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51st state? 31 Canada facts you probably didn't know

The Great White North's quirks and curiosities
The name Canada comes from an indigenous Huron-Iroquois word
Canada is the world's second-biggest country
The Canada-US border is the longest international border between two countries
Canada boasts the world's longest coastline and the most beaches
Canada has more lakes than any other country
Canada has the longest streets in the world
Parts of Canada can get as cold as Mars
Over 60% of the world's polar bears call Canada home
Oil is Canada's main export
Only Saudi Arabia and Venezuela have larger reserves of oil
Canada produced a record 19.9 million gallons of maple syrup in 2024
Canada is the world's leading exporter of lobster meat, oats, newsprint and more
Canada's capital confusion
French is the first language for 22% of Canadians
Beyoncé, Madonna and even Queen Camilla are of French-Canadian descent
Removing King Charles III as head of state is virtually impossible
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is Canada's federal police force
The earliest official paper currency in Canada was a playing card
Canada's currency is nicknamed the loonie
Canada was the first country to introduce coloured and glow-in-the-dark coins
Canada's polymer banknotes are said to smell like maple syrup
Small businesses make up 98% of Canada's businesses
Canada's emblematic flag was only adopted in 1965
Canada has two national sports
A Canadian invented basketball
Hawaiian pizza and California rolls hail from Canada
Canada counts over 4,000 Tim Hortons locations
Canada has the highest per capita consumption of doughnuts in the world
Canada's thriving movie and TV production industry is dubbed 'Hollywood North'
Canada boasts the world's largest beaver dam, which can be seen from space
Canada has North America's only walled city outside of Mexico
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The Great White North's quirks and curiosities

O Canada – the land of Mounties, maple syrup and Tim Hortons coffee – has found itself in President Trump's sights, with the POTUS potentially eyeing it as the next addition to the United States. That's if Greenland or the Panama Canal don't get there first, of course.

While “there isn't a snowball's chance in hell” this will happen, at least according to outgoing Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, the notion of Canada becoming the 51st state has certainly got people talking about the home of the Canucks.

With this in mind, read on to discover 31 facts about the nation that might surprise you.

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Daniel Coughlin

21 January 2025

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