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Interestingly shaped like an orange slice (or semicircle if you prefer), Akimiski is a geographic feature in the east-central area of CANADA. It is east of the First Nation community known as Attawapiskat. The Akimiski Strait is wedged between the island and Attawapiskat. Which of the following sentences about Akimiski is false?
A — The name Akimiski means “land across the water” in Swampy Cree’s language.
B — Akimiski is a coral reef.
C — Akimiski is part of Nunavut even though it is geographically closer to Ontario.
D — Akimiski is the largest island located in James Bay.
Answer:
B — Akimiski is a coral reef.
(Akimiski is an island as referenced in answer choice D.)
1) Situated in the extreme northwest corner of British Columbia, Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park is wedged in a triangular area between Alaska to the south and west and which territory of CANADA to the north?
A — Northwest Territories
B — Nunavut
C — Yukon
2) True or false: The state of Georgia in the UNITED STATES has two towns named Mountain Park.
3) Tanbaly (Tamgaly) is an archaeological UNESCO world heritage site situated in the historic Zhetysu region of southeastern KAZAKHSTAN. Tanbaly is featured on an interestingly shaped 500 Tenge coin (↗) from the year 2012. The landscape is particularly notable for having about 5,000 ____________.
A — hieroglyphs
B — petroglyphs
C — buildings
D — vases
ANSWERS
Question 1:
C . . . . . Yukon
Question 2:
True . . . . . a small Mountain Park town is in Fulton County, and a Census-designated place with the same name is in Gwinnett County.
Question 3:
B . . . . . petroglyphs
CANADA’s ten provinces and three territories each have multiple official symbols established through nomination processes in various years. For examples, the Alberta chose the wild rose in 1930; Ontario adopted the white trillium and eastern white pine in 1937 and 1984, respectively; Saskatchewan selected the western red lily in 1941; and the western red cedar was nominated in 1987 and officially designated in 1988 for British Columbia’s official tree. Cherished species of birds, flowers, and trees are designated as official symbols in the provinces and territories of Canada — only Nunavut lacks an official tree designation as of March 2024. Below is a quick list.
Bird: Great horned owl
Flower: Wild rose
Tree: Lodgepole pine
Bird: Stellar’s jay
Flower: Pacific dogwood
Tree: Western red cedar
Bird: Great grey owl
Flower: Prairie crocus
Tree: White spruce
Bird: Black-capped chickadee
Flower: Purple violet
Tree: Balsam fir
— Newfoundland and Labrador —
Flower: Pitcher plant
Tree: Black spruce
— Northwest Territories —
Flower: Mountain avens
Tree: Tamarack
Bird: Osprey
Flower: Mayflower
Tree: Red spruce
Bird: Rock ptarmigan
Flower: Purple saxifrage
Tree: There is not an official tree specified as of March 2024, although the Tree Canada organization suggests the Arctic willow and balsam poplar are suitable possibilities.
Bird: Common loon
Flower: White trillium
Tree: Eastern white pine
Bird: Blue jay
Flower: Lady’s slipper
Tree: Red oak
Bird: snowy owl
Flower: Blue flag iris
Tree: Yellow birch
Bird: Sharp-tailed grouse
Flower: Western red lily
Tree: White birch
Bird: Common raven
Flower: Fireweed
Tree: Subalpine fir
After waiting since the December 16th, 2020 finale of The Amazing Race season 32, I and my fellow American viewers of the globetrotting show eagerly turned our TVs, apps, or streaming devices on to CBS for the two-hour season 33 premiere on January 5th, 2022. Indications of the coronavirus pandemic’s effects on TV production were felt right away on this season — all teams were virtually connected and therefore did not line up at the starting line in a physical location such as Los Angeles. When fan-favorite host Phil Keoghan announced that teams were able to commence the competition, they flew from their various places of residence to London, England in the UNITED KINGDOM. Once they arrived in London…
● Teams proceeded to Trafalgar Square in search of someone dressed in a red phone booth costume. Their clue card took them to the richly ornate Canada Gate near Buckingham Palace. Teams then encountered a…
● Detour, choice between “Artist Den” or “Digiben”: teams choosing the Artist Den option used wallpaper paste to assemble an artwork mural "puzzle" of the Union Jack flag. Several teams had difficulty determining the artwork’s correct orientation on the wall. The major difficulty of the Digiben detour is figuring out what (or who) a “bobby” is. Teams choosing the Digiben option had to find a bobby — a blackly uniformed London Metropolitan Police officer — who handed them a clue taking them to Parliament Square. At the square near Victoria Station, teams were on the lookout for Little Ben, a miniature version of the Big Ben clock tower (Elizabeth Tower). The final detour clue took them to the Underground subway’s Piccadilly Circus train station where a deejay played music and offered the next clue.
