The Immense Size of Canada Trivia Quiz

Prince Edward Island, or PEI as it is affectionately called in Canada, is one of the three maritime provinces. It is approximately 5,660 sq km (2185 sq mi) in size, a little larger than Rhode Island. It is Canada's smallest province and is known as the 'Birthplace of Confederation', 'Spud Island', as well as the 'Garden of the Gulf'. PEI is famous for its potatoes, seafood and beautiful red sand beaches. Prince Edward Island was named for Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, the fourth son of King George III and father of Queen Victoria.

Its capital city is Charlottetown, the site of the 1864 conference that led to Canada's confederation.

Nova Scotia, one of the three Maritime provinces, is approximately 55,284 sq km (21,345 sq mi) in size, making it Canada's second smallest province, and comparable in size to Croatia. Nova Scotia was so named by Sir William Alexander, a Scotsman who was granted the land by King James VI of Scotland in 1621. It was given the Latin form of 'New Scotland': Nova Scotia. The province is known for its amazing scenic drives, beautiful coastline, lighthouses, the highest tides in the world at the Bay of Fundy, lobster, and wine. Nova Scotia was one of the first four provinces to join confederation.

New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces. It is approximately 72,908 sq km (28149 sq mi) in size, a little smaller than Sri Lanka. New Brunswick is known as 'The Picture Province', due to its stunning natural beauty. It is Canada's only officially bilingual province and along with Nova Scotia is known for its high tides at the Bay of Fundy. New Brunswick is also known for its variety of marine life, including whale watching, natural parks, seafood and historic sites.

The province got its name in 1784 to honour King George III, who was the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg in Germany.

Newfoundland and Labrador is approximately 405,212 sq km (156,453 sq mi) roughly twice the size of the UK. Originally, the province was named for just the island of Newfoundland, but in 2001 it was officially renamed Newfoundland and Labrador to acknowledge its mainland part.

The province is known for its unique culture, history (the oldest European settlement in North America) whales, puffins, food, and outdoor adventures. Newfoundland itself is known as 'The Rock' and Labrador as 'The Big Land'. It was named by King Henry VII after the Italian explorer John Cabot's voyage in 1497.

The king called it 'New Found Launde', a translation of 'Terra Nova' meaning 'New Land' in Latin. This name stuck, evolving from 'New Found Land' to 'Newfoundland,'.

This name remains as one of the older European place names still in use. Newfoundland and Labrador is not considered to be a maritime provinces, however it is considered to be an Atlantic province along with the three Maritime provinces.

Yukon is approximately 482,443 sq km (186272 sq mi) in size, a bit smaller than Spain. It is known as 'The Land of the Midnight Sun' due to its northerly location and 'The Klondike', a reference to the gold rush. Yukon is known for its Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), incredible natural beauty, Mount Logan (Canada's highest mountain), rich wildlife, Gold Rush history, and the Midnight Sun. The territory was named after the Yukon River, which came from
Indigenous Gwich'in, meaning 'great river'.

Manitoba is approximately 647,797 sq km (250,115 sq mi), a little larger than France. It is known as 'Friendly Manitoba', 'The Land of 1000 Lakes, and 'The Keystone Province', due to its location in the centre of Canada. Manitoba is known for having four distinct seasons, wonderful natural scenery, a rich cultural heritage in Winnipeg, agriculture, and historic sites. It got its name from the Cree language, 'Man-into-wahpaow', meaning 'the narrows of the Great Spirit', which refers to the narrow central section of Lake Manitoba, which was an important waterway for the First Nations people.

This name was adopted and modified by European settlers.

Saskatchewan is approximately 651,036 sq km (251,366 sq mi), a bit larger than France. Its nicknames include 'The Land of Living Skies' and 'The Breadbasket of Canada' (or the world) due to its enormous grain and lentil production. Saskatchewan is known for its rich deposits of uranium and potash, gorgeous skies, stunning sunsets, fishing, the Athabasca Sand Dunes, and the Cypress Hills. Saskatchewan got its name from the Cree language, 'Kisiskatchewanisipi' (or a variation) meaning 'swift-flowing river', a description of the Saskatchewan River which runs through the province.

