Canada Guide

  • Quick Facts
    All you need to know about Canada at a glance.
  • Time Zones
    Canada's various time zones from coast to coast.
  • Seasons
    From winter wonderlands to warm summer nights.
  • Trivia
    Test your Canada knowledge!

Welcome to Canada

Air Canada's online guide covers all the information needed to plan your trip to Canada. Click on each Province or Territory on the map and begin exploring Canada.


As the second-largest land mass in the world, Canada's 13 provinces and territories offer the traveler a wide variety of stunning scenery. Its rugged mountains, sandy beaches and leafy forests are ecological havens, while its quaint villages, historical sites and cosmopolitan cities highlight the country's unique cultural heritage. World-famous attractions include Banff, home to the Canadian Rockies, British Columbia's powder-snow ski resort Whistler, and of course Niagara Falls, the horseshoe waterfall visited by nearly 14 million tourists a year.

Stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean and north toward the Arctic Ocean, Canada has numerous rivers and lakes that are ideal for fishing and water sports. It also has over 30 national parks (including many UNESCO sites) preserving mountains, forests, lakes, glaciers and other wilderness areas, as well as numerous sites of historical interest. The northwest territory of Yukon, famous for its gold-rush history, rich aborigine background and winding tributaries, is just one of many popular destinations for hikers, kayakers and culture enthusiasts. Those who prefer the urban life will find the vibrancy of cities like Vancouver and Toronto, or the historically grounded importance of Quebec City and the nation's capital, Ottawa, visually and culturally fascinating.

A blend of nature, tradition and history with modern landscapes and urban sophistication, Canada really has something for everyone.

Quick Facts

Region: North America

Country Area: 9,970,610 sq km

Capital: Ottawa, Ontario

Population: 32,000,000 (Source: 2005 Statistics Canada)
(Toronto: 5,300,000; Montreal: 3,635,000; Vancouver: 2,200,000; Ottawa-Gatineau: 1,150,000)

Ethnic Groups: British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European origin 15%, North American Indian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed background 26%
(Source: Index Mundi: http://www.indexmundi.com/canada/ethnic_groups.html)

Official Languages: English, French (spoken by about 6 million people)

National Emblem: Red Maple leaf

Canada's Birthday: July 01, celebrated as "Canada Day"

Leadership: Prime Minister of Canada: Stephen Harper
Governor General of Canada: Michaelle Jean

Currency: Canadian dollar (CAD =100 cents)

Exchange Rate: For an accurate calculation please visit: http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/rates/exchform.html

Taxes: As well as a standard federal Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 7 percent, most goods and services in Canada are also subject to Provincial Sales Taxes (PST), rates of which vary depending on the province.

Country Code: 1

National Sport: Ice hockey is the national winter sport of Canada and lacrosse the national summer sport.

Time Zones

Canada spans six time zones from west to east: Pacific Time, Mountain Time, Central Time, Eastern Time, Atlantic Time and Newfoundland Time. When not using Daylight Saving Time, Pacific Time is 8 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC or Greenwich Mean Time), while Newfoundland Time is 4 and half hours ahead of Pacific Time.

Daylight Saving Time, when the clocks are advanced by one hour, from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November, is adhered to in most provinces and territories. (Most of Saskatchewan do not observe DST.)

Seasons

seasonal image slideshows

The four seasons of Canada each offer distinct treasures and delights. Along the West coast, spring often arrives as early as February and with it comes brighter days, gentler temperatures and colorful blossoms.

In the mountainous areas, snow often continues to fall up until May, making many winter sports still possible.

From May, after all the snow has melted, the frosty air is replaced by a warm glow.

The pleasant summer heat and longer days make it ideal for camping, hiking, canoeing and kayaking or simply relaxing in the countryside. Temperatures continue to rise, making July the hottest month across the country, to be enjoyed in the gentle shade of mountain valleys or living it up in vibrant city festivals.

Canada's autumn is particularly stunning in the East, where the countryside is cloaked in golden browns, bright oranges and earthy reds.

The cooler climes bring out enthusiasts of outdoor activities as well as nature lovers, who can take in an abundance of wildlife, including migrating ducks, geese and majestic birds of prey.

Of course, Canada is world-renowned for its winter wonderlands. With the exception of the more temperate region of the West coast, everything gets covered in layers of glistening snow. Mountains are transformed by a fresh icing-sugar coating and forests are lined with a carpet of white, perfect for cross-country skiing or snow hiking. Naturally, this is the best time for fans of winter sports, be it skiing, snowboarding, snow-hiking or even dogsledding.

To explore further, please visit the official site of the Canadian Tourism Commission.

Trivia

  • Canada is 9,970,610km2, making it the second largest land mass in the world, with the longest coastline of 243,792 km.
  • Canada's Trans-Canada Highway, at 7,821 km (4,693 miles) long, is the longest national highway in the world.
  • Hartland in New Brunswick hosts the longest covered bridge in the world at 390 meters or 1,282 feet long.
  • Canada's southernmost point is south of Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.
  • Pekwachnamaykoskwaskwaypinwanik Lake in Manitoba is the longest place name in Canada.
  • Superman, the comic-book hero was conceived in Canada.
  • The zipper was invented in Canada.
  • Saul Bellow, the 1976 Nobel Prize winner for Literature was born in Quebec.
  • Canada didn?t have an official flag until February 15, 1965, when parliament adopted the red maple leaf on a white background. Before that a British maritime flag was used.
  • Canada has had no Saturday delivery of mail since it was stopped by Canada Post on February 1, 1969.