Canadian Geography Study Guide for the Citizenship Test

Canada is the second-largest country in the world by area. It spans six time zones and is bordered by three oceans: the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Arctic. It shares the longest undefended border in the world with the United States to the south. The national capital is Ottawa, in the province of Ontario.

Canada is made up of 10 provinces and 3 territories. These are often grouped into five regions: the Atlantic provinces, Central Canada, the Prairie provinces, the West Coast, and the Northern territories. Knowing the provinces and territories and their capital cities is a common part of the citizenship test.

Key facts to remember

Canada has 10 provinces and 3 territories.
The capital of Canada is Ottawa.
Canada is bordered by three oceans: the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Arctic.
Canada shares the longest undefended border in the world with the United States.
The country is often divided into five regions.

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Geography practice questions & answers

84 questions from this topic, with answers and explanations.

Where does Canada rank in the world's largest countries?
Answer: Second
Discover Canada states Canada is the second largest country in the world by area.
Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut, was once named Frobisher Bay after which English Arctic explorer?
Answer: Martin Frobisher
Iqaluit, formerly Frobisher Bay, is named after the English explorer Martin Frobisher, who explored the Arctic for Queen Elizabeth I in 1576.
Fill in the blank. In Inuktitut, the name 'Nunavut' means ______.
Answer: Our land
Nunavut means 'our land' in Inuktitut; about 85% of its population is Inuit.
Fill in the blank. After Paris, the second-largest mainly French-speaking city in the world is ______.
Answer: Montreal
Montreal is Canada's second-largest city and the second-largest mainly French-speaking city in the world after Paris.
Who are the Quebecers?
Answer: People of Quebec.
Quebecers are the people of Quebec, with a French-speaking majority, per Discover Canada study materials.
Fill in the blank. The largest city in Canada is ______.
Answer: Toronto
The guide identifies Toronto as Canada's largest city and its main financial centre.
Which province is known for the Bay of Fundy and the highest tides in the world?
Answer: Nova Scotia.
Discover Canada describes Nova Scotia as known for the world’s highest tides in the Bay of Fundy.
Fill in the blank. The province with its own time zone is ______.
Answer: Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland has its own time zone (Newfoundland Standard Time) per Discover Canada.
Fill in the blank. ______ is Canada's only officially bilingual province.
Answer: New Brunswick.
New Brunswick is Canada's only officially bilingual province.
What three oceans border Canada?
Answer: Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific.
Canada is bordered by the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific oceans.
What are the Prairie provinces and their capital cities?
Answer: Alberta (Edmonton), Saskatchewan (Regina) and Manitoba (Winnipeg).
The three Prairie provinces and their capitals per Discover Canada are Alberta/Edmonton, Saskatchewan/Regina, Manitoba/Winnipeg.
Fill in the blank. The territorial capital known as the 'diamond capital of North America' is ______.
Answer: Yellowknife
Yellowknife, capital of the Northwest Territories, is called the 'diamond capital of North America.'
True/False. Canada has ten provinces and three territories.
Answer: True
True. Canada is made up of ten provinces and three territories.
What is the capital city of Ontario?
Answer: Toronto
Toronto is the capital city of Ontario per Discover Canada.
Fill in the blank. The longest river in Canada is ______.
Answer: The Mackenzie River.
Discover Canada states the Mackenzie River, at 4,200 km, is the second-longest river system in North America (after the Mississippi) and the longest in Canada.
What are the provinces of Central Canada and their capital cities?
Answer: Ontario (Toronto) and Quebec (Quebec City).
Central Canada consists of Ontario (Toronto) and Quebec (Quebec City).
What is a major river in Quebec?
Answer: St. Lawrence River
The St. Lawrence River is the major river of Quebec per Discover Canada.
Fill in the blank. The largest freshwater lake in the world, lying between Ontario and the United States, is ______.
Answer: Lake Superior.
Discover Canada identifies Lake Superior, one of the five Great Lakes, as the largest freshwater lake in the world.
True/False. Canada's highest mountain, Mount Logan, is named after Sir William Logan, one of Canada's greatest scientists.
