Trivia Pills: 10 interesting facts about Canada
These small snippets are extracted from longer posts on Canada. Be sure to check out the Canada page for more information and articles.
country
#1 – The sheer size
Canada is the second-largest country in the world (after Russia) and has the longest coastline of any other country and the longest continuous international border.
Three Canadian islands are among the top ten biggest islands in the world and the country has the highest number of lakes. As a matter of fact, it has more lakes than all the other countries combined and if these were removed, the country would slip down in size to become the fourth largest in the world.
history
#2 – The Whisky wars
Until as recently as June 2022, when a truce was finally reached, Canada and Denmark were in a pseudo-conflict (which, through the years, became a humorous dispute) over the island of Hans, near Greenland.
The border runs through the middle of the island but starting in 1984, Canadians planted a flag and left a bottle of whiskey, to which the Danes replied by planting their own flag accompanied by a bottle of Schnapps. Ever since, the two countries have been placing provocative bottles of liquor near the border, claiming their supremacy and ownership over the territory.
society
#3 – Polar Bear Jail
Churchill, Manitoba, is the “Polar Bear Capital of the World,”, with the bear population occasionally being higher than the human population.
Residents of Churchill leave their cars and house doors unlocked. This is to provide shelter to pedestrians in case of a potential bear attack.
They even have a “Polar Bear Jail,” where the most dangerous bears or those that tend to roam too much around the city are tranquilized, locked up, and released at the end of the season.
Over the last decade the bear population has seen a decrease of almost 30%.
history
#4 – The name of the country comes from a misunderstanding
During Jacques Cartier’s first exploration voyage on the western shores in 1534, the French explorer met with local natives who invited him to visit their kanata (meaning their village).
Cartier took this to mean that kanata, or Canada was the name of the entire country.
society
#5 – Largest underground shopping mall
The city of Toronto has the largest underground shopping mall. It’s called PATH and has 4 million square feet of retail space.
As a series of tunnels, elevated walkways, metro connections, and office buildings, it is meant to keep the citizens out of the cold Canadian winters.
country
#6 – Follow the only road
The Trans-Canada Highway the longest national highway in the world and at 4,860 miles long, it is the fourth longest road in the world.
Given the wildness of the country landscape, it is a road trip paradise. The stretch between Calgary and Banff is considered one of the most beautiful drives and “nearby”, the Icefields Parkway, is also considered one of the most scenic roads in the world.
society
#7 – 90% of Canadians live within 250kms from the US border
Despite its immense size, much of the land is uninhabited, as the northern parts of Canada are not deemed habitable zones. Canada has the fourth-lowest population density on Earth (3.7 people per square km).
Nine out of ten Canadians live in the US/Canada border region. The vast majority of the population lives in the southern or eastern parts of the country, where the climate and geography are more suitable for permanent human settlement.
history
#8 – The US invaded Canada twice
The two attacks took place in 1775 during the American Revolutionary War and in 1812 as part of the American attempt to conquer territories in British North America.
They lost both times but the original long-standing desire to annex Canada was so strong that the early constitution, the US Articles of Confederations, stated that if Canada wanted to be admitted into the United States, it would be automatically accepted.
society
#9 – Sorry not sorry
The “kind Canadian” trope is real and Canadians apologize a lot. Canada passed the Apology Act in 2006, stating that saying sorry expresses sympathy or regret and, in law, does not imply admission of fault, guilt, or liability.
society
#10 – Units all over the place
Similarly to Australia, Canada maintains its colonial influences but also detaches itself from them. When it comes to units of measurement, these are a mix.
Generally, for private or “personal” stuff, measurements are British and imperial, such as indicating their height in feet, weight in pounds, and cooking temperature in Fahrenheit.
However for social or “external” aspects, the metric system is used so speed limits and distances are measured in meters or kilometers, outdoor temperature is measured in Celsius and weight is measured in kilograms.
Because of its proximity to the US, English spelling is also mixed. Generally, British spelling is used but not consistently.
history
Bonus – Canada Day
On July 1st, Canada Day is celebrated to commemorate the independence from Britain in 1867. However, in 1867, Canada only became “semi-independent,” and the British parliament could still vote to amend Canada’s constitution if it wanted to. It was not until 1982 that Canada became fully autonomous.
