Canada is the large nation that borders the United States to the north. The very first people to settle in Canada came from Asia across a land bridge an estimated 15,000 to 30,000 years ago. The first Europeans to successfully settle in Canada were the French and British who came by sea in the 15th century. For many years, Canada was a British colony, but some parts of Canada still speak French.
• Canada is known for being full of wilderness and forests, half of Canada’s area is covered in forests.
• Much of Canada can get very cold, 1/3 of the land is within the Arctic Circle.
• The capital is Ottawa.
• Their currency is a Canadian dollar.
• Their national symbols are the maple leaf and the beaver.
• It is the second largest country in the world.
• Canada has the largest waterfall by water volume: the Niagara Falls.
• Canada became an independent nation in 1931.
• Ninety percent of Canadians live within 125 miles of the border with the United States.
• The native people of Canada are referred to as “Inuit.”
• The nation has over 30,000 lakes. The biggest lakes in the world, Great Bear Lake and Great Slave
Lake, are in Canada.
• The Canada-U.S. border is 5,525 miles long. The longest boarder in the world.
One of the most exciting things that happens in Manitoba, Canada, every year is the polar bear migration. Churchill is a small town located on the edge of Hudson Bay. Every year, the ice around the bay melts and then refreezes according to the season. When the ice melts in the spring and summer the polar bears come onto the land. Every year as winter approaches, the bears migrate to Churchill because this northern city is where the very first of the winter ice forms, allowing them to hunt. Churchill is famous for this migration and many tourists come to take polar bear tours to safely observe the amazing animals.
