Canada

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
  - The Canadian Shield
  - The interior plains
  - The Great Lakes–St. Lawrence lowlands
  - The Appalachian region
  - The Western Cordillera
  - The Arctic Archipelago
- Drainage
- Climate
  - Temperatures
  - Rainfall
  - Snowfall
- Soils and plant and animal life
  - Tundra
  - Forest regions
  - Grasslands
People
- Principal ethnic groups
- U.S. immigration
- Indigenous peoples
- Languages
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
  - Agriculture
  - Forestry
  - Fishing
- Resources and power
  - Minerals
  - Energy
- Manufacturing
- Finance
- Trade
- Services
- Labour and taxation
- Transportation and telecommunications
  - Roads and highways
  - Railways
  - Waterways
  - Airways
  - Pipelines
  - Telecommunications
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Provincial government
- Local government
- Justice
- Political process
  - Suffrage and elections
  - Political parties
  - The Quebec question
- Security
  - Police
  - Defense
- Health and welfare
- Education
Cultural life
- Daily life and social customs
- The arts
  - Literature
  - Visual arts
  - The performing arts
  - Filmmaking
- Cultural institutions
- Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
  - Press
  - Broadcasting
History
- Prehistory to early European contact
  - Precontact aboriginal history
  - European contact and early exploration
- The settlement of New France
  - Jacques Cartier
  - Samuel de Champlain
  - The Company of New France
  - The character of French settlement
  - Royal control
  - The growth of Anglo-French rivalry
  - The French and Indian (Seven Years’) War
- Early British rule, 1763–91
  - The Quebec Act
  - The influence of the American Revolution
  - The Constitutional Act of 1791
- National growth in the early 19th century
  - Population trends
  - The Montreal fur traders
  - The War of 1812
  - The rebellions of 1837–38
  - The union of Canada
- From confederation through World War I
  - The first Riel rebellion
  - The transcontinental railway
  - Reaction of Quebec
  - The Klondike gold rush
  - The land rush in the west
  - The Laurier era
  - Foreign relations
  - World War I
- The interwar wars
  - Turmoil at home
  - Commonwealth relations
  - The Great Depression
  - Growing international tension
- World War II
- Early postwar developments
  - Domestic affairs
    - Postwar prosperity
    - Ethnic minorities
    - Internal politics
  - Foreign affairs
    - Multilateral commitments
    - U.S.-Canadian relations
    - Canada and the Commonwealth
    - Franco-Canadian affairs
  - Quebec separatism
- The Trudeau years, 1968–84
  - First premiership
    - Domestic policies
    - Foreign affairs
    - Indigenous affairs
  - The interregnum: Progressive Conservative government, 1979–80
  - Second premiership
- The late 20th and early 21st centuries
  - The administration of Brian Mulroney, 1984–93
  - The administrations of Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin, 1993–2006
  - The administration of Stephen Harper, 2006–15
    - First premiership
    - Second premiership
    - Third premiership
  - The administration of Justin Trudeau
    - First Nations suicide epidemic
    - Legalization of marijuana, environmental protection, and Quebec mosque attack
    - Response to the U.S. presidency of Donald Trump
    - SNC-Lavalin affair
    - Diplomatic dispute with China
    - The 2019 Canadian federal elections
    - The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the 2021 snap elections
    - The “Freedom Convoy” and the NDP-Liberal confidence-and-supply agreement
    - Residential schools apologies
Prime ministers of Canada

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

Map of Canada showing provincial and territorial boundaries, major cities, and surrounding bodies of water, including the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic Oceans. The map labels provinces such as British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec, as well as territories like Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. An inset locator map in the upper right highlights Canada's position in North America.

Mount Assiniboine

Map of North America highlighting Canada in light orange, showing its location relative to the United States, Greenland, and surrounding oceans. The map labels major bodies of water including Hudson Bay, the Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Labrador Sea, and marks Ottawa as the capital city.

Château Frontenac, Quebec city

Snow-capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies glow with orange light at sunrise or sunset, reflecting in the still blue water of Moraine Lake, Banff National Park, with silhouetted pine trees in the foreground.

