All About Canada: How Well Do You Know Our Great Nation?

How well do you know your own country? Here are 40 fun facts you may not have heard before. Test your friends, see how their Canadian trivia compares to yours.

Do you know all 40 of these Canadian facts? Ask some friends and see how their Canadian knowledge compares to yours. Have some fun and make it into a game, like Trivial Pursuit; a game which was invented right here in Canada by Scott Abbot and Chris Haney.

Geography Facts:

1. The highest tides in the world occur in the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick.
2. The capital of Canada is Ottawa, but did you may not know it is second coldest capital in the world.
3. Canada has the longest coastline of any country in the world at 243,977 kilometers – 151,600 miles.
4. Canada is lucky to have 9% of the world’s renewable water supply!
5. Canada has six time zones.
6. The longest highway in the world is the Trans-Canada Highway which is over 7604 kilometers (4725 miles) in length.
7. The world’s most northerly sand dunes are in Athabasca Provincial Park in northwest Saskatchewan. They are 30 meters high.
8. Wasaga beach is the longest fresh water beach in the world.
9. Half of the country is covered with forests, which should come as no surprise considering one-tenth of the world’s forests are here.
10. The highest mountain in Canada is Mount Logan, Yukon Territory, 5959 meters (19,551 feet).
11. The highest waterfall in Canada is Della Falls, British Columbia, 440 meters high (1444 feet).
12. The border between Canada and the United States is officially known as the International Boundary. It is 5,525 miles long, including the 1,538 miles between Canada and Alaska. It’s the world’s longest unprotected border.
13. Estevan, Saskatchewan is reportedly the sunniest place in Canada with 2,537 hours of sunshine per year.
14. Nakwakto Rapids, Port Hardy’s legendary dive destination, boasts the strongest current in the world – with speeds of up to 18.4 miles per hour.
15. Three of Canada’s islands make the top ten for size in the world – Baffin, Ellesmere and Victoria.
16. Manitoulin Island in Ontario is the largest freshwater island in the world.
17. Calgary is famous for its’ Chinooks – a weather phenomenon that can raise the temperature by 10 degrees in a matter of minutes.
18. The east coast of Canada was settled by Vikings in approximately 1000 AD. It’s definitely worth a visit to L’Anse aux Meadows.

Sports Facts:

1. Hockey and lacrosse are Canada’s national sports.
2. The baseball glove was invented in Canada in 1883.
3. Canada has hosted the Olympic Games 3 times; 1976 in Montreal, 1988 in Calgary and 2010 in Vancouver.

Cultural Facts:

1. The world’s largest totem pole was raised in Victoria in 1994 and stands 54.94 metres tall (180.2 feet).
2. Queen Elizabeth II is the Canadian Head of State.
3. Canada’s literacy rate is over 99%.
4. The Canadian motto is  A Mari Usque Ad Mare. It means From Sea To Sea.

Foodie Facts:

1. The Moosehead Brewery in Saint John, New Brunswick turns out 1,642 bottles of beer per minute.
2. Foods we think of as being Canadian include peameal back bacon, poutine, maple syrup and Timbits (small donuts from Tim Hortons).
3. Canada is famous for its ice wine – made from pressed frozen grapes. It’s usually served as a dessert wine.
4. Cheddar is the most popular cheese in Canada. On average Canadians consume 23.4 pounds per person annually.
5. The Maritimes are famous for their desserts. Try Blueberry Grunt and Raspberry Buckle.

National Park & UNESCO World Heritage Sites Facts:

1. The Rideau Canal in Ottawa, A UNESCO world heritage site, has the world’s longest skating rink in the winter.
2. Canada is home to 42 national parks, 167 national historic sites and four marine conservation areas.

Nature Facts:

1. A 9.3 kg lobster is the largest documented lobster caught. It was caught in Nova Scotia in 1977.
2. The muskox has an inner fur layer that is finer than cashmere and can be spun into wool that is very much warmer than sheep’s wool. If you knew that then you probably knew it was called qiviut.
3. A bald eagle can see 4-7 times better than humans (though not just in Canada) and they have been recorded doing 100 mph dives.
4. There are about 200 species of mammals and more than 630 bird species in Canada.
5. Canada’s beaver is the second largest rodent in the world, weighing up to 60 pounds. (The largest rodent is the capybara, found in South America and weighing up to 100 pounds.)
6. There are eleven sub species of Canada geese. The four smallest species are called the cackling geese.
7. There are nearly 2.5 million caribou in Canada.
8. Churchill, Manitoba sees one of the largest annual polar bear migrations.

Share this blog on social media, we’d love to know how many of these fun facts your friends already knew.

Want more Canadian Facts? Check out these blogs:

12 Just Plain Weird, Unusual or Interesting Canadian Facts Canada is known for a number of things, but some of these strange facts are not so well known.	What You May Not Know About Canada’s Great North Check out these 11 rarely known facts about the vast lands to our North.