Lesson 1 of 3 · 4 min read
Canada is the second largest country on earth, made up of ten provinces and three territories grouped into five regions, with Ottawa as its capital.
Canada is the second largest country on earth, covering about 10 million square kilometres between three oceans — the Pacific, the Atlantic, and the Arctic. To make a huge and varied country easier to understand, the study guide groups it into five regions.
Canada has ten provinces and three territories (Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut), and each one has its own capital city. Provinces and territories are grouped into five regions:
You should know the capital of your own province or territory, as well as Canada's capital, Ottawa.
| Region | Province or territory | Capital |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic | Newfoundland and Labrador | St. John's |
| Atlantic | Prince Edward Island | Charlottetown |
| Atlantic | Nova Scotia | Halifax |
| Atlantic | New Brunswick | Fredericton |
| Central | Quebec | Québec City |
| Central | Ontario | Toronto |
| Prairie | Manitoba | Winnipeg |
| Prairie | Saskatchewan | Regina |
| Prairie | Alberta | Edmonton |
| West Coast | British Columbia | Victoria |
| North | Nunavut | Iqaluit |
| North | Northwest Territories | Yellowknife |
| North | Yukon | Whitehorse |
Tap a province or territory, or its label, to see its capital.
Central · joined 1867
Ontario
Capital: Toronto
Map data: Natural Earth (public domain). Lambert conformal conic projection.
Watch for traps: the biggest city is often not the capital. Toronto, not Ottawa, is Ontario's capital; Victoria, not Vancouver, is B.C.'s; Edmonton, not Calgary, is Alberta's; Fredericton, not Saint John, is New Brunswick's.
Ottawa, on the Ottawa River, has been Canada's capital since 1857, when it was chosen by Queen Victoria. Today it is Canada's fourth largest metropolitan area, and the surrounding National Capital Region covers 4,700 square kilometres.
Most Canadians live in cities, but many live in small towns and rural areas. (The guide gives the population as about 34 million; it has since passed 40 million.) Along the south lies the Canada–United States boundary, traditionally called "the world's longest undefended border."
The chapters that follow look more closely at what makes each region distinct — from the fishing communities of the Atlantic coast to the fertile prairies and the vast, sparsely populated North.
Key facts
Canada is the second largest country on earth, with a total area of about 10 million square kilometres.
The guide groups Canada into five regions: the Atlantic Provinces, Central Canada, the Prairie Provinces, the West Coast, and the Northern Territories.
Canada has ten provinces and three territories, each with its own capital city.
Ottawa, on the Ottawa River, was chosen as Canada's capital in 1857 by Queen Victoria.
Most Canadians live in cities, but Canadians also live in small towns, rural areas and everywhere in between. (The guide's figure of about 34 million is from 2012; Canada now has over 40 million people.)
Answer all 3 to mark this lesson done.
1. How many provinces and territories make up Canada?
2. Which city is Canada's capital, and who chose it?
3. Into how many regions does the study guide divide Canada?
HomelandCanada