Ottawa: Parliament Buildings

At a Glance

default image

Canada: Media

country, North America

Videos

Know about the structure and functions of the Canadian House of Commons

Know about the structure and functions of the Canadian House of Commons

Learn about the functions and history of the Canadian House of Commons.

Video: © Library of Parliament (Canada) (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Know about the history, structure, and functions of the Senate of Canada

Know about the history, structure, and functions of the Senate of Canada

Learn about the functions and history of the Canadian Senate.

Video: © Library of Parliament (Canada) (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

The environmental impact of Canada's oil sands industry

The environmental impact of Canada's oil sands industry

Learn about the environmental impact of tar-sand (also called oil-sand) extraction,...

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © David Webb/Dreamstime.com

The environmental impact of oil refineries in Canada

The environmental impact of oil refineries in Canada

Learn about efforts to minimize the environmental impact of tar-sand (also called...

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Alan Gignoux/Dreamstime.com

Look into the architectural history of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Look into the architectural history of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Exploring the history of the Parliament Buildings, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Video: © Library of Parliament (Canada) (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Learn about the roles of three components of the Canadian Parliament—the monarch, the Senate, and the House of Commons—in English or French

Learn about the roles of three components of the Canadian Parliament—the monarch, the Senate, and the House of Commons—in English or French

Examining the roles of the three components of the Canadian Parliament—the monarch...

Video: © Library of Parliament (Canada) (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Life of polar bear cubs in the Canadian Arctic

Life of polar bear cubs in the Canadian Arctic

Two polar bear cubs playing in the Canadian Arctic.

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz

Survival challenges for polar bear cubs in the Arctic

Survival challenges for polar bear cubs in the Arctic

A female polar bear taking her cubs to the sea to search for food in the Canadian...

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz

Images

Canada

Flag of Canada.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of Canada showing provincial and territorial boundaries, major cities, and surrounding bodies of water, including the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic Oceans. The map labels provinces such as British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec, as well as territories like Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. An inset locator map in the upper right highlights Canada's position in North America.

Canada

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Mount Assiniboine

Mount Assiniboine

Mount Assiniboine in Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada.

© fotomorgana/Fotolia

Map of North America highlighting Canada in light orange, showing its location relative to the United States, Greenland, and surrounding oceans. The map labels major bodies of water including Hudson Bay, the Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Labrador Sea, and marks Ottawa as the capital city.

Canada

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Château Frontenac, Quebec city

Château Frontenac, Quebec city

Château Frontenac, Quebec city, Quebec.

George Hunter

Snow-capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies glow with orange light at sunrise or sunset, reflecting in the still blue water of Moraine Lake, Banff National Park, with silhouetted pine trees in the foreground.

Moraine Lake in Banff National Park

Moraine Lake at dawn, Banff National Park, southwestern Alberta, Canada.

© Mike Norton/Shutterstock.com

Ottawa: Parliament Buildings

Ottawa: Parliament Buildings

Parliament Buildings, Ottawa.

© Creatas/JupiterImages

Toronto

Toronto

Skyline of Toronto.

© Corbis

esker:
Nunavut

esker: Nunavut

Eskers, or narrow ridges of gravel and sand left by a retreating glacier, wind through...

© Richard Alexander Cooke III

Aerial view of Yellowknife Bay and Old Town, showing autumn foliage, rocky terrain, and waterfront buildings along Great Slave Lake in Northwest Territories, Canada.

Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

Yellowknife, on the Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada.

© Shawn.ccf/Shutterstock.com

Precambrian bedrock of the Canadian Shield

Precambrian bedrock of the Canadian Shield

Precambrian bedrock of the Canadian Shield rising out of Reindeer Lake, on the border...

© Richard Alexander Cooke III

Appalachian region of southeastern New Brunswick

Appalachian region of southeastern New Brunswick

Forested hills in the Appalachian region of southeastern New Brunswick, Canada.

E. Otto/Comstock

Turquoise Moraine Lake surrounded by evergreen trees and rocky mountains with snow patches in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada.

Moraine Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta

Moraine Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada.

© Thomas Barrat/Dreamstime.com

tundra on Bathurst Island

tundra on Bathurst Island

Rock-strewn tundra of the barren Arctic lands of Polar Bear Pass on Bathurst Island,...

