16 Fascinating Facts About Canada to Celebrate Canada Day

July 1st, 2024, marks Canada Day, celebrating 157 years since the Confederation Act's passing and the country's official creation. Every year, Canada Day is filled with parades, fireworks, concerts, picnics, and more. Here are 16 interesting and lesser-known facts about Canada to celebrate this special day.

1. Diverse Population

Canada's population is incredibly diverse, with 23% of its residents being foreign-born. This high immigration rate has made Canada the country with the highest proportion of immigrants among G7 nations.

2. Huge Landmass

Canada is the second-largest country in the world, covering over 9.9 million square kilometers. It spans six time zones: Pacific, Mountain, Central, Eastern, Atlantic, and Newfoundland Standard Time.

3. Immigration Museum

The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, chronicles over 400 years of immigration. It offers exhibitions and a center where visitors can trace their family's immigration history.

4. Moose Population

Canada is home to the world's largest moose population, with between 500,000 and 1,000,000 moose. They can be found in almost every province and territory.

5. National Sports

Canada's national winter sport is ice hockey, and its national summer sport is lacrosse. Both sports see Canada performing exceptionally well in international competitions.

6. Famous Canadians

Despite a population of 41 million, many Canadians excel globally. Notable Canadians include Alexander Graham Bell, James Cameron, Shania Twain, and Margaret Atwood.

7. Abundant Lakes

Canada has more lakes than any other country, with nearly 2 million lakes. It holds 20% of the world's freshwater and 7% of its renewable water flow.

8. Large National Parks

Canada's 38 national parks cover more than 340,000 square kilometers, making them collectively larger than countries like Japan or Germany.

9. Southern Population

About 90% of Canadians live within 100 kilometers of the U.S.-Canada border, despite Canada being the second-largest country by area.

10. Highly Educated

Canada is the second-most educated country globally, according to the OECD, with a high proportion of the population having completed tertiary education.

11. Maple Syrup Production

Canada is a leading producer of maple syrup, with over 100 million kilograms produced in 2021. The country has over 6,000 maple farms and more than 54 million maple taps.

12. Longest Street

Yonge Street in Toronto is the longest street in the world, stretching 56 kilometers. It's named after Sir George Yonge and dates back to 1794.

13. Extreme Cold

The coldest temperature recorded in Canada was -63°C in 1947 in Snag, Yukon Territory. This extreme cold poses risks of windburn, frostbite, and hypothermia.

14. Million-Dollar Coin

The "Big Maple Leaf" is a $1 million CAD gold coin produced by the Royal Canadian Mint in 2007. Weighing 100 kilograms and with 99.999% gold purity, it is valued at $5.4 million CAD today.

15. Canadian Innovations

Canadians have invented many significant things, including Java programming language, sonar, alkaline batteries, the garbage bag, insulin, and the artificial cardiac pacemaker.

16. The Whisky War

From 1973 to 2022, Canada and Denmark humorously disputed over Hans Island in what was known as the Whisky War. The "conflict" involved exchanging flags and bottles of alcohol until a land border was established in 2022, technically making Canada and Denmark share a land border.

Celebrate Canada Day by exploring these fascinating facts about this incredible country!