozen grapes.
Quebec manufactures more than 77% of the world’s maple syrup
Ginger Ale was invented in Toronto back in 1907
Chewing gum was invented in Toronto back in the 1860s
Peanut Butter was created in Montreal in 1884.
California Rolls come from Vancouver in 1971.
Hockey and lacrosse are Canada’s national sports
The baseball glove was invented in Canada in 1883.
An area in Hudson Bay has less gravity than the rest of the world.
Canada has hosted the Olympic Games three times
There are currently 20 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Canada.
Canada owns 9% of the renewable water supply of the world.
Prince Edward Island is the smallest province in Canada. It is only 225 kilometres long and 56 kilometres wide.
Wood Buffalo National Park is the largest natural park in Canada. It is also the second-largest national park in the world.
In 1920, the Mounted Police merged with the Dominion Police to become the famous Royal Canadian Mounted Police
