As the U.S. gears up for the 4th of July, today, July 1, is Canada Day.  Many of us look with admiration to our northern neighbors for their progressive healthcare system which offers universal coverage at lower costs and won’t force a family to bankruptcy if someone gets really sick.

In honor of Canada’s birthday, take this quiz created by my favorite PhD candidate from Harvard University, Canada native and Canucks fan in stilettos (I am not exaggerating – and she made this up in between thinking about global political economic crisis coordination).  See how much you know – and celebrate the red and the white … and the blue, too!

Thinking about patriotism

1.  Who is Canada's current Prime Minister? Which party does he belong to?
(Stephen Harper, Conservative Party)

2.  Who was Canada's first Prime Minister?
(Sir John A. Macdonald)

3.  How many provinces and territories does Canada have? How many of them can you name them?
(10 provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador.  3 territories: Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut)

4. What is the capital city of Canada?
(Ottawa)

5.  What are Canada's two official national sports?
(Lacrosse and hockey [surprisingly, hockey was only added in 1994!])

6.  How many times has Canada hosted the Olympic games?
(3 times: Montreal 1976 (summer), Calgary 1988 (winter), Vancouver 2010 (winter))

7.  How old is Canada?
(Exactly 143: on July 1, 1867, Canada officially became the Dominion of Canada, a unified nation with a federal government.)

8.  Which of the following are Canadian inventions?
A) Basketball
B) The telephone
C) The zipper
(All of the above)

9 . What is the population of Canada?
(About 33 million people, 80% of whom live within 93 miles of the US-Canada border.)

10. Why is Canada called Canada?
(The name Canada was derived from the St. Lawrence Iroquoian term "kanata", which means "settlement" or "village".)

BONUS QUESTION:

Although English is one of Canada's two official languages (the other is French) and the most widely spoken language in the country, Canadians and Americans don't always share a common vocabulary. Can you guess what these words refer to in Canada?
A) Garburator
B) Parkade
C) Tuque

A) Garbage disposal
B) Multi-level parking garage
C) A ski hat or beanie

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