The 31 million residents of Canada
enjoy one of the world's most developed economies and best quality of
life. There are numerous superlatives associated with this prosperous,
large, and beautiful nation - here are but a few...
Longest Coastline
Canada's coastline is the world's longest at 243,792 km or 151,485
miles (including the coastline of the country's 52,455 islands.)
2nd Largest Country in Area
Canada's land area is 9,970,610 km2 (3,849,672 mi2). Of this area, 9,215,430 km2 (3,558,096 mi2) is land and 755,180 km2 (291,577 mi2) is fresh water. Russia is the world's largest country.
Tallest Structure
Toronto, Ontario's CN Tower,
which is ranked as one of the seven wonders of the modern world by the
American Society of Civil Engineers, is the world's tallest
self-supporting structure at 1,815 feet.
Most Degrees of Latitude
From
Canada's northernmost point, Cape Columbia, Nunavut at 83°7' North, to
the southernmost point, Middle Island, Ontario at 41°41' North, Canada
spreads across 41°26' of latitude.
World's Longest Undefended and Open Border
The
8,893 km (5,526 miles) border between the U.S. and Canada, which
includes 2,477 km (1,539 miles) with Alaska, is the world's longest
undefended border.
Largest Shopping Mall
At 5.3 million square feet (492,000 m2), West Edmonton Mall is the world's largest shopping mall.
North Magnetic Pole
Located at approximately 71° North 96° West, the North Magnetic Pole (where a compass points) sits among Nunavut's Queen Elizabeth Islands.
U.S. States North of Canadian Land
Twenty-seven of the fifty U.S. states have land north of Canada's southernmost point - Middle Island, Ontario.
Bordering Great Lakes
Ontario is the only province, state, or territory that borders all 4 Great Lakes
that touch Canada (Lake Michigan is entirely within the U.S.). (Canada
includes 10 provinces and 3 territories. Three western provinces are
known as the Prairie Provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta)
and the four Atlantic Provinces are Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince
Edward Island, and Newfoundland.
High Tides
The tides in Nova Scotia's Bay of Fundy are the highest in the world. The rise and fall is 20 to 40 feet in some places.
Human Development
Canada continually ranks #1 on the U.N.'s Human Development Index.
U.S. Trade & Travel
Canada is
the United States' largest trading partner and is responsible for the
greatest number of tourists to the U.S. (over 15 million annually).
Resources
Canada is the world's
leading producer of flaxseed, lumber exports, wood pulp, zinc, potash,
and uranium. Canada also leads the world in the use of hydroelectricity.
Rivers & Mountains
The
Mackenzie-Peace-Finlay River system is North America's second longest
(2,635 miles / 4,241 km) and Mt. Logan is North America's second
tallest mountain (19,550 feet / 5,959 m).
Largest Bay
Hudson Bay is the world's largest, as measured by shoreline length (12,268 km / 7,623 miles).
Old Rocks
The world's oldest rocks have been found near Yellowknife, Northwest Territories and are about 4 billion years old.
Lake in an Island in a Lake
The
world's largest lake inside a lake, Manitou Lake, is located on the
world's largest lake island, Manitoulin Island, which is located on
Lake Huron.
Longest National Highway
The
Trans-Canada Highway (using the Perth-Peterborough-Parry Sound route)
is 7,604 km (4,725 miles), the longest national highway in the world.
Population Distribution
Nearly 90% of Canada's population is concentrated within 160 km (99 miles) of the United States and Canadian border.
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