About Canada

CANADA

Canada is the second largest country in the world (behind the Russian Republic) and is located in the northern portion of North America. It consists of 10 provinces and three territories. It has two official languages (English and French). Canada is a constitutional monarchy (with the Queen as the official head of state) and Canada is also a parliamentary democracy.

Confederation: On July 1, 1867, through the Constitution Act, the joining of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick created "one Dominion under the name of Canada". Canada also assumed control of Rupert's Land and the Northwest Territories (combined, these two areas made up what rest of modern day Canada).

Land Size: 9,984,670 sq. km (8.9% is water)

Population: 33,833,000 Capital City: Ottawa

Location: Borders: Pacific Ocean (west), Arctic Ocean (north), Atlantic Ocean (east), and the United States (south).

Alberta

(See 2 in above map)

Joined Confederation: September 1, 1905 (split from NWT)
Land Size: 661,848 sq. km (2.95% is water)
Population: 3,632,483 Capital City: Edmonton
Location: Borders on British Columbia (west), Northwest Territories (north), Saskatchewan (east) and the United States (south)

British Columbia (BC)

(See 1 in above map)

Joined Confederation: July 20, 1871
Land Size: 944,735 sq. km (2.1% is water)
Population: 4,419,974 Capital City: Victoria
Location: Borders on Pacific Ocean (west), Alaska (north west), Yukon/Northwest Territories (north), Alberta (east) and the United States (south)

Manitoba

(See 4 in above map)

Joined Confederation: July 15, 1870
Land Size: 649,950 sq. km (15.6% is water)
Population: 1,213,815 Capital City: Winnipeg
Location: Borders on Saskatchewan (west), Nunavut/Northwest Territories (north), Ontario (east) and the United States (south)

New Brunswick

(See 8 in above map)

Joined Confederation: 1 of 4 original provinces in July 1, 1867 to form Canada
Land Size: 72,908 sq. km (2.0% is water)
Population: 748,319 Capital City: Fredericton
Location: Borders on Quebec (west), Altantic Ocean (north & south - with PEI across a narrow northern portion of the ocean) and Nova Scotia (south east)

Newfoundland and Labrador

(See 10 in above map)

(two main parts: the large island off the country's eastern coast is Newfoundland and Labrador is on the mainland, northwest of the island.)
Joined Confederation: March 31, 1949
Land Size: 405,212 sq. km (7.7% is water)
Population: 508,925 Capital City: St. John's
Location: Borders on Quebec (south and east of Newfoundland) but otherwise surrounded by Altantic Ocean

Northwest Territories (NWT)

(See 12 in above map)

Joined Confederation: In 1870, Hudson's Bay Company transferred the territory to Canada
Land Size: 1,346,106 sq. km (15.2% is water)
Population: 42,940 Capital City: Yellowknife
Location: Borders on Yukon (west), Arctic Ocean (north), Nunavut (east) and BC/Albert/Saskatchewan (south)

Nova Scotia

(See 7 in above map)

Joined Confederation: 1 of 4 original provinces in July 1, 1867 to form Canada
Land Size: 55,283 sq. km (3.5% is water)
Population: 939,531 Capital City: Halifax
Location: With the exception of a small connection to New Brunswick, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean (Nowhere in Nova Scotia is more than 67 km from the ocean)

Nunavut

(See 11 in above map)

Joined Confederation: Officially separated from the NWT on April 1, 1999
Land Size: 2,093,190 sq. km (7.7% is water) If Nunavut were a country, it would be the 15th largest country in the world.
Population: 31,556 Capital City: Iqaluit
Location: Borders on Northwest Territory (west), Arctic Ocean (north & east), Manitoba (directly south) and Ontario/Quebec (south across water)

Ontario

(See 5 in above map)

Joined Confederation: 1 of 4 original provinces in July 1, 1867 to form Canada
Land Size: 1,076,395 sq. km (14.8% is water)
Population: 13,150,000 (most populated province) Capital City: Toronto
Location: Borders on Manitoba (west), Nunavut (north across Hudson Bay), Quebec (east) and the United States & Great Lakes (south)

Prince Edward Island (PEI)

(See 9 in above map)

Joined Confederation: July 1, 1873
Land Size: 5,683.56 sq. km (0.0% is water) smallest province
Population: 1,213,815 Capital City: Charlottetown
Location: In the Gulf of St. Lawrence, with Quebec (west) Nova Scotia (south east) and New Brunswick (south west) fairly close by. June 1, 1997 was the opening of the Confederation Bridge, (linking PEI to mainland New Brunswick) the longest bridge over ice covered waters in the world.

Quebec

(See 6 in above map)

Joined Confederation: 1 of 4 original provinces in July 1, 1867 to form Canada
Land Size: 1,542,056 sq. km (11.5% is water) largest province
Population: 7,782,561 Capital City: Quebec City
Location: Borders on Ontario (west), Nunavut (north across water), Newfoundland/New Brunswick (east) and the United States (south)

Saskatchewan

(See 3 in above map)

Joined Confederation: September 1, 1905 (Split from NWT)
Land Size: 651,900 sq. km (9.1% is water)
Population: 1,023,810 Capital City: Regina
Location: Borders on Alberta (west), Northwest Territories (north), Manitoba (east) and the United States (south)

Yukon

(See 13 in above map)

Joined Confederation: June 13, 1898
Land Size: 482,443 sq. km (1.7% is water)
Population: 33,442 Capital City: Whitehorse
Location: Borders on American state of Alaska (west), Arctic Ocean (north), Northwest Territories (east) and British Columbia (south)

NOTE: Information for this page was gained from the websites:
www.canada.gc.ca and www.wikipedia.org

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