● Teams visited The Chipping Forecast restaurant in Soho. They found "Queen Elizabeth II" and "Boris Johnson" lookalikes seated at a table having a "nosh" — of course, they were eating fish and chips! The queen and prime minister impressionists gave teams their Pit Stop clue.
● Pit Stop: National Museum of History, London
Season 33, Episode 1 Pit Stop Results
1st — Anthony Sadler and Spencer Stone (childhood friends)
1st place prize — vacation for two to the Turks and Caicos islands
— resort, spa day, and snorkeling
2nd — Dusty Harris and Ryan Ferguson (best friends)
3rd — Cayla Pratt and Raquel Moore (flight attendants)
4th — Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness (social media-savvy couple)
5th — Caro Viehweg and Ray Gantt (dating couple)
6th — Akbar Cook and Sheri Cook (educator couple)
7th — Connie Greiner (store manager) and Sam Greiner (coach and teacher)
8th — Isaiah and Taylor Green-Jones (YouTuber couple)
9th — Arun Kumar and Natalia Kumar (father/daughter duo)
10th — Lala and Lulu Gonzalez (quarreling twin sisters)
11th — Michael Norwood and Moe Badger (singing police officers)
Eliminated from the competition
People all across CANADA celebrate their country's independence today. On this day in 1867, Canada became a dominion granted by Great Britain in the British North America Act. True independence came in 1982, when the Act was replaced by the Canada Act of 1982 and a truly sovereign Constitution. Happy Canada Day!
Location of Abbotsford: About 60 kilometers southeast of Vancouver in British Columbia, CANADA, only about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) north of the Canada-United States national border (49th Parallel). Surrounding towns and cities include Chilliwack, Kilgard, Matsqui (east), Matsqui (west; First Nations community), Mission, Sahhacum (First Nations community), and Straiton. Population in 2019: 136,000
A neon glow ("Lite-Brite") graphic effect applied to Abbotsford's flag
Location of Chilliwack: South bank of the Fraser River in British Columbia, only about 16 kilometers (10 miles) north of the border. Surrounding towns and cities include Abbotsford, Deroche, Harrison Mills, Kwawkwawapilt (First Nations community), Lake Errock, Rosedale, Squiaala (First Nations community), and Zaitschullachan (First Nations community). Population in 2019: 80,000
The following items are major exports of CANADA: aircraft, aluminum, automobiles and parts, chemicals, electricity to the United States, fertilizer, fish, grain, industrial machinery, lumber and timber, minerals, natural gas, oilseeds (particularly canola and sunflower), petroleum, plastic, telecommunications equipment, wood pulp. Cranberries, apples, cherries, grapes, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, carrots, cabbage, and onions are prominent fruits and vegetables exported abroad — particularly to the United States. According to the International Monetary Fund (data.imf.org), countries and territories buying and importing most of those exports (February 2017 statistics) include the United States (top importer), China, the United Kingdom, Japan, Mexico, France, Germany, South Korea, India, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Taiwan, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Norway, Hong Kong, Australia, Spain, and Sweden.
Without a doubt, CANADA can boast that it has the most lakes in the world. Depending on the definition of a lake, Canada may be home to more than (drum roll please...)
1,700,000 Lakes!
Many of these lakes, though, are quite small and shallow — and therefore could easily be classified as ponds. To me, ponds are lakes, too! Most of these lakes are located in rural, isolated areas far from the influence of humans. Of course, there are plenty of lakes that Canadians and others are much more likely to access for fishing, swimming, and boating.
