15 Fun Facts About Canada That Make it the Best Country

It’s easy to spot a Canadian in a crowd of Americans because of our manners. We say please and thank you — and especially sorry, which is our go-to response for pretty much anything. There’s a lot to be said for old-fashioned good manners and common courtesy, both of which are distinctly Canadian traits, and have established Canada’s reputation for politeness all over the world. It's just one reason why Canadian travellers are loved abroad!

We get that not everybody is a fan of Justin Trudeau, but you can’t deny he’s done a great job representing Canada on the world stage — and is one of the few world leaders to have held his own against Donald Trump in one of the president’s brutal handshake battles. Plus, Canadians can sleep soundly at night knowing there’s a zero per cent chance he’ll tweet his way into a nuclear war with North Korea, publicly support white supremacists as “very nice people” or be investigated for colluding with Russia.

Seting aside the fact that a Canadian NHL team hasn’t won the Stanley Cup since 1993 (go Canadiens!), we’re a hockey-mad nation, and we know one of these years a Canadian team is going to bring the cup home! In the meantime, we can still appreciate the skill and finesse displayed by our teams on the ice, to say nothing of the constant surprise of wondering what’s going to come out of Don Cherry’s mouth next.

On a related note, find out who ranks as the top 20 richest hockey players in the world.

Anyone who's been to Vancouver recently can attest to the fact that there are now more medical marijuana dispensaries than there are Starbucks locations — despite the fact that weed is still technically illegal. Yet the nation finds itself in a strange grey area as Canada prepares for full national legalization in 2018, when Canadians can proudly walk into a government-sanctioned outlet and purchase a few buds of their favourite sticky-icky. Decriminalizing marijuana will become a huge source of tax revenue, and will likely increase weed-friendly tourism (as has been the case in places where it's already been legalized, such as Amsterdam and Colorado).

From the classic rock of The Guess Who, Neil Young, Bryan Adams and more to today's chart-toppers Drake, Justin Bieber and The Weeknd, Canadians represent a disproportionate percentage of the talent pool in the music world (and let's not forget Celine Dion, Leonard Cohen, Shania Twain, Rush, Joni Mitchell... the list goes on and on). The mid-'60s may have seen the British Invasion, but the Canadian invasion just keeps on going when it comes to the music biz.

From ketchup-flavoured potato chips to Beaver Tails to Timbits to our unbelievably amazing craft beer, distinctly Canadian foods are pretty great — and let's not forget Canada's most important contribution to the culinary arts: poutine!

Air pollution is worsening in many parts of the world, yet Canada remains a big breath of fresh air — literally. According to a 2011 study, Canada was found to have the third-best air quality of any country in the world, following only Estonia and Mauritius. (It's another thing that makes Canada the envy of the world).

In Canada, breathtaking natural beauty is close at hand, no matter were you happen to live. For example, Canada is home to about 3-million lakes (more than any country in the world), while old-growth forests in BC are home to trees up to 800 years old. Whether you're hiking, biking, canoeing, kayaking or just going for a walk, Canada's gorgeous wilderness is unbeatable.

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The list of famous funny Canadians who've become internationally famous would fill several books, including Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Dan Aykroyd, John Candy and the rest of the SCTV cast, worldwide superstar Russell Peters and many more. And let's not forget that American TV comedy institution Saturday Night Live was created by a Canadian — Toronto native Lorne Michaels.

Canadians are the first to admit that our health care system isn't perfect, but we don't have to worry about an illness sending us into bankruptcy (unlike the U.S., where health care costs due to illness is the number one reason for bankruptcy!). When people bash our system, it's one of the top 12 things Canadians hate hearing Americans say.

With Australians recently voting to approve gay marriage, Canadians can boast about being among the first nations in the world to legalize same-sex marriage (we were the fourth!), long before it became legal in the U.S. If you want to live and let live, move to Canada! (Just don't be shocked when you find out how much the average Canadian wedding actually costs!).

Maternity leave and paid parental leave are recently new additions in Canada, but having the ability to take some time to welcome your new arrival into the world and spend some quality time getting to know him or her — without fear of financial repercussions — is a priceless part of being Canadian.

On the flip side, don't miss 20 things no one tells you about becoming a parent.

When you compare Canada's population to America's, it turns out that we are disproportionally loaded with amazing actors that command attention on the world stage. From Orphan Black's Tatiana Maslany to icon Christopher Plummer to Will & Grace star Eric McCormack to Rachel McAdams to Keanu Reeves to Donald and Kiefer Sutherland to the Ryans (Gosling and Reynolds), it's nearly impossible to watch a TV show or movie without encountering a Canadian. Meanwhile, Montreal-born William Shatner continues to appear onscreen at the ripe old age of 86.

There have been so many incidents of horrific gun violence in the U.S. lately that it's easy to become desensitized to it, and gun control is an American debate that continues to rage on with no resolution in sight. And while Canada is not immune, incidents involving a heavily armed gunman massacring innocent civilians are few and far between in Canada. (There's a reason why cities in Canada pop up on those lists of the safest cities in the world!). The bottom line: when the population isn't heavily armed, there's less likelihood of getting shot.

Canadians pay higher taxes than our neighbours to the south, but we also enjoy more benefits, lower unemployment (particularly among young workers) and a stable economy. In fact, here's an interesting fact: four of the world's top 10 banks are Canadian.

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