About This Quiz
Canada is a country full of great people who are well-educated. While our citizens may be quite smart in many areas, sometimes it can be hard to know things about your own country! As the prime minister, it's important to know all about not only the government but of the people and places that you're in charge of. Do you think you know more than the Prime Minister of Canada?
As citizens, we elect the prime minister we feel would be the best fit for the office. You may vote for someone based on many things, including their knowledge of the country. To do the job, the prime minister needs to know a lot about the country. It can take more than just a Canadian history class to do that! Other important things include important people, the geography of the country and the many symbols that represent Canada and its provinces and territories. This job is only for the most dedicated Canadian citizens who are committed to making the country better.
Do you have knowledge that could put the prime minister to shame? Then there's only one thing left to do. Prove it by getting a great score on this quiz!
Every region in Canada has a regional tartan, except for Nunavut. The province can always use the Maple Leaf tartan which symbolizes all of Canada if they wish! There is also a day dedicated to the tartans used all around the country.
If you've heard of the name Leif Erikson, then you already know a little about this. Along with a group of other Vikings, Leif stepped foot in Canada and gave it the name "Vinland." In fact, you can still find remnants of Viking settlements around the east coast of Canada.
There are three levels of government within the country, each with its purpose and function. The federal government deals with things affecting the nation as a whole. The provincial/territorial governments work on regional matters that affect their area, and the​ municipal government is all about the city.
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The Cabinet is formed out of members of the party in power to create an upper-level team of executives that are in charge of different sections of the government. For example, one minister will be the Minister of Foreign Affairs, while another might take on the role of the Minister of National Defense.
Taking office for only 132 days after Prime Minister Brian Mulroney announced his retirement, Kim Campbell made Canadian history for her time as prime minister. Since her term, which lasted only until the next election, Canada has not had another female prime minister.
Canada is known for a few sports, like hockey and lacrosse, which are both recognized as our national sports. What many don't know is that in the late 1800s, we invented basketball!
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William Lyon Mackenzie King made history in Canada, having been elected three times as prime minister throughout his political career. While these terms were not all back-to-back, he spent more than 21 years as prime minister. He was a member of the Liberal Party of Canada.
At one time, there were only a few provinces within the country. Newfoundland was the last to join in 1949, making it the last of the provinces. However, the latest territory to join was Nunavut, which only became part of the country in 1999.
"Kanata" is an indigenous word from which Canada got its name. In Ontario, there is also a town named "Kanata." The word means "village," which is a nice way to describe Canada as a country. It's like one huge village!
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Medicine Hat is in Alberta, but it isn't the only city in the country with an interesting name. Moose Jaw isn't hard to guess as a Canadian city as it has the moose, which Canada is known for, in it's name!
Since the queen is our head of state, Canada honors her and the rest of the royal family through this anthem. Though it's not one that you'll hear often, it's mostly used when the royal family is in Canada.
Everyone in Canada has learned about the famous Laura Secord in school. If you haven't, then you've at least tasted the chocolate named after her. She was a loyal civilian who warned British Forces of an American attack, and she traveled through danger and harsh conditions on foot to do it.
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If you've lived in Canada for a while, then you've probably seen one or two of these short clips. They're a great way to get a small taste of Canada's history if you didn't pay attention in school! They include bits on Canada's discovery and famous Canadians, to name a few.
According to the inventor, Alexander Graham Bell, the telephone was invented in Canada. His invention is one for which we all need to give thanks for many reasons. Later in his life, Bell lived in Nova Scotia, and he died there.
The penny has been around since the 1800s in Canada, and it's still around today despite having been discontinued. Though production stopped in 2012, the penny was still distributed until a year later. Everything is now rounded up or down — $2.51 would be rounded down to $2.50, for example.
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While today we drive on the right side of the road, it wasn't always done this way in British Columbia. The change took place on New Year's Day 1922. Everyone at that time braced themselves for the worst, but the best case scenario is what actually happened!
The official name of Canada's military is the Canadian Armed Forces, which is made up of three different branches. The Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force are all important to the safety and freedom of everyone in the country.
