The Straight Goods on Canada

• Canada is the second largest country in the world at 9,093,507 sq km (only the Russian Federation is bigger) and stretches over 7, 000 km from west to east coasts. To put that in perspective for some of you, the United Kingdom would fit comfortably into Canada 37 times! To see a map of Canada, click here.
• Our population is approximately 32,507,000.
• 77% of the Canadian population lives within cities, the biggest of which are Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.
• There are two official languages in Canada: English and French.
• Ottawa, Ontario is our national capital. It’s also the coldest national capital in the world - brrrr!
• Canada is a constitutional monarchy and a federal state with a democratic parliament. Elections are generally held every four years.
• We have 10 provinces, 3 territories, and 6 times zones.
• To catch a glimpse of current Canadian headlines, please click on the following links:
  • News: http://www.canoe.ca
  • News: http://www.cbc.ca
• Because of the great vastness and diversity of land and climate, Canada has many different seasonal weather conditions. Please click here to have a look at current weather conditions in your expected region of travel: http://www.theweathernetwork.com
• There are over two million lakes in Canada, covering about 7.6% of our landmass.
• It is estimated that Canada has one fifth (1/5) of the world’s fresh water supply.
• Canada maintains 38 national parks, which cover about 2% of the country's landmass.
• At 6050m, Mount Logan in the Yukon is Canada's tallest peak.
• Many distinct and unique aboriginal cultures exist within Canada, and have done so since long before the arrival of Europeans. However, much of their population was devastated by war, famine and the smallpox epidemic. Throughout the story of European expansion, several First Nations treaties were signed, then retracted by European authorities. Through time, First Nations cultures have found a place within Canadian culture, but not without significant growing pains and sacrifice. Their story and philosophy, demonstrate a way of life focused on a more respectful and involved relationship with nature and the natural cycle. They are a culture of remarkable myths and legends, full of spirit and generosity, and their importance within the Canadian character is central.
• The name “Canada” is derived from the Huron-Iroquois word “kanata”, which means village or settlement.
• It is widely believed that the Vikings were the first Europeans to arrive on eastern Canadian shores around AD 1000. However, after about 500 years of dwelling in small colonies in the north, they packed it in and went back to Scandinavia.
• In the early 16th and 17th centuries, French explorers like Jacques Cartier, and Samuel de Champlain made headway up the St. Lawrence River to establish settlements on what is now Quebec City and Montreal. The strong cultural ties to French ways of life are still very alive in Quebec today.
• The English arguably played a more important role in defining the history of what is now Canada, and did so on the Plains of Abraham in a fateful battle by defeating the French in 1759. Since that point, the English claimed the colony of Canada as their own, financed expansion west, and also thwarted American expansion north.
• The conflict between the British colony of Canada and the United States of America came to a violent head during the war of 1812. When was the war of 1812 you ask? Well it was in 1812, and it involved a failed Yankee invasion of the British Colony. Many new Canadians, First Nations Warriors and British soldiers sent the Yanks packing, chasing them all the way back to Washington where they burned down the White House!
• Canada became a sovereign nation (from Britain) on July 1, 1867. The anniversary is celebrated every year as Canada Day! Our national anthem, “O Canada”, wasn’t proclaimed until 1980 although it has been sung since the late 1800s.
• The Canadian dollar is the official currency of Canada. You’ll probably find the coins amusing, as the dollar and two dollar coins are called the loonie and twoonie respectively. The dollar coin is named after the lake bird called the loon. Click here for a currency converter.
• Canada’s official national sport is lacrosse, which was invented by our aboriginal peoples. However, our national passion is ice hockey! You’ll find an ice rink in almost every town in the country, and if there isn’t one, you’ll find everyone playing “shinny” down at the local frozen pond.