Answer: True
True. Mount Logan in the Yukon is Canada's highest mountain, named after Sir William Logan, a world-famous geologist and one of Canada's greatest scientists.
Fill in the blank. The capital city of Canada is ______.
Answer: Ottawa.
Discover Canada states Ottawa is the capital city of Canada.
What are the provinces of the Atlantic region and their capital cities?
Answer: Newfoundland and Labrador (St. John's), Nova Scotia (Halifax), New Brunswick (Fredericton) and Prince Edward Island (Charlottetown).
The four Atlantic provinces and their capitals per Discover Canada are exactly these; other options wrongly include Quebec/Ontario.
Where are the Great Lakes?
Answer: Between Ontario and the United States
The Great Lakes lie along the border between Ontario and the United States.
Which region covers more than one-third of Canada?
Answer: Northern Territories.
The Northern territories cover more than one-third of Canada's landmass.
True/False. The Prairie provinces are Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Answer: True
True. Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta are the Prairie provinces.
Which is Canada's most recently created territory, carved from the eastern Northwest Territories?
Answer: Nunavut
Nunavut is Canada's newest territory, created from the eastern part of the Northwest Territories. Its name means 'our land' in Inuktitut.
Fill in the blank. The highest mountain in Canada is ______.
Answer: Mount Logan, in the Yukon.
Discover Canada states that Mount Logan, located in the Yukon, is the highest mountain in Canada.
Fill in the blank. Canada is bordered to the south by the ______.
Answer: United States of America.
The United States borders Canada to the south.
Fill in the blank. About one third of all Canadians live in the province of ______.
Answer: Ontario.
About one-third of Canadians live in Ontario per Discover Canada.
Which city is home to Canada's largest naval base and is a major Atlantic port?
Answer: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax is Canada's largest east coast port (deep-water and ice-free) and home to Canada's largest naval base.
True/False. Ottawa is the largest city in Canada.
Answer: False
False. Ottawa is Canada's capital, but Toronto is the largest city.
In which region do more than half the people in Canada live?
Answer: Central Canada.
Discover Canada notes more than half of Canadians live in Central Canada (Ontario and Quebec).
Fill in the blank. The smallest province in Canada by land size is ______.
Answer: Prince Edward Island.
Prince Edward Island is the smallest province in land size per Discover Canada.
What are the territories of Northern Canada and their capital cities?
Answer: Yukon Territory (Whitehorse), Northwest Territories (Yellowknife), and Nunavut (Iqaluit).
The three northern territories and capitals are Yukon (Whitehorse), Northwest Territories (Yellowknife) and Nunavut (Iqaluit).
Fill in the blank. The Confederation Bridge links Prince Edward Island to ______.
Answer: New Brunswick
The nearly 13-km Confederation Bridge joins Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.
What is the Canadian Shield?
Answer: A large area of ancient rock covering about half of Canada, rich in minerals.
The Canadian Shield is a vast region of ancient rock covering roughly half the country and holding much of Canada’s mineral wealth.
Name the five regions of Canada
Answer: Atlantic, Central, Prairie, West Coast, and North
Discover Canada identifies the five regions as the Atlantic, Central Canada, the Prairies, the West Coast, and the North.
True/False. Canada is bordered by three oceans: the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Arctic.
Answer: True
True. Canada borders the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans.
Which region of Canada is known for both its fertile agricultural land and valuable energy resources?
Answer: Prairie provinces.
The Prairie provinces are rich in both fertile farmland and energy resources per Discover Canada.
Fill in the blank. Ottawa was chosen as the capital of Canada in 1857 by ______.
Answer: Queen Victoria
Ottawa was chosen as the capital in 1857 by Queen Victoria.
True/False. Nunavut was the first territory created in Canada, in 1870.
Answer: False
False. Nunavut was created in 1999; the Northwest Territories date from 1870.
Fill in the blank. The Canadian ______ are Forces reservists who patrol and keep watch over Canada's Arctic.
Answer: Rangers
The Canadian Rangers are part of the Canadian Forces Reserves and keep watch over Canada's vast Arctic.
Canada has three territories and how many provinces?
Answer: 10
Canada has ten provinces and three territories per Discover Canada.
