Thursday, March 30th, 2023
So, you have taken the leap and moved to Canada…. Here are some fun facts about your new country that you need to be familiar with.
Location
Canada is in the northern part of North America. It borders Atlantic Ocean in the east, Pacific Ocean in the west, Arctic Ocean in the north and Unites States of America in the south.
Fun Fact: Canada has the longest undefended border in the world! It is a border between Canada and the US and it measures 8,891 km.
Capital: Ottawa
Fun Fact: The Rideau Canal in Ottawa is a Unesco World Heritage Site. It was built to protect Canada during the war with the USA, but it is also a very popular spot with boaters as it connects Ottawa with Lake Ontario.
Government System
Canada is a Parliamentary Democracy under Constitutional Monarchy. Canada is a democratic country, which means that the people elect the government. The government has three levels: federal, provincial and municipal. Each level of government has its own responsibilities. As a constitutional monarchy, Canada’s Head of State is King or Queen of England, who rules the country in accordance with the Constitution.
Fun Fact: Justin Trudeau, Canada’s Prime Minister, has started his third term without a majority government! It means that to pass a law, he needs to rely on other parties for support.
The Flag
Canada’s flag is unofficially called ‘The Maple.’ The government adopted in 1965, replacing the previously used red ensign.
Fun Fact: There were three failed tries to design a Canadian flag, in the 1800s, in 1925 and in 1945-46. Finally, The Secretary of State for External Affairs, Lester (“Mike”) Pearson brought the design to fruition in 1965.
National Anthem
‘Oh, Canada’ was proclaimed as a national anthem on July 1st, 1980. The English lyrics were written by Robert Stanley Weir and the French lyrics were written by Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier. The music was composed by a concert pianist of Quebec, Calixa Lavallée.
Fun Fact: Canada didn’t have a national anthem for over a century after becoming a country in 1867.
Population
As of 2023, the population of Canada is 38,645,670. Ninety percent of Canada’s population lives close to Canada-US border. The most populated provinces are Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta.
Fun Fact: The average life expectancy of a Canadian is 81 years.
Ethnicity
Canada is a multicultural country. It is home to Canadians, English, Scottish, French, Irish, German, Italian and First Nation, according to volume in a descending order. In recent years, there was an increase in immigrants from India (27%) , China. 7.2%), Afghanistan (5.4%), Nigeria (5.05%), the Philippines (5.04%), France (3.2%), Pakistan (2.6%), Iran (2.5%), United States (2.3%) and Syria (1.9%).
Fun Fact: 1 out of 4 Canadians are “visible minorities,” (people of non-European descent), plus another 5% are indigenous.
Religion
The majority of people in Canada are Christian at about 53%, followed by non-denominational at 35%. Other faiths include Islam (5%), Hinduism (2.3%), Sikhism (2.1%), Buddhism (1.0%), Judaism (0.9%), Indigenous spirituality (0.2%) and Jainism (0.1%)
Fun Fact: About 67% of Canadians say one does not need to believe in God in order to be a good person.
Climate
Canada’s climate varies from temperate in the south to subarctic and arctic in the north. There are eight climate zones in Canada:
- Pacific Maritime Climate Region.
- Cordilleran Climate Region.
- Prairie Climate Region.
- Boreal Climate Region.
- Taiga Climate Region.
- Arctic Climate Region.
- South-Eastern Climate Region.
- Atlantic Maritime Climate Region.
Fun Fact: Canada’s North is actually a desert. This region gets very little rain or snow; about 10-20 centimetres per year. It covers one-seventh of Canada’s land.
Time Zones
Canada has six time zones: Pacific – UTC 8.00, Mountain – UTC 7.00, Central – UTC 6.00, Eastern – 5.00, Atlantic – 4.00, Newfoundland – 3.30
Fun Fact: Newfoundland has its own time zone. The reason for this is that time zones were established when Newfoundland still was not a part of Canada. It was a separate province. Newfoundland is located in the eastern half of the Atlantic Time Zone, exactly three and a half hours from Greenwich.
Which fun facts about your new country were the most surprising?