Large lakes with plenty of recreational opportunities include Lake Athabasca in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Bras d'Or Lake in Nova Scotia, Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba, Lake Nipigon in Ontario, Lac Saint-Jean in Québec, and Lake of the Woods in Manitoba, Ontario, and northern Minnesota (U.S.). Of course, I cannot forget to mention the Great Lakes along the Canada-United States border: Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, and Lake Superior. While the exact count of Canada's lakes is unclear, one country with the second highest number of lakes might have an exact number down: 187,888. At least 4,300 kilometers (about 2,700 miles) away from Canada, this country is FINLAND.
Post #2 — Country Quizzes Week
During the week of Monday, February 27th to Sunday, March 5th, GeoFact of the Day is hosting a Country Quiz Week. Every day or every other day, there will be a new quiz on a particular country around the world. Want to see a post about a favorite country? Feel free to share your suggestion by posting a comment! See if you can answer these questions pertaining to CANADA without the help of literary resources and the Internet. Answers are provided at the end — Good Luck!
1) Three of the following are official provinces in Canada. Which one is not a Canadian province?
A — Miquelon
B — Prince Edward Island
C — New Brunswick
D — Saskatchewan
2) Which of the following lakes in Québec formed when water filled a ring-like meteor impact crater? (A GeoFact of the Day post from last year was written about this lake.)
A — Mistassini
B — Caniapiscau
C — Manicouagan
3) Which European country is closer to Canada's easternmost point than Vancouver?
A — MOLDOVA
B — SERBIA
C — SLOVENIA
4) The following mountain boasts the world's lengthiest vertical drop on a land feature. Daring rock climbers ascend its 1,675-meter surface from time to time.
A — Mount Odin
B — Mount Thor
C — Qiajivik Mountain
5) Listed below are cities in Saskatchewan, followed by their nicknames and mottoes. One of the nicknames is not correct. Choose the letter corresponding with the wrong nickname.
A — Regina — "The Queen City"
B — Kelvington — "Canada's Hockey Factory"
C — Weyburn — "The Opportunity City"
D — Saskatoon — "Chicago of the Prairies"
ANSWERS
Question 1:
A . . . . . Miquelon
Question 2:
C . . . . . Manicouagan
Question 3:
C . . . . . Slovenia
Question 4:
B . . . . . Mt. Thor
Question 5:
D . . . . . Saskatoon — "Chicago of the Prairies" (should be "Paris of the Prairies")
So, how did you do? Thanks for taking this quiz!
View Larger Map | View Bird's Eye
Situated in eastern CANADA in Quebec (Québec) province's Côte-Nord region, Île René-Levasseur is Lake Manicouagan's circular island, featuring an area of 2,020 square kilometers and 780 square miles. The island was not always an island, being simply part of the surrounding land and crater until Lake Manicouagan was formed. See the Lake Manicouagan post below — or access it directly with the link below — for details on how this artificial, man-made reservoir was created. René-Levasseur is actually the world's second-largest island in a lake and the world's largest "artificial" island! Forests mostly cover the almost-uninhabited island with pleasant vegetation and protection from the elements, except in areas of clearcutting. Dozens of tiny lakes stud René-Levasseur, including Lac Koch, Lac Loubias, Lac Observation, and Lac Otis.
Link to Lake Manicouagan post (↗)
Click the image above to enlarge it in a lightbox window.
Image compilation with material from National Geographic (One-Page Map of Quebec and
MapMaker Interactive)
Situated in eastern CANADA in Quebec (Québec) province's Côte-Nord region, Lake Manicouagan or Manicouagan Reservoir (Réservoir Manicouagan in French) is an artificial lake shaped like a ring of fire! Speaking of fire, this area maybe experienced some fire action when a meteorite struck eastern Quebec over 200 million years ago, forming the circular impact which eventually allowed water to collect. The Manicouagan crater boasts a designation of being the world's sixth-largest crater! How and when was the reservoir formed? Lake Manicouagan was created by Daniel-Johnson Dam, which was completed in 1968 and dammed up the southward-flowing Manicouagan River. This river reaches the wider Saint Lawrence river and Gulf of Saint Lawrence near the city of Baie-Comeau. The Earth likely has other ring-shaped (annular) lakes, but these are not as large and remarkable compared to mighty Lake Manicouagan! Finally, Lake Manicouagan's large island is Île René-Levasseur, which will be featured in the next post.
This is the GeoFact of the Day Blog's 1100th post — thanks for reading today!
