In fact, Russia and Canada have a lot in common. Especially when it comes to geography. After all, both of these countries are located in the northern latitudes and, moreover, are approximately comparable in area. But we will try to make a comparison of Canada and Russia, not only in terms of physical and geography, but also in terms of socio-economic parameters. In this article you will find many numbers, maps, and curious facts.
Comparison of Canada and Russia: common figures
The Russian Federation and Canada are the two largest countries in the Northern Hemisphere. They are located on different continents and do not have common borders. How are they similar and how do they differ from each other? Let's try to answer these questions. We will begin our geographical comparison of Canada and Russia with general figures and facts.
| Russia | Canada |
The area of the land | 17.12 million sq. Km. (1st place in the world) | 9.98 million sq. Km. (2nd place in the world) |
Length from north to south | About 4000 km. | 4600 km. |
Length from east to west | About 10,000 km. | 7700 km. |
Population size | 143.3 million people (9th place in the world) | 34.2 million people (36th place in the world) |
Capital | Moscow | Ottawa |
official languages | Russian | English and French |
Currency | Ruble | Canadian dollar |
Time Zones | UTC +2 - UTC +11 | UTC –3.5 - UTC –8 |
Number of neighboring countries | 16 | 1 |
Form of government | Presidential Parliamentary Republic | Parliamentary monarchy |
Place in the ranking of men's hockey teams (IIHF, 2018) | 3rd place | 1st place |
Next, we will conduct a thorough comparison of Russia and Canada according to five main criteria. This is a geographical location, climate, topography, population and economy.
Geographical position
Canada and Russia are located at approximately the same latitudes. But on different continents. Canada occupies the northern expanses of North America (between the 41st and 71st degrees of northern latitude). Russia is the northern and central regions of Eurasia (between the 41st and 77th degrees of northern latitude).
Both Canada and Russia have vast coastlines. Both states are washed by the waters of three oceans - the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic.
Climate and relief
Both Russia and Canada are predominantly flat countries. 70% of the territory of the Russian Federation is occupied by plains and lowlands (see map). Only the southern and eastern parts of the country are mountainous. The Ural Mountains system conditionally divides Russia into two parts - European and Asian. The highest point of the country is located within the Greater Caucasus - this is Mount Elbrus (5642 m).
Approximately 60% of the territory of Canada is also occupied by lowlands and plains (see map). They are based on the protrusion of the ancient Precambrian foundation - the Canadian shield. The Cordillera Mountains occupy the western part of Canada; in the southeast, the Appalachian Mountains partly enter its limits. The highest point in the country is Mount Logan (5956 m).
Due to the considerable length of Canada and Russia from north to south, the climate in both states is quite diverse. Summer air temperatures in Russia vary from 0 ° C (in the north) to + 25 ° C (in the south), winter - from + 5 ° C (in the south) to –40 ° C (in the north).
The average temperature amplitudes in Canada are about the same. The minimum temperature ever observed in Canada is –63 ° C (recorded in the Yukon), in Russia –71 ° C (recorded in the village of Oymyakon). Significant territories, both in Russia and Canada, are occupied by permafrost.
Population
Four times more people live in Russia than in Canada. But the picture of population distribution in both countries is approximately the same (see maps below). The reason is again the climate. In Russia, the bulk of the population is concentrated in the European part of the country and in the Far East, in Canada - in a narrow strip along the border with the United States.
The largest cities of Russia: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm.
The largest cities in Canada: Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Edmonton.
Economic indicators
If we compare these two states in terms of socio-economic indicators, then, of course, here the advantage will be on the side of Canada.
So, the volume of GDP per capita in this country is 2.5 times higher than in Russia ($ 43,000 and $ 18,000, respectively). At the same time, Canadians work less on average than Russians (1706 and 1980 hours a year).
The average life expectancy in Russia is 70 years, in Canada - 82 years. In the ranking of countries in terms of the quality of life index, Canada is in ninth place, and Russia - 71st. One thing is good: the unemployment rate in the Russian Federation is slightly lower than in Canada (5.8% and 6.9%, respectively).