Canada lies in North America, part of the Americas. The short and official forms of the name are the same. Government sits in Ottawa.
The land area is 9,984,670 km², which ranks it 3rd of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Antarctica and just ahead of China. That makes it almost exactly the same size as China.
It is home to roughly 41.3 million people, placing it 37th of 250 by population — between Afghanistan above it and Yemen below. Within North America alone it is the 1st largest of 7 and the 3rd most populous.
Canada on the map
The coordinates the dataset gives are 60.0° N, 95.0° W, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 6,679 km from the equator, in what geographers would call high-latitude latitudes.
The Arctic Circle runs through or very close to it. Russia, Sweden and Norway sit at almost exactly the same latitude on other parts of the globe.
It borders 1 neighbour: the United States.
With both a coast and land borders, it has the trade options a landlocked country does not.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
The people of Canada
Spread across 9,984,670 km², that works out at about 4.1 people per square kilometre, which makes it very thinly populated. For comparison, the median entry on this list sits near 90 per square kilometre.
People from Canada are called Canadians.
2 languages carry official status: English and French. English, the first listed, is shared with 90 other entries worldwide.
Against the Americas as a whole it is the 6th most populous of 56 entries, and it accounts for 8.1% of everyone living in North America.
The practical details for Canada
It uses the Canadian dollar ($, CAD). That currency appears nowhere else on this list.
The top-level domain is .ca. The international dialling code is +1. Its ISO codes are ca and CAN, which is what most databases and flag files use.
If a quiz asks for the capital of Canada, the answer is Ottawa.
It holds a seat at the United Nations, one of 193 entries here that do. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Canada shares borders with 1 country:
Fun facts about Canada
- Websites based there use the .ca domain.
- Ranked by land area, Canada is 3rd out of the 250 countries and territories on this site.
- It shares land borders with 1 country: the United States.
- The Canadian dollar is used here and nowhere else on this list.
- People from Canada are known as Canadians.
- In land area it is almost exactly the same size as China.
Canada — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Canada?
- The capital of Canada is Ottawa.
- What language is spoken in Canada?
- Canada lists 2 official languages: English and French.
- What is the population of Canada?
- Canada has a population of about 41.3 million, which makes it the 37th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Afghanistan sits just above it and Yemen just below.
- How big is Canada?
- Canada covers 9,984,670 km², ranking 3rd of 250 by land area. That makes it almost exactly the same size as China.
- Which countries border Canada?
- Canada borders 1 country: the United States.
- Is Canada a country?
- Yes. Canada is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- What currency does Canada use?
- Canada uses the Canadian dollar, written $ (currency code CAD). No other entry in this dataset uses it.
- Where is Canada located?
- Canada is in North America, part of the Americas. Its reference coordinates are 60.0° north and 95.0° west, roughly 6,679 km from the equator in high-latitude latitudes.