As of January 26th, 2015, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ for CANADA lists 8 extinct species since the beginning of IUCN recordkeeping, 9 critically endangered species, and 27 endangered species. Canada's extinct species on the IUCN List are as follows: Blackfin Cisco, Deepwater Cisco, Great Auk, Labrador Duck, Longjaw Cisco, Neomacounia nitida moss, Passenger Pigeon (famous bird that is extinct since the early 1900s), and Rocky Mountain Locust. Critically endangered species include the American Burying Beetle, Bocaccio Rockfish, Eskimo Curlew, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, and Vancouver Island Marmot.
Canada post (link opens in new tab/window)
Below is a list of some towns in CANADA that feature animals in their names. After seeing the many names on this list, it is apparent that many Canadian towns take pride in the mammals, fish, and birds that live there. There are probably even more than this list provides.
Alberta: Bear Lake and Red Deer
British Columbia: Bear Lake (just like in Alberta), and Salmon Arm
Manitoba: Bird, Crane River, Cormorant, Deer, Duck Bay, Elkhorn, Falcon Lake, Moosehorn, Moose Lake, Pelican Rapids, Swan River, and West Hawk Lake
Newfoundland and Labrador: Badger's Quay, Deer Lake, Fox Harbour, Foxtrap, Gander, and Salmon Cove
Nova Scotia: Bass River, Beaver Bank (or Beaverbank), Caribou, and Salmon River
Saskatchewan: Big Beaver, Bird Point, Duck Lake, Fox Valley, Gull Lake, Loon Lake, Moose Jaw, Pelican Narrows, Porcupine Plain, Rabbit Lake, Sturgeon Landing, and Swan Plain
Ontario: Deer Lake, Eagle Lake, Elk Lake, Heron Bay, Moose Factor, Moose River, Otter Rapids, Rat Rapids, and Sturgeon Falls
Prince Edward Island: Goose River, Seacow Pond, and Sturgeon
Quebec: Lac-des-Aigles (Lake of Eagles) and Magpie
Yukon: Beaver Creek, Eagle Plains, Old Crow, and Whitehorse
Located in Northwestern Canada, Yukon is one of the three territories (the others being Northwest Territories and Nunavut). The territory is east of the U.S. state of Alaska, north of British Columbia, and west of the Northwest Territories. With a current population above 23,000, the capital and largest city is Whitehorse, situated in Southern Yukon. The major rivers of Yukon including Peel River, Pelly River, Wind River, and Yukon River. Yukon, like British Columbia, is mountainous. The Mackenzie Mountains form a natural border with the Northwest Territories. Other mountain ranges include Ogelvie Mountains, Richardson Mountains, and Selwyn Mountains. Canada's largest mountain, Mount Logan, stands at over 20,000 feet (over 6,000 meters) in Southwest Yukon, close to Alaska's panhandle. National parks include Kluane N.P. and Reserve - where Mount Logan is located - and Ivvavik N.P. and Vuntut N.P. north of the Arctic Circle in Northern Yukon.
Located in South-Central Canada, Saskatchewan is one of the Prairie Provinces - the others being Alberta and Manitoba. Saskatchewan's northeast corner is part of a four-corners region. The province is east of Alberta, west of Manitoba, south of the Northwest Territories, southwest of Nunavut, and north of the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota. The capital and second largest city, located in Southern Saskatchewan, is Regina. The largest city is Saskatoon. Hence being a Prairie Province, Saskatchewan is an important center for various forms of agricultural activity. Like much of Canada, Northern Saskatchewan boasts many lakes, large and small. The two largest lakes within Saskatchewan's borders are Lake Athabasca and Reindeer Lake. Other lakes include Cree Lake, Old Wives Lake (in Southern Saskatchewan, about 60 miles southwest of Regina), and Wollaston Lake. National parks include Grasslands N.P. and Prince Albert N.P. in Central Saskatchewan.