Brian Milne/First Light

Canada goose flying close to the water

Canada goose flying close to the water

© Getty Images

American badger

American badger

American badger (Taxidea taxus).

© Photos.com/Thinkstock

Downtown Edmonton, Alberta, with high-rise buildings, a bridge crossing a frozen river, and patches of snow on the ground under a clear sky.

Edmonton, Alberta

Downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

© Wendy Nero/Shutterstock.com

farmland in the St. Lawrence River valley

farmland in the St. Lawrence River valley

Long narrow strips of farmland, typical of French Canada, lie along the roads in...

George Hunter

Farm in Saskatchewan

Farm in Saskatchewan

Harvesting wheat on a farm in the grain belt near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada....

George Hunter

paper mill in Thunder Bay, Ontario

paper mill in Thunder Bay, Ontario

Pulp and paper mill at Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.

Thomas Kitchin/First Light

lobster fishing off Nova Scotia

lobster fishing off Nova Scotia

Lobster fishing off the coast of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Eric Hayes/© Comstock

Cargo ship loaded with stacked shipping containers docked beside large red cranes at a container port in Vancouver, British Columbia, with mountains in the background.

Vancouver: container port

Container port at Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

© Werdiam/Dreamstime.com

A car drives along the Trans-Canada Highway with Mount Sir Donald's sharp, snow-capped peak rising above forested slopes in the Selkirk Mountains, British Columbia.

Trans-Canada Highway in British Columbia

Section of the Trans-Canada Highway in the Selkirk Mountains, southeastern British...

© Steve Estvanik/Dreamstime.com

Confederation Bridge over the Northumberland Strait

Confederation Bridge over the Northumberland Strait

Confederation Bridge over the Northumberland Strait, connecting New Brunswick to...

© darlenemunro/Fotolia

St. Lawrence Seaway at Montreal

St. Lawrence Seaway at Montreal

Commodity-carrying laker in the St. Lawrence Seaway at Montreal, Canada.

© Winston Fraser/Comstock

Parliament of Canada: Senate chamber

Parliament of Canada: Senate chamber

The interior of the Senate chamber of the Canadian Parliament.

© Julien Jean/Dreamstime.com

The House of Commons chamber in the Parliament Building, Ottawa, Canada, with rows of green seats, ornate woodwork, arched ceilings, and a Canadian flag near the speaker's chair.

Parliament of Canada: House of Commons

The interior of the House of Commons, part of the Canadian Parliament.

© Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock.com

Legislative Assembly Building in Fredericton, New Brunswick

Legislative Assembly Building in Fredericton, New Brunswick

Legislative Assembly Building, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.

Courtesy Diane Mercier-Allain, Visitor Services, Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick

Royal Canadian Navy

Royal Canadian Navy

Recruiting poster for the Royal Canadian Navy, c. 1915.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-USZC4-12677)

Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario

Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario

Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario.

© David Prichard/First Light

Several brightly painted totem poles from various British Columbia First Nations stand on grassy ground surrounded by dense green trees at Brockton Point in Stanley Park, Vancouver.

totem poles, British Columbia

Totem poles from various peoples indigenous to British Columbia, Canada, in Stanley...

© Nigel Jarvis/Shutterstock.com

Histoire de la Nouvelle France

Histoire de la Nouvelle France

Title page of Histoire de la Nouvelle France (1609; History of New France)...

Les Muses de la Nouvelle France by Marc Lescarbot, 1609/Archive.org

Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood.

© Sutton-Hibber—REX/Shutterstock.com

Micmac bark box

Micmac bark box

Micmac bark box embroidered with porcupine quills, northeastern Canada; in the Denver...

Courtesy of the Denver Art Museum, Colorado

The Festival Theatre in Stratford, Ontario, with a metal statue of William Shakespeare standing on a sundial in a landscaped park in the foreground.

Festival Theatre in Stratford, Ontario

Festival Theatre, Stratford, Ontario, Canada.

© TAlonziphoto/Shutterstock.com

The Tragically Hip perform on stage at Rogers Arena, with Gord Downie in a shiny blue suit and white hat singing, surrounded by bandmates playing guitar, drums, and bass under bright stage lights.

the Tragically Hip

The Tragically Hip—(from left) Paul Langlois, Gord Downie, Johnny Fay, Gord Sinclair,...