True/False. Canada is the second-largest country in the world by area.
Answer: True
True. Canada is the second-largest country on earth by area, after Russia.
True/False. British Columbia is located on Canada's Atlantic coast.
Answer: False
False. British Columbia is on Canada's Pacific (west) coast.
Fill in the blank. Most French-speaking Canadians live in the province of ______.
Answer: Quebec.
The majority of French-speaking Canadians live in Quebec.
More than half of Canadians live in cities and towns near the Great Lakes and which major river?
Answer: The St. Lawrence River.
Per Discover Canada, more than half the people in Canada live in cities and towns near the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River in southern Quebec and Ontario, known as Central Canada.
Which province has the largest French-speaking population outside Quebec?
Answer: Ontario
Ontario has the largest French-speaking population outside Quebec.
What is the capital city of British Columbia?
Answer: Victoria
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia; on Vancouver Island; the largest city is Vancouver.
What is the capital city of Alberta?
Answer: Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital city of Alberta; Calgary is the largest city.
What is the capital city of Saskatchewan?
Answer: Regina
Regina is the capital city of Saskatchewan; home of the RCMP training academy; Saskatoon is the largest city.
What is the capital city of Manitoba?
Answer: Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital city of Manitoba; a historic hub of the Metis Nation and the fur trade.
What is the capital city of Quebec?
Answer: Quebec City
Quebec City is the capital city of Quebec; Montreal is the largest city.
What is the capital city of New Brunswick?
Answer: Fredericton
Fredericton is the capital city of New Brunswick; New Brunswick is Canada's only officially bilingual province.
What is the capital city of Nova Scotia?
Answer: Halifax
Halifax is the capital city of Nova Scotia; home to Canada's largest naval base on the Atlantic.
What is the capital city of Prince Edward Island?
Answer: Charlottetown
Charlottetown is the capital city of Prince Edward Island; known as the birthplace of Confederation.
What is the capital city of Newfoundland and Labrador?
Answer: St. John's
St. John's is the capital city of Newfoundland and Labrador; one of the oldest cities in North America.
What is the capital city of Yukon?
Answer: Whitehorse
Whitehorse is the capital city of Yukon; Mount Logan, Canada's highest peak, is in Yukon.
What is the capital city of the Northwest Territories?
Answer: Yellowknife
Yellowknife is the capital city of the Northwest Territories; the territory is known for diamond mining.
What is the capital city of Nunavut?
Answer: Iqaluit
Iqaluit is the capital city of Nunavut; the majority of the population is Inuit.
Which of the following is NOT one of the five Great Lakes?
Answer: Lake Winnipeg.
The five Great Lakes, located between Ontario and the United States, are Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan (in the U.S.A.) and Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world.
Which province is the most easterly point in North America?
Answer: Newfoundland and Labrador.
Newfoundland and Labrador is the most easterly point in North America and has its own time zone.
Fill in the blank. ______ was the oldest colony of the British Empire.
Answer: Newfoundland and Labrador.
Newfoundland and Labrador was the oldest colony of the British Empire and a strategic prize in Canada's early history, long known for its fisheries, coastal fishing villages and distinct culture.
Which is the most populous Atlantic province?
Answer: Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia is the most populous Atlantic province, with a rich history as the gateway to Canada and the world's highest tides in the Bay of Fundy. Its Celtic and Gaelic traditions sustain a vibrant culture.
New Brunswick was founded by which group?
Answer: The United Empire Loyalists.
Situated in the Appalachian Range, New Brunswick was founded by the United Empire Loyalists and has the second largest river system on North America's Atlantic coastline, the St. John River system.
Fill in the blank. The ______ system is the second largest river system on North America's Atlantic coastline.
Answer: St. John River.
New Brunswick's St. John River system is the second largest river system on North America's Atlantic coastline.
True/False. Ottawa is Canada's fourth largest metropolitan area.
Answer: True
True. Chosen as the capital by Queen Victoria in 1857, Ottawa is today Canada's fourth largest metropolitan area. The National Capital Region, 4,700 square kilometres surrounding Ottawa, preserves and enhances the area's built heritage and natural environment.
