July 1st, 2024, marks Canada Day, celebrating 157 years since the Confederation Act and Canada’s creation.
Every year, Canadians celebrate with parades, fireworks, concerts, and picnics.
Did you know Canada Day used to be called “Dominion Day” for over 100 years? To celebrate this year’s Canada Day, here are some interesting facts about Canada.
Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration
- 23% of Canada’s Population is Foreign-Born Canada has one of the world’s most diverse populations, thanks to progressive immigration policies since 1967. As of the 2021 census, nearly one in four people in Canada were born outside the country. This is the largest proportion of immigrants in 150 years and the highest among all G7 countries.
- Canada Spans Six Time Zones Canada, the second largest country in the world, covers over 9.9 million square kilometers. It also has the world’s longest coastline at 243,042 kilometers. The country spans six time zones: Pacific, Mountain, Central, Eastern, Atlantic, and Newfoundland.
- Canada Has a Museum for Immigration Located at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the Canadian Museum of Immigration showcases over 400 years of immigration history. Visitors can trace their family’s immigration history at the Scotiabank Family Center.
- Canada Has the Largest Moose Population in the World While Canada’s national animal is the beaver, the country has between 500,000 to 1,000,000 moose, found in almost every province and territory.
- Canada’s National Sport is Hockey…and Lacrosse Canada has two national sports. Ice hockey is the national winter sport, and lacrosse is the national summer sport. Canada excels in both sports internationally.
- Surprising Canadians Some influential Canadians include:
- Alexander Graham Bell
- James Cameron
- Guy Laliberté (Founder of Cirque du Soleil)
- Joni Mitchell
- Elliot Page
- Shania Twain
- Margaret Atwood
- James Naismith (creator of basketball)
- Over Half of the World’s Lakes are in Canada Canada has more lakes than any other country, with nearly 2 million lakes. It holds over 20% of the world’s surface freshwater and 7% of the world’s renewable water flow.
- Canada’s National Parks are Larger Than Many Countries Canada has 38 national parks covering over 340,000 square kilometers, which is about the size of Japan or Germany.
- 90% of Canadians Live Within 100 Miles of the U.S.-Canada Border Despite being the second largest country, 90% of Canada’s population lives within 100 kilometers of the U.S. border.
- Canada is the Second-Most Educated Country in the World According to the OECD, Canada has the second highest proportion of the population with tertiary education, just behind South Korea.
- Canada Produces Most of the World’s Maple Syrup In 2021, Canada produced over 100 million kilograms of maple syrup. It has over 6,000 maple farms and more than 54 million maple taps. In 2012, 3,000,000 kilograms of maple syrup worth $24.1 million CAD were stolen in the largest heist in Canadian history.
- Canada Has the Longest Street in the World Yonge Street in Toronto is the world’s longest street at 56 kilometers. It dates back to 1794 and is named after Sir George Yonge, a British secretary of war.
- The Coldest Temperature Recorded in Canada was –63°C In 1947, Snag, Yukon, recorded Canada’s coldest temperature at –63°C (-81.4°F). At –27°C, individuals risk windburn, frostbite, and hypothermia.
- Canada Has a $1 Million Coin The Royal Canadian Mint produced a $1 million gold coin called the “Big Maple Leaf” in 2007. Weighing 100 kilograms and 530 millimeters in diameter, it has 99.999% gold purity. In 2017, its value was $4 million USD ($5.4 million CAD).
- Canadian Innovation Notable Canadian inventions include:
- Java programming language
- Sonar
- Alkaline battery
- Garbage bag
- Insulin
- Artificial cardiac pacemaker
- Film colorization
- Ambrosia apple
- California roll
- Hawaiian pizza
- Canada and Denmark Were at War from 1973 to 2022 The Whisky War was a friendly dispute over Hans Island. Canada and Denmark exchanged flags and alcoholic beverages on the island until 2022, when they agreed to share the island.
