Travel the World: Canadian Provinces

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About This Quiz

Many people think of Canada as a monolithic country of rugged mountains and snow. In fact, this enormous country is filled with lakes, mountains, rivers, prairies, steppes, forests, Pacific AND Atlantic beaches and much more. For the nature lover, the relatively undeveloped land allows one to glimpse what the area was like before people started to build sprawling cities. 

Canada is a relatively new country, although it's been populated for millennia by indigenous tribes. It's made up of provinces and territories--do you know what they are and how many of each exist?  Do you know the most populated province? What about which provinces and territories share a border with the United States?  Don't forget the Alaskan border!

While most Canadians speak English, do you know what other languages they speak?  It's not just French. Hint: Nova Scotia means "New Scotland" in Latin.

Besides European languages, there are dozens of native languages spoken as well, such as: Cree, Inuktitut and Innu-aimun. 

No matter what you speak, you can prove that you know more about the Canadian provinces than your family and friends. Take this quiz to find out how much you know!

How many provinces are there in Canada?

The provinces are: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador (that's just one,) Saskatchewan and Alberta. There are also three territories, which have their powers delegated by different authorities than the provinces.

What is the most populous province?

It is home to nearly 14 million people, which is nearly 40% of the entire population of Canada. Ontario also shares a border with the U.S. states of Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York.

Which province has the fewest residents?

There are only about 150,000 people in this province, located on the Atlantic coast. Prince Edward Island is actually made up of 232 islands, with one larger island and 231 smaller ones.

Regina is the capital of which province?

It is not the largest city, though. That honor goes to Saskatoon--which has over 270,000 residents.

In 1867, the Province of Canada was divided into which two modern provinces?

Before its division into Ontario and Quebec, the province was divided into Canada West and Canada East. They were two of the four original provinces that entered the Canadian Confederation.

How many provinces did Canada have in 1867?

The number has climbed since then. The most recent addition was Newfoundland and Labrador, which entered the Confederation in 1949.

Which province was the first to legalize same-sex marriage?

It was legalized on June 10, 2003. The following month, British Columbia was the second province to legalize same-sex marriage.

Which province features Lake Winnipeg?

It is Canada's sixth-largest freshwater lake, although it's the third largest if you don't count any of the freshwater lakes with shared national borders, like the Great Lakes.

"Splendour without Diminishment" is the motto of which province?

Its western coast is renowned for natural beauty. There are almost 150 ecological reserves, seven National Parks and National Park Reserves and dozens of other natural parks and protected areas.

Combined into total area (including both land and water,) where does Canada rank in terms of size, worldwide?

Russia is the only country in the world that's larger. The territory of Nunavut makes up the largest total area of Canada.

The lodgepole pine is the official tree of which province?

The tree is one of the most common trees in western North America. There are four subspecies of the lodgepole pine.

Which province is the only one officially considered bilingual?

Most people rely on English, but French is common. Roughly one-third of the people who live there self-report that they speak both languages.

In which province does about 20% of the population have Scottish ethnic origin?

English ethnic origin accounts for about a third of the population of British Colombia. Europeans make up roughly 65% of the population.

How many of Canada's provinces are considered prairie provinces?

Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta are sometimes just called the Prairies. Calgary is the most populated of the prairie cities.

Which province's flag features a lion over a ship on a yellow background?

The lion is an echo of the region's ties to Germany via King George III, who also happened to be Prince-elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg, which is now a part of Germany.

In Ontario, most residents claim to be which religion?

About a third of the population is Catholic. Roughly a quarter have no religious affiliation.

What is the largest city in Manitoba?

There are more than 660,000 people living in Winnipeg. It is also the capital of the province.

Which province entered the Canadian confederation in 1949?

This province is the newest to the confederation by about 40 years. It's name was changed from "Newfoundland" to "Newfoundland and Labrador" in 2001.

What does the word Saskatchewan mean in Cree?

The Saskatchewan River is a highlight of the province's landscape. Saskatchewan also has more sunshine than any other province.

The great grey owl is the official bird of which province?

It is one of the biggest owls in the world--and the longest. There are two subspecies of the owl.

What percentage of people in Nova Scotia primarily speak French?

English is by far the most frequently spoken language in Nova Scotia. It also the largest number of people who speak Scottish-Gaelic outside of Scotland. This should come as no surprise, as Nova Scotia means "New Scotland."

In which province is French the primary language?

About 95 percent of people in this province can speak French; only about half speak English.

Among Canadian provinces, where does Alberta rank in terms of population?

It is home to about 3.6 million people. For contrast, Ontario has 13.4 million people, which makes it the most populated province.

Glacier National Park extends into which province?

B.C. is home to six other national parks and park reserves, too. The parks are home to enormous amounts of animals that are significantly rarer across the border, in the United States.

In 2011, what was Saskatchewan's approximate gross domestic product?

That number helped the province rank fifth in Canada. Per capita, it's roughly $70,000 Canadian dollars.

Which province averages the greatest number of tornadoes per year?

This prairie province sees about 18 twisters per year on average. However, they make up for it with all their sunny days--more than any other province.

Which province is home to about 40% of all Canadians?

With a population of 13.4 million, Ontario is the population center of this country. The next largest province, Quebec, only has 8.1 million people.

In which province does the so-called "spirit bear" live?

About a quarter of these bears have a cream-colored coat that makes them memorable.

What is Alberta's No. 1 industry?

It exports the second-highest amounts of natural gas in the entire world. It's home of the Athabasca oil sands.

In the 90s, the decline of which industry led to a population collapse in Newfoundland and Labrador?

Over-fishing caused steep declines in cod, which greatly affected fisherman in the areas. Service industries now make up the largest part of the province's GDP.

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