Ten Fun Facts about Canada
Canada might be best known for its wilderness, maple syrup and polite population, but beyond the stereotypes? From its record-breaking border and coastline to its edible inventions, Canada is full of surprises. Read on for our roundup of fun facts about Canada…
1. Canada is the world’s second-largest country by area
This colossal nation covers almost four million square miles and is second only to Russia in size. For context, this means that the UK could fit into the size of Canada over 40 times (let that sink in). In fact, it’s so large that it stretches across six different time zones: Pacific, Mountain, Central, Eastern and Atlantic.
2. The Hawaiian pizza was created in Canada
Pizza purists, look away now. The controversial Hawaiian pizza – topped with ham and pineapple – is believed to have been invented by Greek immigrant Sam Panopoulos, who moved to Canada in 1954. Panopoulos owned a restaurant in Chatham, southwestern Ontario, and it was here that he first put canned pineapple on a pizza. So where does the name come from? The brand name of the canned pineapple was (you guessed it) Hawaiian.
3. Canada is home to more than 62% of the world’s lakes
This amounts to more lakes than all other countries combined. The mighty North American nation boasts 879,800 freshwater lakes, which make up almost nine per cent of its total area. Lake Superior is Canada’s largest lake at 31,700 square miles, followed by Lake Huron at 23,000 square miles (both are shared with the USA) and Great Bear Lake in the Northwest Territories (12,096 square miles).
Image by AleCam/stock.adobe.com
4. Beavers are the national animal of Canada
The beaver was central to Canada’s fur trade between the 17th and mid-19th centuries. Since then, it has become a popular national symbol, appearing in everything from coats of arms to Canada’s first postage stamp in 1851, and it became the nation’s official animal in 1975. Today, you’ll find this animal (North America’s largest rodent) living in semi-aquatic environments in every region of Canada.
5. French and English are the official languages of Canada
Today’s bilingual nation reflects Canada’s colonial past, having been ruled both by France (between 1534 and 1763) and Britain (from 1763 to 1982). English is the most widely spoken of the two, with the exception of Quebec, where almost 85% of residents speak French as their first language. Approximately 18% of the population have the best of both worlds and are bilingual.
6. The Canada-USA border is the longest international land border in the world
Spanning over 5,500 miles long – including over 1,500 miles shared with Alaska – it’s also the longest undefended border in the world. The record-breaking border isn’t without its quirks, either. Thanks to cartographic errors, a tiny portion of US territory, Northwest Angle, Minnesota, is only accessible by land through Canada. The border also slices through the town of Derby Line, Vermont, and there’s a 20-foot-wide strip of cleared land along the border called a ‘no-touch zone’.
7. Approximately 90% of Canadians live within 100 miles of the Canada-USA border
What’s behind this concentration? Well, as we’ve already established, Canada is pretty big. Its southern regions enjoy a temperate climate, making it a much more suitable place to settle than the harsh north. Historically, settlers built Canada’s major cities close to the border – including Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Ottawa – which today are the most populous regions of the country.
Image by Olivier Romano
8. Canada has the world’s longest coastline
The Canadian coastline, stretching over 151,000 miles, borders three oceans: the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic. Thanks to the Great Lakes, it also includes over 2,350 miles of freshwater coastline. This colossal coastline provides Canada with an array of marine ecosystems and different climates. Visitors are spoilt for choice...
9. Almost 40% of Canada is covered by forest
This impressive number makes up roughly nine per cent of the world’s total forested land area, including a whopping 25% of the planet’s boreal forests. Canada’s forests play a crucial role in global biodiversity – and only Brazil and Russia have more forest cover.
Image by Olivier Romano
10. Indigenous people make up around 5% of the total Canadian population
The Canadian constitution recognises three indigenous groups: First Nations, Inuit and Metis. First Nations have the largest population of over one million people, followed by Metis, and then Inuit, with the smallest population. There are over 70 indigenous languages spoken across Canada, although many are at risk of endangerment.