Fill in the blank. Toronto is the largest city in Canada and the country's main ______ centre.
Answer: Financial.
Toronto is the largest city in Canada and the country's main financial centre. Many people work in the service or manufacturing industries, which produce a large percentage of Canada's exports.
The most famous street intersection in Canada, Portage and Main, is in which city?
Answer: Winnipeg.
Winnipeg's Exchange District includes the most famous street intersection in Canada, Portage and Main.
Winnipeg's French Quarter, home to Western Canada's largest Francophone community, is called what?
Answer: St. Boniface.
Winnipeg's French Quarter, St. Boniface, has Western Canada's largest Francophone community, at 45,000.
Which province has the largest Aboriginal population share of any province, at more than 15%?
Answer: Manitoba.
Manitoba has the largest Aboriginal population of any province, at over 15%. It is also an important centre of Ukrainian culture, with 14% reporting Ukrainian origins.
Which province was once known as the "breadbasket of the world" and the "wheat province"?
Answer: Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan, once known as the "breadbasket of the world" and the "wheat province," has 40% of the arable land in Canada and is the country's largest producer of grains and oilseeds.
Saskatchewan's largest city and the headquarters of the mining industry is ______.
Answer: Saskatoon.
Saskatoon, the largest city in Saskatchewan, is the headquarters of the mining industry and an important educational, research and technology centre. Regina, the capital, is home to the RCMP training academy.
Which is the most populous Prairie province?
Answer: Alberta.
Alberta is the most populous Prairie province.
Alberta and Lake Louise were named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta. Who was she?
Answer: The fourth daughter of Queen Victoria.
Both the province of Alberta and the world-famous Lake Louise in the Rocky Mountains were named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, fourth daughter of Queen Victoria.
Banff National Park, established in 1885, is in which province?
Answer: Alberta.
Alberta has five national parks, including Banff National Park, established in 1885. The rugged Badlands there house some of the world's richest deposits of prehistoric fossils and dinosaur finds.
True/False. British Columbia has the most extensive park system in Canada, with approximately 600 provincial parks.
Answer: True
True. B.C. has the most extensive park system in Canada, with approximately 600 provincial parks.
In British Columbia's cities, which two languages are the most spoken after English?
Answer: Chinese and Punjabi.
B.C.'s large Asian communities have made Chinese and Punjabi the most spoken languages in the cities after English.
The capital of British Columbia, Victoria, is the headquarters of what?
Answer: The navy's Pacific fleet.
Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, is a tourist centre and headquarters of the navy's Pacific fleet.
Which territory holds the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded in Canada (-63 degrees Celsius)?
Answer: Yukon.
Yukon holds the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded in Canada (-63 degrees Celsius). The White Pass and Yukon Railway, opened in 1900, offers a spectacular tourist excursion there.
The Northwest Territories were originally made up in 1870 from Rupert's Land and what other region?
Answer: The North-Western Territory.
The Northwest Territories were originally made up in 1870 from Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory. The capital, Yellowknife, is called the "diamond capital of North America."
True/False. More than half the population of the Northwest Territories is Aboriginal.
Answer: True
True. More than half the population of the Northwest Territories is Aboriginal (Dene, Inuit and Metis).
Nunavut was established in what year?
Answer: 1999.
Nunavut, meaning "our land" in Inuktitut, was established in 1999 from the eastern part of the Northwest Territories, including all of the former District of Keewatin.
About what share of Nunavut's population is Inuit?
Answer: 85%.
Nunavut's population is about 85% Inuit, and Inuktitut is an official language and the first language in schools.
Why is Canada's North often referred to as the "Land of the Midnight Sun"?
Answer: At the height of summer, daylight can last up to 24 hours.
The North is often referred to as the "Land of the Midnight Sun" because at the height of summer, daylight can last up to 24 hours. In winter, the sun disappears and darkness sets in for three months.

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