© Andrew Chin/Getty Images

Louisbourg

Louisbourg

Restored fortress of Louisbourg, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada.

© E. Otto/Comstock Photofile Limited

Canadian Museum of Civilization

Canadian Museum of Civilization

Canadian Museum of Civilization, Gatineau, Quebec.

© Creatas/JupiterImages

Wayne Gretzky wearing a blue New York Rangers hockey jersey and helmet, seen from behind with his name and number 99 visible.

Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky.

© Jerry Coli/Dreamstime.com

Banff National Park: Lake Louise

Banff National Park: Lake Louise

Lake Louise in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada.

© Peter Wey/Fotolia

John Cabot landing at Labrador

John Cabot landing at Labrador

John Cabot landing on the shores of Labrador, colored engraving by an unknown artist,...

© North Wind Picture Archives

Jacques Cartier

Jacques Cartier

Jacques Cartier.

Library and Archives Canada (Acc. No. 1997-218-1)

upper St. Lawrence River

upper St. Lawrence River

Map of the upper St. Lawrence River from Marc Lescarbot's Histoire de la Nouvelle...

Library of Congress, Rare Book Division

Historical map depicting New France in the 16th to 18th centuries, showing locations of French forts marked with stars and routes of major French explorations labeled in red. The map covers eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, including areas around the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, with Indigenous nations and key waterways labeled.

New France

New France, 16th–18th century.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Port Royal, Nova Scotia

Port Royal, Nova Scotia

French settlement at Port Royal, Nova Scotia, from a map by Marc Lescarbot, 1609.

Library of Congress, Rare Book Division

Huron people

Huron people

Illustration of Huron people from New Voyages to North-America (1703) by...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

British attack on Quebec city in 1690

British attack on Quebec city in 1690

Contemporary depiction of the unsuccessful British attack on Quebec city in 1690.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Engraving of British ships in a river near Quebec as soldiers disembark and climb steep cliffs to attack French troops on the Plains of Abraham during the Battle of Quebec, 1759.

Battle of Quebec

British troops scaling the heights of the Plains of Abraham and engaging the French...

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Historical map showing the Province of Quebec with its boundaries as defined in the late 18th century. The map highlights definite boundaries in red, indefinite boundaries in green, and French fishing rights along parts of the Atlantic coast. Neighboring regions such as Rupert's Land, Labrador, Nova Scotia, and the American Colonies are labeled, along with major waterways like the St. Lawrence River and Hudson Bay.

Province of Quebec, 1774

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Historical map showing the boundaries of Upper Canada and Lower Canada, with Upper Canada located west of the Ottawa River and including Toronto, and Lower Canada to the east, encompassing Montreal and Quebec City. The map also marks Rupert's Land, the King's Domain, and nearby regions such as New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, along with major lakes and the United States border.

Upper and Lower Canada, 1840

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Louis Joseph Papineau

Louis Joseph Papineau

Louis Joseph Papineau.

Courtesy of the Public Archives of Canada

Map of Canada in 1871 showing the provinces at that time highlighted in orange, including British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The surrounding areas are labeled as the Northwest Territories, Labrador, and Newfoundland, which were not yet provinces.

Canadian political development, 1871–1931

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Louis Riel

Louis Riel

Louis Riel.

Library and Archives Canada (ID no. 3228116)

Donald Smith; Canadian Pacific Railway

Donald Smith; Canadian Pacific Railway

Donald Smith preparing to drive the last spike in the Canadian Pacific transcontinental...

CP Rail Corporate Archives

Royal Canadian Navy

Royal Canadian Navy

Group portrait of the commodore and crew of the HMCS Stadacona, a flagship of the...

Archives of the City of Vancouver (AM54-S4-: LP 39)

Franklin D. Roosevelt sits between Canadian Prime Minister W.L. Mackenzie King and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, with military officials standing behind them at the 1943 Quebec Allied conference.

Mackenzie King, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill

(From left, seated) Canadian Prime Minister W.L. Mackenzie King, U.S. President Franklin...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

John George Diefenbaker

John George Diefenbaker

John George Diefenbaker.