The name was adapted and shortened by Europeans in 1882 when the area became a part of the district of the Northwest Territories, and kept when the area officially became a province of Canada in 1905.

Alberta is approximately 661,848 sq km (255,540 sq km) in size, more than twice the size of Italy. It has several nicknames including 'Wild Rose Country', (the official slogan), 'The Sunshine Province', and "The Princess Province," reflecting its floral emblem, sunny climate, and namesake, Princess Louise; unofficially, it's sometimes called the 'Texas of the North' for its oil and conservative politics. Alberta is known for the splendid Rocky Mountains, its Indigenous culture, the Badlands, dinosaur fossil hunting, oil and gas reserves, as well as outdoor adventuring. The province was named after Queen Victoria's youngest daughter, Princess Louise Caroline Alberta.

As there already was Lake Louise in Banff, Alberta, and the Carolinas in the USA, the province became known as Alberta.

British Columbia, or BC, as it is affectionately known, is 944,735 km sq (364,764 sq mi), a bit smaller than Sweden. Its nicknames include 'The Pacific Province', and 'Beautiful British Columbia'. The province is known for glacier-fed lakes, the Rocky Mountains, rainforests, unbelievable natural beauty, thriving tech and film industries, diverse wildlife, natural resources, the Okanagan, and a huge variety of outdoor activities such as skiing, camping, and fishing. British Columbia was named by Queen Victoria in 1858.

She took the name from the Columbia District which was named for the Columbia River. She added the word, 'British' to distinguish it from other 'Columbias'.

Ontario is approximately 1 million sq km (386,102) sq mi in size. It is roughly equivalent to France and Spain combined in size. It's nicknamed 'The Heartland Province'. Ontario is known for its vast natural wonders, Niagara Falls, beaches, parks, Manitoulin Island, food, arts culture, the Great Lakes, natural resources, its history, and its vibrant outdoor culture, as well as for bring Canada's economic hub.
The word, 'Ontario' comes from the Iroquoian word "kanadario," meaning "sparkling" or "beautiful" water, which refers to Lake Ontario.

The Northwest Territories (NWT) is 1,346,106 km² (518734 sq mi) and is larger than Bolivia in size. Its nicknames include 'North of 60', as it is above the 60th parallel, 'Land of the Polar Bear', and 'Spectacular Northwest Territories', the latter of which is used on license plates, which are actually polar bear shaped.
NWT is known for diamond mining, rich variety of wildlife, Indigenous cultures, massive lakes, traditional foods, the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), ice roads, and incredibly vast, untouched wilderness.
The name of the Northwest Territories is simply descriptive of its position. It is literally in the northwest part of Canada.

Quebec is approximately 1.5 million km² (579,153 sq mi), which is roughly the size of Mongolia. Its nicknames are 'La Belle Province', 'La Vieille Capitale' (The Old Capital) and 'Le Bijou Boréal'(The Boreal Jewel). Quebec is known for its unique French-Canadian culture, waterfalls, history, lakes, hockey, rivers, iconic foods such as poutine and maple syrup, as well as its massive expanse of wilderness. The word, 'Quebec' comes from an Algonquian word meaning 'where the river narrows' or 'narrow passage,' which references the narrowing of the St. Lawrence River near Quebec City.

In 1608, explorer Samuel de Champlain took the name for the settlement he created and it eventually became the name of the province.

The most massive region of Canada, Nunavut is about 2,093,190 sq km (808,185 sq mi) which is roughly the same size as Saudi Arabia. It is Canada's newest region as it split from the Northwest Territories in April 1999 for Inuit-government and for control over their traditional land. The territory is known as a vast Arctic wilderness, and for mineral deposits such as diamonds, gold, and uranium, diverse wildlife, the Inuit culture, and its unique geography.
The name Nunavut comes from the Inuktitut language meaning 'Our Land'.