As the world’s second largest country, Canada’s geography changes significantly depending on which part you are in. And with the differences in each region, there is a very different accompanying landscape and climate.
In almost every part of Canada there are lakes and rivers. Canada has over 2 million lakes covering 7% of the land mass. The largest lake is the Northwest Territories’ Great Bear Lake. It is estimated that Canada is home to one-seventh of the world’s fresh water.
Canada has a land mass of 9,970,610 square kilometers and occupies the northern half of North America. From east to west, Canada encompasses six time zones. Canada has coastlines on the Atlantic and Pacific and the Arctic Ocean, giving it the longest coastline of any country. Canada’s southern boundary is an 8,892 kilometer border with the United States. Northern Canada’s Arctic islands come within 800 kilometers of the North Pole.
In northernmost Canada only 12 per cent of the land is suitable for agriculture because of the harsh climate. As a result, most of the population of Canada live within a few hundred kilometres of the southern border, where the climate is milder.
We also have a more thorough description of the regional geography of Canada.
There is also information about mountain ranges in Canada and Canada’s National Parks.