Canada
North America Β· Capital: Ottawa
How it is run: Canada is a parliamentary democracy. Voters choose members of parliament, and the leader of the winning party becomes prime minister.
Canada is home to 41.7 million people in North America, where people speak English, French.
Numbers that tell a story π’
π₯ People
41.7 million people
That is 0.5% of everybody alive (counted in 2025).
πΊοΈ Land
9,984,670 kmΒ²
A giant of the map β it stretches across several time zones.
ποΈ How crowded
Only about 4.2 people per square kilometre β lots of wide open space between towns.
π Size in its region
6th most people in Americas
1st largest by land in Americas.
π£οΈ Official languages
English, French
More than one language is used for official business.
π° Money
Canadian dollar ($)
Life here today π©Ί
These come from World Bank open data β the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
β€οΈ How long people live
82.1 years on average
One of the healthier countries β good hospitals and clean water make a big difference.
πΌ Money made per person each year
about US$55,698
A high-income country: most families can afford cars, travel and new technology.
π’ Living in cities
82.9% of people
Mostly a city country β think buses, trains and apartment blocks.
π Kids under 15
15% of the population
An older country β there are more grandparents than schoolchildren.
Everyday details π§
π Phone code
+1
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
π Websites end in
.ca
π§ People here are called
Canadian
π·οΈ Name at home
Canada
π Coast or inland
Has a coastline
ποΈ UN voting group
Western European and Others Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders π€
Canada touches 1 neighbour by land. Neighbours share rivers, roads and usually a lot of trade.
Say its name around the world π£οΈ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
CanadΓ‘
French
Canada
Arabic
ΩΩΨ―Ψ§
Chinese
ε ζΏε€§
Japanese
γ«γγ
Russian
ΠΠ°Π½Π°Π΄Π°
Portuguese
CanadΓ‘
German
Kanada
Put it in perspective π
- United States β the most populated country in Americas β has about 8.2Γ as many people as Canada.
- Canada covers roughly 95,092 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in Canada lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 20,826 km.
Country snapshot π
π₯ People
40 million people
πΊοΈ Size
9.98 million kmΒ² β second-largest country in the world
π£οΈ Languages
English and French
π° Money
Canadian dollar (C$)
ποΈ Government
Constitutional monarchy with a parliament
ποΈ Leader
Prime Minister
ποΈ United Nations
Founding UN member, 1945
πΌ Economy
Energy, forests, farming and technology
π Climate promise
Net-zero by 2050 with a rising price on carbon pollution
π School life
Students in many provinces learn both English and French from a young age.
𧩠Biggest challenge
Wildfires and thawing permafrost as the Arctic warms fast.
β¨ Did you know?
Canada has more lakes than every other country on Earth combined.
Who decides here? ποΈ
Parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy
The Prime Minister and Cabinet decide, but Parliament votes on the money and usually debates any mission first.
Flags through time π
A flag is a country telling you what it believes. Scroll the timeline and watch Canada change.
Canadian Red Ensign
A British ensign with a Canadian shield showed Canada was still tied to Britain.
Updated Red Ensign
The shield was redesigned as Canada grew more independent after World War I.
The Maple Leaf
After a long and loud debate in Parliament, Canada chose a flag with no British or French symbols β just a red maple leaf for everyone.
War room simulations βοΈ
Step into the room where the decision was made. You will see who really had the power β generals, a president, a parliament or a king β and what each choice cost.
Canada in World War I
Canada entered the war automatically because Britain did, and came out of it acting like an independent nation.
Who was in the room? Canada's MPs debated fiercely β especially over conscription, forcing men to join the army.
Sit in the decision room ποΈ
You will face 2 real moments. Choose, then see what actually happened.
Policies today π
Public health care for everyone
Doctor visits and hospital stays are paid for by taxes, so families do not get a bill when a child gets sick.
A price on carbon pollution
Companies pay for the pollution they create. Some of that money is given back to families to help with bills.
Welcoming many new immigrants
Canada plans how many newcomers it invites each year to help fill jobs and grow towns.
Fast facts π§
Fact of the day: Canada sits in North America, in the northern and western half of the globe.
π·οΈ Official name
Canada
ποΈ Capital
Ottawa
π Region
Americas Β· North America
π€ Country code
CA
ποΈ UN status
UN member state
π© Independence
Independent country
More about Canada π
Niagara Falls
About 3,000 tonnes of water fall over the Horseshoe Falls every second, and it powers electricity for both Canada and the US.
See it in Street Viewπ§ Where on the map
60.0Β° N, 95.0Β° W
π Half of the world
Northern & Western hemisphere
π°οΈ Clock check
Roughly UTC-6 β when it is noon in London it is about 06:00 in Ottawa.
- Canada shares its part of the world with United States Minor Outlying Islands. Countries close together often trade the most with each other.
- Canada sits in the temperate zone, the belt where most of the world's farms and big cities are.
- Canada sits in North America, in the northern and western half of the globe.
- Canada is a full member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly β the same as every other member, big or small.
- Canada is close to the line of 0Β° longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
Countries nearby π€
Talk about it π¬
- Canada has 2 official languages. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Canada can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If Canada spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz π§ͺ
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Canada?
Ottawa
Which money do people spend in Canada?
Canadian dollar ($)
How many countries share a land border with Canada?
1 β United States.
Roughly how many people live in Canada?
41.7 million people
Keep researching π
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further β and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here β kid-friendly encyclopedias π
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ποΈ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy π°
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card π«
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians β all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.