USA FACTS

• The United States of America is also called the USA, US, United States or sometimes America.
• On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was issued, establishing the United States of America.
• The US is the 4th largest country in the world by land area and 3rd by population.
• On February 25, 2013, the estimated population of the US was 315,568,000.
• The US is a diverse country with a multicultural society.
• The US has the world's largest economy.
• The US developed the first nuclear weapons, using them on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki near the end of World War 2.
• The Mississippi and Missouri Rivers combine to form the longest river system in the US and the fourth longest in the world.
• The tallest mountain the US is Mt McKinley, located in the state of Alaska it reaches 20,320 ft (6,194 m) above sea level.
• Alaska was purchased from Russia in 1867 and is the largest state in the US by land area.
• Hawaii is the most recent of the 50 states in the US (joining in 1959) and is the only one made up entirely of islands.
• Most of the world's tornadoes occur in the Midwest region of the US known as Tornado Alley.
• The most populated city in the US is New York City, followed by Los Angeles and Chicago.
• English is the most commonly spoken language in the US, followed by Spanish.
• The first man to walk on the moon was American Neil Armstrong (July 21, 1969).
• The US was the leading force behind the development of the Internet.
• The US consumes more petroleum than any other country in the world.
• The most popular team sports in the US are American football, baseball, basketball and ice hockey.
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CANADA FACTS

• Canada has ten provinces and three territories.
• Canada has the longest coastline of any country in the world at 243,977 kilometres – 151,600 miles.
• Montreal is the world’s second largest French speaking city after Paris.
• Six cities in Canada have a population of over 1 million: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa.
• Canada is lucky to have 9% of the world’s renewable water supply!
• The largest non-polar ice field in the world can be found in the St. Elias Mountains, Yukon Territory. It covers an area of 40,570 square kilometres of which 16,900 square kilometres are located in Canada, the remainder being in Alaska.
• Canada has six time zones.
• The longest highway in the world is the Trans-Canada Highway which is over 7,604 kilometres (4,725 miles) in length.
• The world’s most northerly sand dunes are in Athabasca Provincial Park in northwest Saskatchewan. They are 30 metres high.
• Half of the country is covered with forests, which should come as no surprise considering one-tenth of the world’s forests are here.
• The highest mountain in Canada is Mount Logan, Yukon Territory, 5959 metres (19,551 feet).
• Wasaga beach is the longest fresh water beach in the world.
• Despite being a huge country, Canada has the fourth lowest population density in the world, with only three people living per square kilometre! Almost half of the population in Canada were born in other countries.
• The coldest temperature ever recorded in Canada was -63C (-81.4F) on February 3, 1957 in Snag, Yukon.
• Alert, in Nunavut Territory, is the northernmost permanent settlement in the world.
• The highest waterfall in Canada is Della Falls, British Columbia, 440 metres high (1,444 feet).
• The border between Canada and the United States is officially known as the International Boundary. It is 5,525 miles long, including the 1,538 miles between Canada and Alaska. It’s the world’s longest unprotected border.
• Ocean Falls, British Columbia has on average 330 days of rain per year. Yuck!
• Estevan, Saskatchewan is reportedly the sunniest place in Canada with 2,537 hours of sunshine per year.
• Nakwakto Rapids, Port Hardy’s legendary dive destination, boasts the strongest current in the world – with speeds of up to 18.4 miles per hour.
• Three of Canada’s islands make the top ten for size in the world – Baffin, Ellesmere and Victoria.
• Manitoulin Island is the largest freshwater island in the world.
• Two of the largest lakes in the world are found in the Northwest Territories – Great Bear Lake and Great Slave Lake.
• Nunavut takes up one fifth of Canada’s total land area.
• Calgary is famous for its’ Chinooks – a weather phenomenon that can raise the temperature by 10 degrees in a matter of minutes.