A passion for cheese, cannabis-infused desserts and phallus worship: unusual facts about life in Canada

What associations do you have with Canada? Maple leaf, beavers, and plastic money? Did you know that it is the second largest country in the world, which has been recognized three times as the most comfortable place to live, has a huge number of immigrants, and is subordinate to the British crown?

Read more about Canada in OBOZREVATEL's selection.

Geographical features and citizenship of the British monarchs

Canada is one of the largest countries in the world, with an area of about 10 million square kilometers. This is 16 times larger than the territory of Ukraine.

At the same time, Canada has a very low population density. There are only 3 people per 1 kilometer. For comparison, in Ukraine, 72 people live on the same area.

Formally, the country's government is still subordinate to the British monarchs. However, this rule exists only on paper.

The official languages of the country are English and French. Interestingly, Montreal is considered the second largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris.

Immigration policy and the Ukrainian diaspora

One in five Canadians was born in another country.

Local authorities are doing everything possible to increase the inflow of people, including providing foreigners with jobs and good living conditions.

As of the beginning of 2022, about 1.3 million Ukrainians lived in Canada on a permanent basis. However, since the beginning of the war, according to official data, about 500 thousand more citizens of our country have entered the country.

The city of rain and the sunniest corner

Canada is a very large country. It is located in 6 time zones and has regions with radically different climates. That's why it can snow in one part of the country while the sun shines in another.

There is also a town where it rains 330 days a year. This is Ocean Falls, where residents are accustomed to a maritime climate and rather cool weather: from 0 to 20 degrees depending on the season.

In contrast to this settlement, there is the city of Estevan, where the sun shines 2537 hours a year.

Irregular working hours, sleep problems, and cannabis

Canadians love television. They watch it an average of 21 hours a week. Interestingly, about 128 thousand homes have plasma screens even in the bathrooms.

One third of the citizens of this country sleep naked. According to surveys, locals like to read books before going to bed.

Lack of rest is a big problem for Canadians. Almost half of the adult population sleeps less than normal because they often stay at work late.

The locals relax with the help of fully legalized marijuana. Cannabis is added not only to cigarettes, but also to food and drinks. According to the latest data, about 14% of the population use it on a regular basis several times a week.

There are no paid restrooms in Canada. All public toilets, which are everywhere, are free and clean.

Giant juice boxes and a love of sweets

Ice wine is a favorite alcoholic drink of the locals. It is made from pressed sweet grapes.

Cheese, especially cheddar, has long been one of the most popular foods among Canadians. According to statistics, every citizen of the country eats more than 10.6 kg of this fermented milk product per year.

They are also incredibly fond of donuts. Canada has the largest number of shops selling these sweets per capita.

And one last tasty fact. Canadians drink more fruit juice than citizens of any other country. It is sold here in giant packages of 5-10 liters.

Aliens, Santa Claus and an unusual faith

About 10% of Canadians claim to have seen a UFO at least once in their lives. So in the middle of the last century, the country's authorities ordered the construction of an alien landing site in Alberto. So far, no flying saucers have appeared there. Perhaps it is a matter of time.

The people here are also very responsible about Christmas traditions. In particular, every year children, and not only children, write letters to Santa Claus and receive answers to them. For this purpose, volunteer associations of 11,000 postal workers and pensioners are created and work on this issue for several weeks.

Representatives of many faiths live in the country, including Orthodox Christians, Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists... However, there is also a very unusual religious movement here. The Church of St. Priapus has been operating in Montreal for over 40 years. Its parishioners worship the phallus.

The best country to live in

Despite all its oddities, Canada remains very comfortable for its citizens, migrants, and tourists alike. In particular, Vancouver has already received the title of "Best City on Earth" from The Economist magazine three times.

The state has more significant regalia. The United Nations has several times included this country in the list of the most comfortable places to live due to low crime, high earnings, and a good level of medical, educational, and other services.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL wrote about what surprises tourists in Sweden.

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