Canada

Table of Contents

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
  - The Canadian Shield
  - The interior plains
  - The Great Lakes–St. Lawrence lowlands
  - The Appalachian region
  - The Western Cordillera
  - The Arctic Archipelago
- Drainage
- Climate
  - Temperatures
  - Rainfall
  - Snowfall
- Soils and plant and animal life
  - Tundra
  - Forest regions
  - Grasslands
People
- Principal ethnic groups
- U.S. immigration
- Indigenous peoples
- Languages
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
  - Agriculture
  - Forestry
  - Fishing
- Resources and power
  - Minerals
  - Energy
- Manufacturing
- Finance
- Trade
- Services
- Labour and taxation
- Transportation and telecommunications
  - Roads and highways
  - Railways
  - Waterways
  - Airways
  - Pipelines
  - Telecommunications
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Provincial government
- Local government
- Justice
- Political process
  - Suffrage and elections
  - Political parties
  - The Quebec question
- Security
  - Police
  - Defense
- Health and welfare
- Education
Cultural life
- Daily life and social customs
- The arts
  - Literature
  - Visual arts
  - The performing arts
  - Filmmaking
- Cultural institutions
- Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
  - Press
  - Broadcasting
History
- Prehistory to early European contact
  - Precontact aboriginal history
  - European contact and early exploration
- The settlement of New France
  - Jacques Cartier
  - Samuel de Champlain
  - The Company of New France
  - The character of French settlement
  - Royal control
  - The growth of Anglo-French rivalry
  - The French and Indian (Seven Years’) War
- Early British rule, 1763–91
  - The Quebec Act
  - The influence of the American Revolution
  - The Constitutional Act of 1791
- National growth in the early 19th century
  - Population trends
  - The Montreal fur traders
  - The War of 1812
  - The rebellions of 1837–38
  - The union of Canada
- From confederation through World War I
  - The first Riel rebellion
  - The transcontinental railway
  - Reaction of Quebec
  - The Klondike gold rush
  - The land rush in the west
  - The Laurier era
  - Foreign relations
  - World War I
- The interwar wars
  - Turmoil at home
  - Commonwealth relations
  - The Great Depression
  - Growing international tension
- World War II
- Early postwar developments
  - Domestic affairs
    - Postwar prosperity
    - Ethnic minorities
    - Internal politics
  - Foreign affairs
    - Multilateral commitments
    - U.S.-Canadian relations
    - Canada and the Commonwealth
    - Franco-Canadian affairs
  - Quebec separatism
- The Trudeau years, 1968–84
  - First premiership
    - Domestic policies
    - Foreign affairs
    - Indigenous affairs
  - The interregnum: Progressive Conservative government, 1979–80
  - Second premiership
- The late 20th and early 21st centuries
  - The administration of Brian Mulroney, 1984–93
  - The administrations of Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin, 1993–2006
  - The administration of Stephen Harper, 2006–15
    - First premiership
    - Second premiership
    - Third premiership
  - The administration of Justin Trudeau
    - First Nations suicide epidemic
    - Legalization of marijuana, environmental protection, and Quebec mosque attack
    - Response to the U.S. presidency of Donald Trump
    - SNC-Lavalin affair
    - Diplomatic dispute with China
    - The 2019 Canadian federal elections
    - The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the 2021 snap elections
    - The “Freedom Convoy” and the NDP-Liberal confidence-and-supply agreement
    - Residential schools apologies
Prime ministers of Canada

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

Mount Assiniboine

Château Frontenac, Quebec city

Moraine Lake in Banff National Park

Ottawa: Parliament Buildings

For Students

Read Next

Banff National Park. Aerial view of Lake Louise in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. Aerial perspective.

Canada: 10 Claims to Fame

The United States pavilion, World's Fair, Montreal, by Buckminster Fuller built n 1967. The structure is now known as the Montreal Biosphere and houses an environmental museum inside the original geodesic dome. Reflection

11 Architectural Wonders to Visit in Canada

Discover

Aphrodite. Greek mythology. Sculpture. Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.

12 Greek Gods and Goddesses

Solar Eclipse, Eclipse, Solar Flare, Outer Space, Astronomy

What Causes Lunar and Solar Eclipses?

solar eclipse, sun, moon, astronomy, space

How Do You Tell the Difference Between Total, Annular, Solar, and Lunar Eclipses?

Albert Einstein in Washington, D.C. c. 1921-1923. Physicist

The Solar Eclipse That Made Albert Einstein a Science Celebrity

Periodical Cicada, Adult, Magicicada spp. Requires 17 years to complete development. Nymph splits its skin, and transforms into an adult. Feeds on sap of tree roots. Northern Illinois Brood. This brood is the largest emergence of cicadas anywhere

Why Do Some Cicadas Appear Only Every 17 Years?

Two chicks near an egg with a white background (poultry, chick, chickens, birds).

What Do Eggs Have to Do with Easter?

Adolf Hitler (Nazi, nazism, German leader).

