Canada Day is a federal holiday celebrated annually on July 1. Canadians have much to celebrate come the first of July, and these are five things that make the Great White North unique.

1. Canada is the second largest country in the world, with a total area of more than 9.9 million square kilometres. In fact, according to Worldometer, Canada takes up 6.1 per cent of the world’s land mass, making it just one of six countries across the globe to count more than 5 per cent of the global land mass as its own.
2. Canadians love their maple syrup, and perhaps some love it a tad too much. The first season of the Netflix documentary series “Dirty Money” included an episode about the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist. That theft, during which 3,300 short tons of maple syrup valued at nearly $18 million CAD were stolen from a storage facility over 2011 and 2012, is the most significant heist in Canadian history. The heist was discovered during an inventory of the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers’ strategic reserve. During the inspection, an investigator realized several barrels at the facility were empty, prompting a wider investigation and realization of the scope of the crime. Various individuals were ultimately found responsible for the theft and sentenced to prison.
3. Canada is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the west. That undoubtedly contributes to Canada having the longest coastline in the world. According to the World Population Review, Canadian coastline stretches more than 202,000 kilometres, which easily bests Indonesia, which has the second longest coastline at roughly 99,000 kilometres.
4. Though it’s the second largest country in the world, Canada is the twelfth least densely populated nation across the globe. Estimates indicate that Canada’s population stood at around 41 million people in 2024. By comparison, the Japanese city of Tokyo is estimated to have more than 37 million people living in its metro area in 2024.
5. Roughly two-thirds of the world’s polar bears call Canada home. According to Polar Bears in Canada, the global population of polar bears is divided into 19 subpopulations, and 13 of those are managed or co-managed by Canada. All told, roughly 16,000 polar bears reside in Canada, with just 10,000 residing beyond Canadian borders.

Canada Day is an annual celebration of the Great White North and a great time to consider the many things that make this beautiful nation so unique.