Explore Canada: 12 Key Facts

Explore Canada: 12 Key Facts — page 1 — 1 Canada Is the Second Largest Country by Area Canada is nearly 3 9 million square miles 10 1 million sq km in size It is the second-largest country by area in the world Canada has more coastline than any other country It runs for 125,567 miles 202,080 km Thousands of islands add to the length of the coastline The landscape of Canada is varied Tundra makes up a large region in the northern half of the country In this ecosystem the earth just below the surface is permanently frozen Trees do not grow on these dry windy plains Canada also has mountains The Appalachians Laurentians and Rockies are three major mountain ranges Plains stretch across the country’s midsection Vast boreal forests run throughout most of Canada The Pacific Atlantic and Arctic oceans surround Canada on the west east and north Trees do not grow in the Canadian Arctic tundra 4

Explore Canada: 12 Key Facts — page 2 — IS CANADA AS BIG AS IT LOOKS When a globe of Earth is cut open and flattened to make a map countries near the north and south poles become distorted In 1999 Japanese architect Hajime Narukawa designed a more precise map He called it AuthaGraph And now Canada doesn’t look so large At least not on Narukawa’s map 2 million Estimated number of lakes in Canada Canada has the longest coastline on Earth The country has multiple mountain ranges vast forests and tundra Most of Canada’s land area is uninhabited Canada has the most fresh water in the world Large expanses of Canada are uninhabited Arctic temperatures and frozen ground create harsh living conditions The most populated province is Ontario It is north of the Great Lakes Canada has more lakes than any other country It has the most fresh water in the world The process used to create an AuthaGraph map retains the true dimensions of the continents 5

Explore Canada: 12 Key Facts — page 3 — 2 Canadians Live in the Great White North Canada is often called the Great White North It is a large country with plenty of snow And it is the northernmost country in North America Extreme cold as low as 81 degrees Fahrenheit 63 C can affect the tundra More comfortable temperatures are found in southern areas Snow falls for five to six months of the year throughout most of Canada The Rocky Mountains get the most with up to 546 inches 1387 cm That’s 45 and a half feet 13 9 m Canadian cities receive widely varying levels of snowfall Some get as little as 13 inches per year Others receive up to 131 inches Location is the biggest factor in snowfall totals A record snowfall for one day occurred in 1999 Fifty seven inches 145 cm covered Tahtsa Lake in British Columbia within 24 hours Mount Robson is the tallest peak in the Canadian Rockies 6

Explore Canada: 12 Key Facts — page 4 — The Canada Lynx has unusually large paws that act like snowshoes in deep snow and moose roam throughout the country These large animals are seen on the tundra in forests and on mountains The Atlantic Puffin is a seabird that lives along the eastern coast Polar bears are found in the icy waters where they swim and hunt seals THINK ABOUT IT More than 500 kinds of animals in Canada are at risk of becoming extinct Research online to learn more about one that interests you 7 Canada is home to some unique animals The Canada lynx can be found in forests across the country Bison bears beavers and a variety of birds also live in forests Caribou 1,600 Approximate number of polar bears in Canada Extreme cold temperatures affect a large portion of the country The biggest snowfall totals are found in the Rocky Mountains Canada has lynx caribou puffins and polar bears

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