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Canada’s Coastlines
Canada has the world’s longest coastline. If you walked without stopping, it would take you five-and-a-half years to walk along all of Canada’s coasts.
Gold Medallist
The frozen landscape of Hudson Bay, Canada
Northern Vancouver Island coastline on the Pacific Ocean
When it comes to coastline, Canada takes the gold medal by far. No country even comes close. Canada’s coastline is 243 792 kilometres long. That’s more than five times as long as Indonesia’s shores, which hold second place in the coastline competition. Canada’s coast is more than six times as long as the distance around Earth’s equator. Why does Canada have such a long coastline? Not only does our country border three oceans — the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific oceans — but we also have the shorelines of our 52 455 islands. Some of Canada’s coastline is sandy and warm, while a lot of it is rocky. Some is frozen all year round. Another reason why our country has more shore than any other country is that no bay in the world has a longer shoreline than Canada’s Hudson Bay. Named after explorer Henry Hudson, this bay dips down into the middle of the country and is huge. Despite its huge size, Hudson Bay has only about a dozen villages scattered along its lengthy coast.
The Rock
Newfoundland and Labrador’s rocky coastline
The province with the most coast is Newfoundland and Labrador. It has 28 956 kilometres of coastline, including its many small, craggy islands. Newfoundland is nicknamed The Rock because it has lots of stony areas and rough, rocky coastlines.
Life on the Coast
Orca whale watching in Victoria, British Columbia
About 7 million Canadians live in coastal areas. Many live close to the water because there are lots of jobs based on ocean industries. Throughout Canada’s history, fishing and shipping have been important. Today, tourism is an important coastal industry. Whale watching is very popular in many areas on Canada’s east and west coasts and so is bird watching. People also take trips out to the waters off Newfoundland to see the enormous icebergs. There are also many ocean sports. Canada isn’t known for surfing — our climate tends to be too cold and the waves aren’t high enough — but sailing, kayaking and canoeing are all very popular.
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