Geography & environment — Canada
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Geography & environment at a glance
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources. Key figure for Canada: North America
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Location & size
- Geographic Location
North America
- Geographic Coordinates
60 00 N, 95 00 W
- Total Area
3,855,081 Square Miles 9,984,670 Square Kilometers
- Land Area
3,511,003 Square Miles 9,093,507 Square Kilometers
- Water Area
344,078 Square Miles 891,163 Square Kilometers
- Land Boundaries
5,526 Miles 8,893 Kilometers
- Border Countries
United States 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska)
- Coastline
125,567 Miles 202,080 Kilometers
Physical geography
- Terrain
Mostly plains with mountains in the west and lowlands in the southeast
- Highest Point
5,959 Meters
- Highest Point Location
Mount Logan 5,959 m
- Lowest Point Location
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
- Natural Resources
Iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, rare earth elements, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower
- Irrigated Land
3,359 Square Miles 8,699 Square Kilometers
Climate & time
- Time Zone
UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time) time zone note: Canada has six time zones
- Daylight saving time
+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November
Climate
- Climate
The climate varies greatly in the many diversified regions ranging from frigid to mild, but Canada generally may be described as lying in the cool Temperate Zone, with long, cold winters.
- Terrain
Mostly plains with mountains in the west and lowlands in the southeast
- Location
Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous US
- Total Area
3,855,081 Square Miles 9,984,670 Square Kilometers
- Border Countries
United States 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska)
Environment
- Environment - Current Issues
Air pollution and resulting acid rain severely affect lakes and damage forests
metal smelting, coal-burning utilities, and vehicle emissions impacting on agricultural and forest productivity
ocean waters are becoming contaminated due to agricultural, industrial, mining, and forestry activities
- Environment - International Agreements
Party To: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Marine Life Conservation