Duncan Cameron/Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1970-015 NPC

Lester B. Pearson

Lester B. Pearson

Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson in 1963.

© Evening Standard—Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Jean Chretien wearing a suit and patterned tie, looking slightly to his left, in a black and white portrait from 1994.

Jean Chrétien

Jean Chrétien, 1994.

© Bonn-Sequenz—ullstein bild/Getty Images

Paul Martin

Paul Martin

Paul Martin.

Photo by Dave Chan-PMO

Map of Canada showing the results of the 2006 federal election by province and territory, with regions color-coded to indicate the party with the highest percentage of the popular vote: blue for Conservative, red for Liberal, light blue for Bloc Quebecois, and orange for New Democratic Party. The map displays the number of seats won by each party in each region, with a legend and bar chart summarizing national seat totals.

2006 Canadian federal election results

Canada's 2006 federal election results.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Stephen Harper

Stephen Harper

Stephen Harper.

Courtesy of the Office of the Prime Minister, Government of Canada

Map of Canada displaying the results of the 2008 federal election by province and territory, with regions shaded to indicate the leading party's share of the popular vote: blue for Conservative, red for Liberal, light blue for Bloc Quebecois, and orange for New Democratic Party. Each area is labeled with the number of seats won by each party, and a legend at the bottom summarizes national seat totals for each party.

2008 Canadian federal election results

Canada's 2008 federal election results.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of Canada displaying the results of the 2011 Canadian federal election by province and territory. Regions are color-coded to show which party won the most seats: blue for Conservative, red for Liberal, orange for New Democratic Party, and light blue for Bloc Quebecois in Quebec. Seat counts for each party are indicated within each province or territory, with a bar chart at the bottom summarizing national seat totals for each party.

2011 Canadian federal election results

Canada's 2011 federal election results.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of Canada displaying the results of the 2015 federal election by province and territory, color-coded by party: Liberal (red), Conservative (blue), New Democratic Party (orange), and Bloc Quebecois (light blue for Quebec only). Each region shows the number of seats won by each party, with the Liberals dominating most provinces, especially in eastern and central Canada, while Conservatives hold most seats in Alberta and Saskatchewan. A legend at the bottom summarizes national seat totals for e

2015 Canadian federal election results

Canada's 2015 federal election results.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Justin Trudeau, wearing a suit and blue tie, waves while standing beside his wife Sophie Gregoire in a white coat, surrounded by cabinet members at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.

Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau

Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau (centre), arriving on November...

© Geoff Robins—AFP/Getty Images

Sophie Gregoire, Michelle Obama, Justin Trudeau, and Barack Obama wave from the Truman Balcony at the White House above the presidential seal during an arrival ceremony.

Justin Trudeau: state visit

U.S. Pres. Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Justin...

© Mandel Ngan—AFP/Getty Images

Sir John Macdonald

Sir John Macdonald

Sir John Macdonald, lithograph, 19th century.

Photos.com/Thinkstock

Alexander Mackenzie

Alexander Mackenzie

Alexander Mackenzie, portrait by an unknown artist.

NFB/National Archives of Canada

Sir John Abbott

Sir John Abbott

Sir John Abbott, after a photograph by Notman, Montreal.

© Bettmann/Corbis

Sir John Thompson

Sir John Thompson

Sir John Thompson, 1893.

Courtesy of the Public Archives of Canada

Mackenzie Bowell

Mackenzie Bowell

Mackenzie Bowell.

National Archives of Canada (PA-027159).

Sir Charles Tupper

Sir Charles Tupper

Sir Charles Tupper, 1883.

Courtesy of the Public Archives of Canada

Wilfrid Laurier

Wilfrid Laurier

Wilfrid Laurier.

NFB/National Archives of Canada

Sir Robert Borden

Sir Robert Borden

Sir Robert Borden.

NFB/National Archives of Canada

Arthur Meighen

Arthur Meighen

Arthur Meighen, 1920.

© Bettmann/Corbis

W.L. Mackenzie King

W.L. Mackenzie King

W.L. Mackenzie King.

NFB/National Archives of Canada

Viscount Bennett

Viscount Bennett

Viscount Bennett

NFB/National Archives of Canada

Louis Saint Laurent

Louis Saint Laurent

Louis Saint Laurent, 1953

NFB/National Archives of Canada

Lester B. Pearson

Lester B. Pearson

Lester B. Pearson, 1963.

