· Canada has a population of approximately 30 million people

· There are 2 official languages - English and Français

· The first prime minister was Sir John A. Macdonald. At present, the P.M. is Jean Chrétien

· Canada's largest city is Toronto followed by Montreal then Vancouver then Ottawa

· The country's capital is Ottawa

· Ten million square kms of land make up the country, making it the second largest country (next to Russia)

· Canada is made up of 10 provinces and 3 territories

· The National Anthem is Oh Canada

· The Maple leaf and beaver are Canada's national symbols

· Canada has six time zones (The easternmost, in Newfoundland, the Atlantic, the Eastern, the Central, the Rocky Mountain and the Pacific)

· Canada's main natural resources are natural gas, oil, gold, coal, copper, iron ore, nickel, potash, uranium and zinc, wood and water.

· Canada's leading exports are automobile vehicles and parts, machinery and equipment, high-technology products, oil, natural gas, metals, and forest and farm products.

· Leading industries include automobile manufacturing, pulp and paper, iron and steel work, machinery and equipment manufacturing, mining, extraction of fossil fuels, forestry and agriculture.

· Canada has the longest covered bridge in the world. It's located in Hartland, New Brunswick and is 1,282 feet long.

· The longest street in the world is Yonge Street (in Toronto), and is 1,900.5 kilometers long

· Also in Toronto, the CN Tower stands at 1,815 feet and 5 inches high. It was completed in 1975 and is the tallest freestanding structure in the world

· Anyone in Canada can send a letter to a member of Parliament (while it's in session) without paying postage

· Life expectancy in Canada is 75.6 years for males and 81.7 years for females (which ranks in the world's longest)

· Canada's standard of living is 6th in the world (after the US, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Germany and Japan)

· Canada has the longest national highway in the world - the Trans-Canada highway (7,821 kilometers)

· Ice hockey and lacrosse are Canada's national sports.