Here are 15 interesting facts about Canada. I got this from Randomhistory.com's 43 interesting facts about Canada.
1. Kanata is the St. Lawrence-Iroquoian word for "village" or "settlement."
2. “O Canada,” originally named “Chant national,” was written by Adolphe-Basile Routhier (French lyrics) and Calixa Lavallée (music) and first performed in Quebec City in 1880. The song was approved by the Parliament of Canada in 1967 as the unofficial national anthem and adopted officially on July 1, 1980.
3. The border between Canada and the United States is officially known as the International Boundary. At 5,525 miles, including 1,538 miles between Canada and Alaska, it is the world's longest border between two nations.
4. The Canadian motto, A Mari Usque ad Mare, means "From sea to sea."
5. At 3,855,103 square miles, Canada is the second largest country in the world, behind Russia.
6. The average life expectancy at birth for a Canadian is 81.16 years, the eighth highest in the world. The United States ranks 46th, at 78.14 years.
7. According to the 2001 census, 42.6% of Canadians are Roman Catholic, 23.3% are Protestant, and 16% claim to have no religion. 8. Canada became a country on July 1, 1867, when the British North America Act was passed by the British Parliament. 9. Ice hockey is Canada's official national game.a The modern game of ice hockey was developed in Canada, based on games that have been played since the tenth century.c The rules were first published in the Montreal Gazette in 1877. Alberta has 50% of the world's supply of bitumen 11. The capital city, Ottawa, was originally named Bytown after Colonel John By, who headquartered there while building the Rideau Canal to connect the Ottawa River with Lake Ontario. 12. Canada has the longest coastline of any country in the world at 151,600 miles.
13. North America's earliest undisputed evidence of human activity, 20,000-year-old stone tools and animal bones have been found in caves on the Bluefish River in northern Yukon.
14. Canada is known as the home of large animals like the moose and grizzly bear, but it is also home to about 55,000 species of insects and about 11,000 species of mites and spiders. 15. Canadians have made many important inventions, including Kerosene, the electron microscope, the electronic organ, insulin, the IMAX film system, the snowmobile, and the electric cooking range.
Click here to read more more interesting facts about Canada?
