Canada.

Facts about Canada

CAPITAL CITIES

Canada                       Ottawa

Provinces                   Capitals                      Joined Canada in…

British Columbia     Victoria                       July 20  1871

Alberta                       Edmonton                 Sept 1   1905

Saskatchewan                   Regina                         Sept 1   1905

Manitoba                   Winnipeg                   July 15  1870

Ontario                       Toronto             July 1    1867

Quebec                       Quebec City               July 1    1867

Newfoundland                  St. John’s          Mar 31 1949

Prince Edward Island      Charlottetown                   July 1    1873

Nova Scotia               Halifax                        July 1    1867

New Brunswick                 Fredericton               July 1    1867

Territories

Yukon                          Whitehorse               1898

Northwest Territories    Yellowknife               1870

Nunavut            Iqaluit                          1999

Facts about Canada

Political Facts

-         Canada became the Dominion of Canada on July 1^st, 1867

o   It officially became an independent country in 1982 when the Constitution was repatriated from Britain

-         It is a constitutional monarchy, meaning it pays homage to the British monarch while remaining a democratic country with an elected parliament

-         The elected head of Canada is the Prime Minister

o   The highest non-elected office is the Governor General

-         Canada’s parliament is divided between the House of Commons (elected) and Senate (appointed)

-         Canada has a federal system, meaning the provinces and Ottawa have exclusive jurisdiction over different areas

-         The highest judicial body in Canada is the Supreme Court of Canada

Geographical Facts

-         Canada is the second largest country in the world with a land mass of 9970610 km²

o   It also has the longest coastline of any country in the world

-         It is so wide that it touches both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans as well as the Arctic Ocean in the north

o   It is so wide it has six time zones within it

o   It has the world’s longest unprotected border with another nation (the United States)

-         10% of the world’s forests reside in Canada, taking up over half the country’s land mass

-          

Demographics

-         Toronto, Ontario is the largest city in Canada with over 5M people

o  Montreal, Quebec and Vancouver, British Columbia are the second and third largest.

-         Canada’s total population is around 33M, according to the 2011 Canadian census

o  Canada’s enormous size and small population means it has one of the lowest ratios of people per square km in the world

o  90% of Canada’s population lives within 160km of the Canadian/US border

-         Canada has two official languages: French and English

Miscellaneous Facts

-         The name ‘Canada’ comes from ‘Kanata’, which is the St Lawrence-Iroquoian word for ‘village’ or ‘settlement’

-         The Canadian flag is red and white and features the national symbol, the maple leaf

o  It became the official flag in 1965, replacing the Union Jack

-         Hockey is the most popular sport in Canada, and it and lacrosse are the national sports of Canada

-         Canada’s currency is the Canadian dollar

o  The official Canadian motto is A Mari Usque ad Mare, which is Latin for ‘From sea to sea’

-         The CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario was the world’s largest free-standing structure until 2007.