Discovering Canada

Geographic Overview

Canada is made up of 10 provinces and three territories, and is the world's second-largest country by total area – fourth-largest by land area. With a diverse topography that varies widely regionally, the Canadian landscape contains several geographic elements, such as the arctic tundra in the north, rain forests in the west, prairie wheat fields in center, and the breadth of the coastline to the west, east, and north. The country is sparsely populated, with the majority of its land territory being dominated by forest, tundra,

and the Rocky Mountains; about 80% of the country's population of 35 million people live in the southern region bordering the U.S. The Pacific Ocean borders Canada to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Arctic Ocean to the north. Canada's southern border with the United States is the world's longest land border. The great lakes line the southeastern border of Canada, including Huron, Superior, Erie, and Ontario. Canada’s landmass is also 8% water, due to the two million lakes that dot its landscape. Major Cities Ottawa is the capital city of Canada is, and is the sixth-largest city in the country. The other major cities are: + Toronto, Ontario: With a population of over 5.1 million people, Toronto is the capital of province of Ontario. It is one of the largest cities in North America + Montreal, Québec: This city in Québec has over 3 million people, and serves as the largest city in the province as a whole + Vancouver, British Columbia: Located on the coast, Vancouver has over 2 million people, and is the second-largest city on the U.S./Canada border + Calgary, Alberta: Calgary has a population of over one million people, and is situated between the Bow River and the Elbow River + Edmonton, Alberta: As the capital city of Alberta, Edmonton has a population of just under a million people + Other major cities: Ottawa-Gatineau, Ontario/Québec; Québec City, Québec; Winnipeg, Manitoba; and Hamilton, Ontario

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Discovering Canada