9 Things You Might Not Know About Adolf Hitler

Canada: Facts & Stats

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Head Of Government	Prime Minister: Justin Trudeau
Capital	Ottawa
Population	(2024 est.) 42,069,000
Currency Exchange Rate	1 USD equals 1.355 Canadian dollar
Head Of State	King of Canada (British Monarch): Charles III, represented by Governor-General: Mary May Simon
Form Of Government	federal multiparty parliamentary state with two legislative houses (Senate [105^{1, 2}]; House of Commons [338])
Official Languages	English; French
Official Religion	none
Official Name	Canada
Total Area (Sq Km)	9,984,670
Total Area (Sq Mi)	3,855,103
Monetary Unit	Canadian dollar (Can$)
Population Rank	(2023) 37
Population Projection 2030	41,364,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2023) 9.8
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2023) 3.8
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2018) 81.4% • Rural: (2018) 18.6%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2018–2020) 79.8 years • Female: (2018–2020) 84.1 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate	Male: (2006) 100% • Female: (2006) 100%
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2022) 2,061,750
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2022) 52,960
¹Statutory number.²All seats are nonelected.

Photos and Videos

Mount Assiniboine

Château Frontenac, Quebec city

Moraine Lake in Banff National Park

Ottawa: Parliament Buildings

Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

Know about the structure and functions of the Canadian House of Commons

Know about the history, structure, and functions of the Senate of Canada

The environmental impact of Canada's oil sands industry

The environmental impact of oil refineries in Canada

Look into the architectural history of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

O Canada

See All Videos, Images, Audio and Interactives →

Topics

member states of the Commonwealth League of Nations North Atlantic Treaty Organization North-West Rebellion Fenian raids Battle of Passchendaele North American Free Trade Agreement Commonwealth Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie Helsinki Accords United States India United Kingdom China Russia Germany Australia Japan France Singapore

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Lincoln Alexander

Lincoln Alexander

Canadian politician

Tommy Prince

Canadian soldier and Indigenous rights advocate

Harper, Stephen

Stephen Harper

prime minister of Canada

Sir Francis Drake

Sir Francis Drake

English admiral

Justin Trudeau

Justin Trudeau

prime minister of Canada

Wilfrid Laurier

Wilfrid Laurier

prime minister of Canada

W.L. Mackenzie King

W.L. Mackenzie King

prime minister of Canada

Michael Ignatieff

Michael Ignatieff

Canadian political leader

Sir Robert Borden

Sir Robert Borden

prime minister of Canada

Samuel de Champlain

Samuel de Champlain

French explorer

Jack Layton.

Jack Layton

Canadian politician

Barker, William

William Barker

Canadian fighter pilot

Pierre Trudeau

Pierre Elliott Trudeau

prime minister of Canada

James Cockburn

Canadian politician and lawyer

Tom Mulcair

Tom Mulcair

Canadian politician

Elizabeth May

Elizabeth May

American-born Canadian politician

Jean Charest

Canadian politician

Edward Gibbon Wakefield

Edward Gibbon Wakefield

British colonial administrator

Lucien Bouchard

Canadian politician

Stéphane Dion.

Stéphane Dion

Canadian government official

North America

North America

continent

Quebec

province, Canada

Ontario

province, Canada

Newfoundland and Labrador flag

Newfoundland and Labrador

province, Canada

British Columbia flag

British Columbia

province, Canada

Saskatchewan provincial flag

Saskatchewan

province, Canada

Montreal

Montreal

Quebec, Canada

Alberta

province, Canada

New Brunswick flag

New Brunswick

province, Canada

Manitoba provincial flag

Manitoba

province, Canada

flag of Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island

province, Canada

Flag of the Yukon Territory

Yukon

territory, Canada

Northwest Territories: flag

Northwest Territories

territory, Canada

flag of Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

province, Canada

Toronto

Toronto

Ontario, Canada

Quiz

Actual continental drift of plates. Thematic map.

Geography Fun Facts

7:023 Geography: Think of Something Big, globe showing Africa, Europe, and Eurasia

Which Country Is Larger By Area? Quiz

Quick Quiz: Canada

Brown globe on antique map. Brown world on vintage map. North America. Green globe. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery

Countries & Their Features

10:087 Ocean: The World of Water, two globes showing eastern and western hemispheres

You Name It!

Opened passport with visas, stamps, seals, world map. (travel, tourism)

Guess the Country by Its Neighbors Quiz

Flags of the world against blue sky. Countries, International. Globalization, global relations, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Poland, Palestine, Japan. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society

Which Country Is Larger By Population? Quiz

Brown globe on antique map. Brown world on vintage map. North America. Green globe. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery

Match the Country with Its Hemisphere Quiz

Flags of the world. National flags. Country flags. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery

Countries of the World

Stick figure illustrations holding hands with the Canadian flag.

Spot the Canadian Quiz

The national flag of Canada. O Canada, Canadian flag, Canada flag, flag of canada, O' Canada. Blog, Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society

O Canada

Flags of all countries of the world. Flags of the world. National flags. Country flags. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery

The Country Quiz

Flags of all nations of the world. Grouping of various country flags on a world map.

Which Country Is Larger? Quiz

Alberta, province, Canada locator map.

The Geography of Canada

List

Banff National Park. Aerial view of Lake Louise in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. Aerial perspective.

Canada: 10 Claims to Fame

The United States pavilion, World's Fair, Montreal, by Buckminster Fuller built n 1967. The structure is now known as the Montreal Biosphere and houses an environmental museum inside the original geodesic dome. Reflection

11 Architectural Wonders to Visit in Canada