Canada: the land of maple syrup, moose, and polite people, right? Sure—but our True North is so much more than clichés and cold weather. Stretching from the Pacific to the Atlantic and all the way up into the Arctic Circle, Canada is packed with wild geography, record-breaking natural features, and surprises that'll impress even the biggest trivia nerds.

Here are 15 amazing geography facts about Canada that might just blow your toque off:

1. We’re the Second-Largest Country in the World

At 9.98 million square kilometres, Canada is second only to Russia in size. You could fit more than 81,000 Disneylands in here (not that we recommend it).

2. Canada Has the Longest Coastline on Earth

With 243,000 kilometres of coastline, if you walked the entire thing (at a normal pace), it would take you over 30 years—assuming you never stopped to sleep or eat.

3. More Lakes Than the Rest of the World Combined

Canada is home to over 2 million lakes, including the Great Lakes. In fact, nearly 60% of the world’s lakes are found right here. Take that, Finland.

4. We’ve Got a Desert—Yes, Really

The Osoyoos Desert in British Columbia is Canada’s only true desert, complete with cacti and temperatures that can hit 40°C in summer.

5. You Can Travel from One Ocean to Another

The Trans-Canada Highway is the world’s longest national highway, stretching 7,821 kilometres from Victoria, BC, to St. John’s, Newfoundland.

6. Canada Has Its Own Bermuda Triangle

The Nahanni National Park Reserve in the Northwest Territories is home to mysterious disappearances, headless bodies, and legends that rival any horror film. The locals call it the “Valley of Headless Men.”

7. The World's Largest Island in a Lake on an Island in a Lake on an Island

Say that five times fast. Victoria Island in Nunavut holds this super-niche title thanks to a bizarre series of nested islands. Google it. It’s real.

8. We’re Home to the World's Tallest Freestanding Rock

Mount Thor on Baffin Island has a vertical drop of 1,250 metres—that’s more than three CN Towers stacked on top of each other.

9. Our Bay Is So Big, It Has Its Own Gravity Issues

Hudson Bay is actually missing gravity. A phenomenon known as “isostatic rebound” makes the region slightly lighter than it should be.

10. More Than 75% of the World’s Meteorites Are Found in Canada

Thanks to our cold climate, Canada is one of the best places on Earth to find space rocks. Scientists love it, and so do meteorite collectors.

11. We Have the World’s Largest Non-Polar Icefield

Located in the Yukon, the St. Elias Mountains house the Kluane Icefields, the largest outside the polar regions.

12. One Province Has Over 100,000 Islands

That would be Ontario, thanks in part to the Thousand Islands region of the St. Lawrence River. Fun fact: this is where the salad dressing got its name.

13. Our Rivers Are Giants

The Mackenzie River system is the longest in Canada, flowing 4,241 km from the Great Slave Lake to the Arctic Ocean. That’s longer than the Mississippi!

14. You Can See Both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans From One Spot

From the summit of Mount Robson, BC’s tallest mountain, on a clear day, you can catch a glimpse of both coasts. Nature flex.

15. We’ve Got a Magnetic North Pole (and It Moves!)

Canada used to claim the Magnetic North Pole, but it’s slowly drifting toward Russia at about 55 kilometres a year. Even our compass points can't stay put.

🍁 Final Thought

Canada isn’t just big—it’s weird, wild, and wonderfully diverse in its geography. Whether you’re wandering through a desert, standing on an icefield, or boating between 30,000 islands, there's no shortage of “whoa, really?” moments.

So the next time someone asks you about Canada, hit them with a few of these jaw-dropping facts. And maybe keep one or two in your back pocket for your next trivia night, eh?