Canada is the second largest country in the world by area (land & water combined). It is a beautiful country, with many contrasting land regions, vast maritime terrains, many thousands of islands, the longest coastline in the world, and more lakes/inland waters than any other country on the planet.
Significant landforms include the Great Lakes; Great Plains; Rocky Mountains; Appalachian Mountains; Arctic Archipelago; Lake Winnipeg; Great Slave Lake; Great Bear Lake; Colombia, Fraser, Mackenzie and Yukon Rivers; Hudson Bay, Canadian Shield, Canadian Cordillera and dozens of volcanoes along the Pacific Ring of Fire.
In 1885, Banff National Park became Canada’s first designated national park. Since that time, the country has gone onto to protect and preserve spectacular and representative areas in each of the nations 13 provinces and territories. There are currently 37 national parks and 8 national park reserves, covering around 3% of the countries total land area.
Capital city: Ottawa
Highest Point: Mount Logan (19,551ft / 5959m)
Lowest Point: Atlantic Ocean (0ft / 0m)
Land Area: 3,511,022 sq. mi (9,093,507 sq. km)
Water Area: 344,079 sq. mi (891,163 sq. km)
Total Area: 3,855,102 sq. mi (9,984,670 sq. km)
Coastline: 125,567 miles (202,080 km)
Bordering countries (1) United States
Peyto Lake is a stunning lake that can be found in Banff National Park, which itself resides in the picturesque Canadian Rockies. The lake is notable for its dazzling blue colour, and has been the subject of many pictures because of just how mesmerising it looks. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the lake is…
Part of Banff National Park in Alberta, Lake Louise is one of the worlds most photographed glacial lakes. With its turquoise blue waters and surrounding snow-capped peaks, it’s unsurprising to see why. The magnificent turquoise colour of the water is a result of the light filtering effect of rock flour in the glacial runoff, though…
Niagara Falls is situated on the US and Canadian border, separating New York State from the province of Ontario. It consists of three distinct waterfalls; Horseshoe Falls, American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls, which collectively boast the highest water flow rate on the globe. Six million cubic feet of water flows over Niagara Falls every…
Situated along the eastern side of the Canadian Rockies, Jasper National Park is the largest National Park in the Canadian Rockies and one which many people regard as the wildest and most exciting. It covers an area of 10,878 square kilometres and was first established and given protected status in 1907 at which time it…
Castle Mountain was named as such due to its castle-like/fortress appearance. Situated in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies, with a peak of 9075ft (2766m), the mountain is widely photographed and a favorite of local artists. In addition to the peak, the massif contains multiple high points such as Stuart Knob (9350ft/2850m) and Helena…
Established in 1885, Banff is Canada’s oldest national park. It is located amid the Canadian Rockies, in the Province of Alberta, to the West of Calgary. Covering 2,564 square miles (6641 km sq.), Banff is famed for its dramatic beauty: rippling tarns, alpine meadows and snow-capped mountains are home to a plethora of plant and…
Mount Assiniboine, at 11,870ft (3618m), is the tallest mountain in the southern region of the Canadian Rockies. The mountains distinctive pyramidal shape has led to it being referred to as the ‘Matterhorn of North America’. Visible for many miles in every direction, it soars well above other nearby peaks, and serves as the focal point…
Perce Rock, in Quebec, Canada, is one of the world’s largest arches over water. An island of limestone in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the formation measures 1420 feet (433m) in length and over 300 feet (90m) in width. Regarded as both a historical and geological icon, it is aptly named after the pierced hole…