© Evening Standard—Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Pierre Elliott Trudeau

Pierre Elliott Trudeau

Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Joe Clark

Joe Clark

Joe Clark, 1979.

© Bettman/Corbis

John N. Turner

John N. Turner

John N. Turner, 1983.

© UPI/Corbis

Brian Mulroney

Brian Mulroney

Brian Mulroney at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, September 1984.

U.S. Department of Defense

The first female prime minister of Canada

The first female prime minister of Canada

Kim Campbell.

Norm Betts—Canada Wide/Sygma

Justin Trudeau

Justin Trudeau

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attending a meeting of the G7 in Italy, 2024.

© Antonio Masiello/Getty Images

Columbia Icefield

Columbia Icefield

Athabasca Glacier, part of the Columbia Icefield, Canada.

Ben W Bell

Bonanza Creek

Bonanza Creek

Discovery Claim section of Bonanza Creek, western Yukon, Can.

JKBrooks85

Yukon River

Yukon River

Bridge over the Yukon River at Carmacks, Yukon, Canada.

Janothird

Canadian Museum of Civilization

Canadian Museum of Civilization

The Canadian Museum of Civilization, Gatineau, Que.

© Creatas/JupiterImages

Canadians protest, 2025-style

Canadians protest, 2025-style

Wearing red, chanting, and carrying signs, Canadians protest Donald Trump's call...

© Steve Russell—Toronto Star/Getty Images

Diamond, Cape

Diamond, Cape

The Citadel on Cape Diamond, Quebec city.

Stéphane Voyer

Rouyn-Noranda, Que.

Rouyn-Noranda, Que.

Copper mines of Rouyn-Noranda, Que.

Courtesy of Tourisme Quebec

Cotton grass (Eriophorum) and mosses in the Arctic tundra, northern Yukon, Can.

Cotton grass (Eriophorum) and mosses in the Arctic tundra, northern Yukon,...

© Patrick Morrow/First Light

Coast Mountains

Coast Mountains

Coast Mountains along the Torres Channel, an arm of Atlin Lake, northwestern British...

E. Otto/Comstock

Five Finger Rapids on the upper Yukon River, Yukon, Can.

Five Finger Rapids on the upper Yukon River, Yukon, Can.

E. Otto/Comstock

Kamloops

Kamloops

Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, at the confluence of the North and South Thompson...

Winston Fraser

Kananaskis River

Kananaskis River

Kananaskis River, Alberta, Canada.

© Larry D. Blackmer

Klondike River

Klondike River

Klondike River, Yukon, Can.

Janothird

Alberta, Canada

Alberta, Canada

Maligne Lake near Jasper, Jasper National Park, western Alberta, Canada.

© Index Open

Montreal

Montreal

The skyline of Montreal.

© Perry Mastrovito/Stockbyte/Getty Images

Parliament Building, Quebec city

Parliament Building, Quebec city

The Parliament Building, home to Quebec's National Assembly, in Quebec city.

© Creatas/JupiterImages

Fishing village of Petit Cap on the Gaspe Peninsula coast in Quebec, Canada, with scattered houses, a church, grassy fields, and a curving shoreline along the sea.

Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec

Petit Cap, a fishing village on the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec.

Ed Cooper/Shostal Associates

Signs of the times

Signs of the times

Placards reading “Buy Canadian Instead” on display at a Vancouver supermarket in...

© Visual China Group/Getty Images

Saint-Maurice River

Saint-Maurice River

A power plant on the Saint-Maurice River, near Shawinigan, Que.

George Hunter

Great Slave Lake: public ice road

Great Slave Lake: public ice road

Public ice road on Great Slave Lake near Yellowknife, southern Northwest Territories,...

© RyersonClark/iStock.com

Revelstoke

Revelstoke

Revelstoke on the Columbia River, a typical valley settlement in British Columbia,...

© peteleclerc/Fotolia

Sheep Mountain rising above the Alaska Highway, Yukon, Can.

Sheep Mountain rising above the Alaska Highway, Yukon, Can.

