Exciting Facts: What do you know about Canada?

Hello to everybody! Want to know some exciting facts about Canada? This big country is famous across the world for its majestic mountains, incredible wildlife, frozen glaciers, and beautiful cities. Actually, what do you know about Canada? Canada is the largest country in the world after Russia. It spans six time zones and borders three oceans. The country is divided into 10 provinces and three territories, and the capital is Ottawa. Discover all the amazing and interesting things Canada has to offer with these exciting facts.

Facts about Canada

• Official Name: Canada
• Form of Government: Federal parliamentary state
• Capital: Ottawa
• Population: 36,307,820
• Official Language: English, French
• Money: Canadian dollar
• Area: 9,970,610 square kilometres
• Major Mountain Ranges: Rockies, Coast, Laurentian
• Major Rivers: St. Lawrence, Mackenzie

Canada is one huge place! Measuring 4,600km from north to south, the country spans more than half the Northern Hemisphere. And at an amazing 5,500km from east to west, it stretches across six time zones! A vast, rugged land, Canada is the second-largest country in the world (Russia is the largest) but only 0.5% of the world’s population live there.

Canada has a varied landscape, with majestic mountains, rolling plains, forested valleys, and beautiful blue rivers and lakes. The Canadian Shield, a hilly region of lakes and swamps, stretches across northern Canada and has some of the oldest rocks on Earth.

In Canada’s far north lies the frozen Arctic. Here, ice, snow and glaciers dominate the landscape. Brrrrrr! Despite the cold, harsh climate, Native Canadians, called First Nations people, live in this region, where they hunt and fish for food.

Exciting Facts: Canada’s wildlife and nature

Canada’s remote north and extensive forests are home to lots of wonderful wildlife, from bears, wolves, deer, mountain lions, beavers, and bighorn sheep, to smaller animals such as raccoons, otters, and rabbits. Moreover, the country’s lakes and rivers – which contain about 20 percent of all fresh water on Earth – are full of fish such as trout and salmon.

Canada’s prairies (open grasslands) in the south are home to American buffalo and pronghorn antelope. Also, in the sprawling evergreen forests of northern Canada, moose and black bears are amongst the amazing animals that can be found. Even farther north, herds of reindeer and musk ox roam the cold, bare tundra.

Canadians work hard to protect their native wildlife, and the country has 41 national parks and three marine conservation areas. Nevertheless, species like wolves, lynx and Atlantic fish have faced threats from overhunting and overfishing.

History of Canada

The first people to come to Canada arrived between 15,000 and 30,000 years ago across a land bridge that joined Asia and North America. Around A.D. 1000, the Viking explorer Leif Eriksson reached Newfoundland, Canada. He tried to establish a settlement, but it didn’t last long.

Later, in the 16th century, French and British settlers arrived. Later, land disputes between farmers and fur traders led to four wars between 1689 and 1763. The final war, called the French and Indian War, left the British in control of Canada, but French influence continued and remains strong even today.

In 1867, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick combined to form a dominion with its own government, parliament, and prime minister – and Manitoba joined soon after. In 1931, Canada became an independent nation.

Following numerous territorial changes over the years, today Canada is made up of ten provinces and three territories.

Exciting Facts: Canadian people and culture

In some ways, Canada is many nations in one. Descendants of British and French immigrants make up about half the population. They were later followed by other European and Asian immigrants. Moreover, First Nations peoples make up about four percent of the population.

Inuit people live mostly in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Many Native Canadians live on their traditional lands, but many others have moved to cities across Canada. First Nations artwork is widely recognized and is seen as a symbol of Canadian culture.

Canada’s government and economy

The British monarch is the head of state of Canada. Above all, the monarch is represented by a governor-general, who has very limited powers. In addition, laws are made by Canada’s elected federal government, which includes a parliament and a prime minister.

Later, Britain’s Quebec Act of 1774 granted Quebec its own legal and religious rights. Despite this concession, many Quebec citizens have long sought independence. In votes held in 1980 and 1995, Quebec decided to stay in Canada. But the second vote was very close, and the debate is still alive.

Canada has provided fish, furs, and other natural resources to the world since the 1500s. Today, it is a world leader in agricultural production, telecommunications, and energy technologies. The vast majority of Canada’s exports go to the United States.

Hope you take a keen interest in this wonderful country and its breathtaking natural beauties, as well as its people and culture! Go on learning about other great countries, England and the United States, and about history!

Likewise, check my FB page or my TeachersPayTeachers store, where you will find all sorts of pieces of advice and resources.

Just for fun…

• Play some interactive games themed around Canada
• Try some Canadian geography interactive games
• Print out and colour a map of Canada
• See fun facts about Canada on an interactive map
• And make your own Canadian sweet treats, butter tarts and Nanaimo bars
• Canada-themed crafts
• Try some geography projects for kids from Canadian Geographic
• Lots of Canadian quizzes to try
• Color Canada’s landmarks coloring pages
• Games to help you explore the aboriginal people of Canada and their heritage
• Worksheets and activities about Canada
• Create your own totem pole
• Learn some Inuktitut words with online games
• Try some online ice hockey games
• Lots of Canada-inspired colouring in
• Try a quiz to show off your knowledge of Canada

Find out more about Canada

• Read National Geographic Kids’ facts about Canada
• The Rough Guide introduction to Canada
• Investigate Canadian history in these guides for children
• Information, videos and photographs of the native people of Canada and their culture and heritage, including the Inuit people of the Arctic region
• See the flora and fauna of North America
• Visit the Virtual Museum of New France and learn about the culture and civilisation of Canada’s first European inhabitants
• See a virtual exhibition of a thousand years of Canada’s history and get to know Inuit history and art
• Listen to the Fun Kids guide to Toronto
• Learn lots of maple syrup facts
• How many of these classic Canadian foods have you tried? Ketchup crisps, maple fudge, beaver tails (made of pastry!) and poutine (fries piled with melty curds and thick gravy) sound (mostly!) delicious
• Watch videos to find out more about Canada’s national sport, ice hockey

See for yourself

• Canadian natural wonders and top Aboriginal travel experiences in Canada
• The Parks Canada highlights Canada’s national parks
• Look at some beautiful wildlife photography from Canadian photographer John E. Marriott
• Take a virtual tour of Canada’s Parliament in Ottawa
• See an online exhibition of Inuit art

Download