Located in Eastern Canada, the French-speaking province of Quebec is situated to the west of the province Newfoundland and Labrador, east of Ontario, southeast of the Hudson Bay, and north of the U.S. states of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. The Gaspé Peninsula stretches over the northern part of New Brunswick. Located along the Saint Lawrence River, the capital of Quebec is Québec City. The largest city in the province, however, is Montréal - another city along the Saint Lawrence River. Quebec has many large and small lakes, including Lac Albanel, Lac Bienville, Lac Minto, Lac Naococane, Lac Plétipi; 'lac' is the French word for lake. The largest island, in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence below Eastern Quebec, is Île d'Anticosti (Anticosti Island). A meteorite crater called the Pingualuit Crater - other names include Cratère du Nouveau-Québec and Chubb Crater - is located above the 60th latitude line in extreme Northern Quebec. Lastly, national parks include Gatineau Park and La Mauricie N.P.
Prince Edward Island, located in Eastern Canada, is the smallest Canadian province. It is north of the Northumberland Strait and Nova Scotia, south of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, east of the Kouchibouguac Bay and New Brunswick, and west of Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island. Besides the largest island - Prince Edward Island - there are several small islands within the province as well. Located on the southern shore of Prince Edward Island, the capital is Charlottetown. The second largest community is Summerside. Prince Edward Island National Park is situated on the northern shore of Prince Edward Island. I hope you are having a Happy Easter!
Located in East-Central Canada, the province of Ontario is east of Manitoba, west of Quebec, and south of the large Hudson Bay and smaller James Bay. North of the United States of America, Ontario borders the states of Michigan, Minnesota, and New York with only waterways separating Ontario and the states, and borders Ohio and Pennsylvania via Lake Erie. Southern Ontario borders four of the five Great Lakes: Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, and Lake Superior (the largest); the only one that is not bordered by Ontario is Lake Michigan. The Laurentian Plateau, also known as the Canadian Shield, stretches across the province. Ontario is the most populous province in Canada, having the largest city in Canada (Toronto) within its borders. Known for its CN Tower and other attractions, Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario; it borders Lake Ontario in the southern part of the province. Located in the eastern extension of Ontario by the border with Quebec, Ottawa is Canada's capital. Other cities include Brampton, Hamilton, London, Mississauga, Sudbury, and Thunder Bay. There are several islands in the Great Lakes, including Manitoulin, Michipicoten, and the Thousand Islands. Lastly, Ontario's largest national park is Pukaskwa N.P.
Being the largest territory in Canada and larger than the provinces of Canada, Nunavut became the newest addition to Canada in the year 1999 because the Inuit people wanted to have a governmental body of land to call their own. Therefore, the official language is Inuit, along with English and French. The large Hudson Bay is southeast of Nunavut. Nunavut's southwest corner is part of a four-corners region; Manitoba is south, the Northwest Territories is west, and Saskatchewan is southwest. The thousands of large and small islands within Nunavut's boundaries contribute greatly to the size of this territory. As highlighted in the Largest Islands section of my Islands page (opens in new window/tab), Nunavut's Baffin Island is the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest in the world! Other large islands within Nunavut include Axel Heiberg, Devon, Ellesmere, Prince of Wales, Somerset, and Victoria. In addition to many islands and lots of cold weather, Nunavut boasts an amazing landscape of many lakes. Situated on the southern coast of Baffin Island, Iqaluit is the rather low-populated capital. Located in northern Ellesmere Island, Quttinirpaaq National Park is the northernmost national park in Canada and the largest in Nunavut. Other national parks include Aulavik N.P. and Sirmilik N.P.
Located in Southeastern Canada, the province of Nova Scotia is southeast of New Brunswick, south of Prince Edward Island, east of the Bay of Fundy (which is west of the U.S. state of Maine), and south of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Nova Scotia is surrounded on its east and south sides by the North Atlantic Ocean. The province's capital and largest city is Halifax, which is located along the southern coast. Other cities include Glace Bay, New Waterford, and Sydney. The province's largest island by far is Cape Breton Island; the Bras d'Or Lake is in the center of the island. The island boasts two significant historical parks: Alexander Graham Bell N.H.P. and Fortress of Louisbourg N.H.P. The Cape Breton Highlands National Park is aptly-named for being located in the Cape Breton Highlands in the northern part of the island. Other national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in Nova Scotia include Chignecto Game Sanctuary, Kejimkujik N.P., and Tobeatic Game Sanctuary. There are many smaller islands in Nova Scotia, including Cape Sable, Isle Madame, Janvrin, Petit-de-Grat, and Scatarie.
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