The subject of adopting an official Canadian flag became important to the nation in the mid-1960s. The only flag used before that was the Union Jack. Using the official colors of the country, the current flag was designed by George Stanley.
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While the prime minister chooses the people who they feel would be most qualified to serve in the Senate. After the prime minister makes recommendations, the governor general appoints them to the Senate.
A member of the Conservative Party, Sir Charles Tupper became prime minister for a short time after Mackenzie Bowella resigned. There were a few other prime ministers who were in office for less than a year, such as Joe Clark and John Turner.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is the main police force in a few provinces and territories. Within Ontario, the Ontario Provincial Police is the main force, but the RCMP can still conduct certain activities as well.
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It might feel like an eternity when crossing this bridge, and it just might be! At more than 12 kilometers, the bridge connects Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick. With this connection, the trip between the two provinces is quite easy.
Every four years, a federal election takes place in Canada, and the prime minister can lose this position through a vote. Prior to 2007, this was much different. A prime minister could stay in office for as long as they chose to stay.
The Calgary Stampede is one event in Canada that most people don't want to miss. Cowboys and cowgirls from around the world visit Canada to compete and watch this exciting event. It's more than a rodeo; it also has all of the amenities of a fair.
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Though the metric system is what we now use, this wasn't always the case. It was only introduced to Canada in the early 1970s under the term of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Before this, Canada, as part of the Commonwealth, used the British imperial system
Canada has six time zones from coast to coast. One province that proves to be a little tricky at times is Saskatchewan. While it is technically under Mountain time, the majority of the province uses Central time instead.
Starting off as a fur-trading company, Hudson's Bay Company has evolved into a company that owns many of the stores we see throughout shopping malls around the country today. One great example is their main franchise, The Bay.
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Canada is known for being home to many lakesâ — more than 31,000 of them are considered major lakes. These include the five Great Lakes and thousands of other smaller lakes all around the country. The largest lake by area in Canada is Lake Superior, which is also one of the Great Lakes. Some sources cite Finland as having the most official lakes, but that's a debate we won't get into here!
While in federal elections, you don't specifically vote for the prime minister that you want in office, certain people around the country do. If the potential prime minister is a representative of the riding that you're in, then their name will be on your ballot.
If you thought it was Toronto, you're not alone! While Toronto is one of the more popular Canadian cities and the capital of Ontario, Ottawa is the true capital of the country. It's an important one for the prime minister to know as well because that's where they go to work!
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While the largest purpose of a federal election is to elect the next prime minister, this is done through voting for the member of Parliament you choose for your area. However, the leader of that party is also an MP in their own jurisdiction.
There are many different political parties in the nation, though the two main parties are the Conservatives and the Liberals. Other parties include the Bloc Quebecois, the People's Party of Canada and the Green Party of Canada.
Canada is under a Constitutional Monarchy, which in short means that it is ruled by a monarch. Despite being ruled by the queen, she doesn't have much to do. In the case of an absolute monarchy, she would have the ability to rule everything about Canada.
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Queen Elizabeth II is the sovereign of Canada, and considered Canada's Head of State. The Queen grants Canada the right to hold our own government under her power, but could potentially take back that power if she chose to.
Found throughout the province, the lily is a beautiful flower that is protected by the government. In fact, most symbols or representative plants and animals in Canada are typically under such protection.
A majority government is one that is most commonly held by the party in power. What it specifically refers to is the party which holds the most seats in the House of Commons. This means that the number of seats held by the party must be more than half.
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Three years is the minimum that you must live in Canada before applying for citizenship. While this is the time frame you must wait before you can apply, there are a few other steps you must complete before you are an official citizen. One requirement is to score at least 15 out of 20 on the citizenship test.
It's hard to beat Canada at many things, but Russia beats it in size. There is a difference of about 8 million square kilometers between Canada and Russia, and Russia also has a much larger population than Canada.
There are two places where this can happen, in the Senate and in the House of Commons. No matter where the bill comes from, it still must go through numerous readings before it can be given Royal Assent. Once it achieves this, it becomes a law!
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Prime ministers have been from all different areas of the country, but none has ever hailed from Newfoundland. A large number of the 23 prime ministers who have served Canada have come from either Ontario or Quebec.