Canada is a country in North America, with about 41.7 million people (2025) and an area of 15,634,410 square kilometres. Its capital is Ottawa, and its only land neighbour is the United States.
By Team Geography·Last reviewed
Flag of CanadaCanada in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.
The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of Canada's 18, in full.
PLACELens 1 of 18
The second-largest country where almost everyone lives near one border
Canada is the second-largest country on Earth by area, but roughly 90% of its population lives within 200 kilometers of the US border. The vast majority of Canadian territory (the Shield, the boreal forest, the Arctic) is sparsely inhabited. This concentration means Canada functions less like a continent-spanning power and more like a long, thin ribbon of settlement pressed against the world's longest undefended border.
More on within 200 kilometers of the US border
Canada's population distribution is driven by climate and history. The southern strip has the temperate farmland, the transport corridors, and the cities (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver) that concentrate economic activity.
17 more lenses on Canada in the app
STORY Bilingualism and reconciliation define Canada's internal politics
NOW U.S. tariffs exposed Canada's deepest vulnerability
NOW Canada's immigration consensus is fracturing under housing pressure
THREAD No country's economy is more intertwined with the US than Canada's
PLACE A team that flies to play at home
STORY Thirty-six years between two World Cup appearances
NOW The co-hosts who finally won a match
THREAD The first World Cup shared by three nations
PLACE The host map at the country's two edges
STORY A nation of arrivals on the pitch
NOW Football grows in a hockey country
THREAD The MLS that crosses a border
PLACE The oldest rock and the richest ore
STORY A fur company that owned a subcontinent
THREAD Toronto capital and pits on other continents
PLACE The archipelago at the top of Canada
NOW The first non-American to round the Moon
Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.
Compare Canada with another country
Opens the country comparison tool with population, area, income and more side by side, every figure dated.
Common questions
What is the capital of Canada?
The capital of Canada is Ottawa. Ottawa lies at about 45.4 degrees north and 75.7 degrees west. Canada is in North America. It is home to about 41.7 million people. The world capitals quiz on this site tests every capital, and the printable capitals sheets cover each continent.
What is the population of Canada?
About 41.7 million people live in Canada, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 38th most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 15,634,410 square kilometres, that is about 2.7 people per square kilometre.
What countries border Canada?
Canada shares land borders with 1 country: United States. The map on this page outlines each of them around Canada. The count includes only borders on land, not neighbours across a sea or a lake. Borders here follow Natural Earth at the 1:50 million scale, with Crimea shown as part of Ukraine and Western Sahara as a separate territory.
How big is Canada?
Canada covers 15,634,410 square kilometres, or about 6,036,477 square miles. That makes it the 2nd largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 41.7 million gives a density of 2.7 people per square kilometre.
Canada is a country in North America, with about 41.7 million people (2025) and an area of 15,634,410 square kilometres. Its capital is Ottawa, and its only land neighbour is the United States.
Capital
Ottawa
Continent
North America
Population
41,651,653 2025, World Bank. 38th of 195.
Area
15,634,410 km² (6,036,477 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 2nd largest of 195.
Population density
2.7 people per km²
Land neighbours
1: United States
UN status
Member state
PLACE · from the Geography app
The second-largest country where almost everyone lives near one border
Canada is the second-largest country on Earth by area, but roughly 90% of its population lives within 200 kilometers of the US border. The vast majority of Canadian territory (the Shield, the boreal forest, the Arctic) is sparsely inhabited. This concentration means Canada functions less like a continent-spanning power and more like a long, thin ribbon of settlement pressed against the world's longest undefended border.
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/canada/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
Geography · Country report
Canada
NameDate
Draw the flag
Colour Canada on the map, then fill in what you find.
Capital
Continent
Population
Area
Languages
Currency
Neighbours
Landmarks
Rivers or mountains
Three things I learned
1
2
3
One question I still have
?
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/canada/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