Richard Hartmier/First Light

Aerial view of Dawson City on the banks of the Yukon River in Canada, surrounded by forested hills and mountains.

Dawson, Yukon, Canada

The town of Dawson on the Yukon River, Yukon, Canada.

© Karoline Cullen/Shutterstock.com

upland forest, Quebec

upland forest, Quebec

Upland forest on the Gaspé Peninsula, Quebec, Canada.

Francois Morneau/Valan Photos

Downtown Vancouver skyline with modern high-rise buildings reflected in the water, set against forested mountains in the background.

Vancouver

Central Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

© Digital Vision/Getty Images

Whitehorse

Whitehorse

Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada.

Nutana

climate stripes

climate stripes

Climate stripes showing the temperature changes in Canada from 1881 to 2022.

© Professor Ed Hawkins/University of Reading (https://showyourstripes.info/)

The image shows the arms of Canada.

Arms of Canada

The arms of Canada include the red maple leaf found in the modern Canadian flag.

Arms of Canada is a protected symbol and is reproduced by the permission of the Government of Canada

distribution of majority Anglophone and Francophone populations in Canada

distribution of majority Anglophone and Francophone populations in Canada

Distribution of majority Anglophone and Francophone populations in Canada. The 1996...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of northern North America highlighting the Canadian Shield in pink, covering much of eastern and central Canada-including Nunavut, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and parts of Newfoundland and Labrador-as well as portions of the northern United States such as Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and New York. Surrounding geographic features include Hudson Bay, the Arctic Ocean, and the Labrador Sea.

Canadian Shield

Map depicting the extent of the Canadian Shield in North America. The Canadian Shield...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of Canada showing the distribution of major Indigenous communities, with symbols indicating reserves or settlements of Indian bands with populations over 1,000, including Blackfeet, Cree, Kwakiutl, Mohawk, Micmac, Niska, Ojibwa, and others, as well as Eskimo (Inuit) communities with populations over 500. Major First Nations and Inuit locations are labeled across the provinces and northern territories.

(Top) Indigenous communities in Canada and (bottom) reservations in the United States.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

map of Canada

map of Canada

Map of Canada.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of North America showing the density and percentage of Native American and Aboriginal populations by U.S. state and Canadian province. Areas are shaded in varying intensities of purple to indicate the number of people claiming at least partial Native American ancestry, with higher percentages and populations concentrated in Alaska, northern Canada, and several western U.S. states and provinces. Each region is labeled with the percentage of its population identifying as Native American, Ameri

Native American population density

Native American population density in the United States and Canada.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of the Appalachian Mountains region in eastern North America, showing shaded elevation levels, major mountain ranges, and the route of the Appalachian Trail. The map includes state and provincial boundaries, major cities, and physical features such as rivers and passes, with insets providing broader locational context and detail for Newfoundland and Labrador.

Appalachian Mountains

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map showing the Great Lakes-Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario-along with their surrounding drainage basin, depth variations indicated by shading, and major nearby cities in both the United States and Canada. State, provincial, and international boundaries are marked, and a small locator globe at the bottom left highlights the region's position in North America.

The Great Lakes and their drainage basin

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc./Refugio Mariscal

map of western North America

map of western North America

Physical features of western North America.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

The Alaskan mountain ranges and the Mackenzie and Yukon river basins and their drainage networks.

The Alaskan mountain ranges and the Mackenzie and Yukon river basins and their drainage networks.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Canada

Canada

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Audio

Instrumental version of the Canadian national anthem

The instrumental version of the Canadian national anthem, “O Canada.”

Interactives

Canada: Permanent immigrants admitted

Canada: Permanent immigrants admitted

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Canada: Population by mother tongue

Canada: Population by mother tongue

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Canada: Religious affiliation

Canada: Religious affiliation

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Population density of Canada

Population density of Canada

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Canada: Urban-rural

Canada: Urban-rural

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Canada: Age breakdown

Canada: Age breakdown

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Canada: Renewable energy by source

Canada: Renewable energy by source

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Canada: Major import sources

Canada: Major import sources

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Canada: Major export destinations

Canada: Major export destinations

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Canada: provinces, territories, and capitals

Canada: provinces, territories, and capitals

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc./Kenny Chmielewski

VIEW MORE in these related Britannica articles: