The second largest country in the world (Russia comes out on top), Canada is a young, sassy nation of a mere 31 million people.

Spectacular and unpretentious, Canada has more wilderness, ski slopes and marijuana grow-ops than you can shake an ice hockey stick at. 

Canadians' enthusiasm for their country is contagious and once you've had a taste you'll find yourself wanting to explore every inch. From the surfing haven of Tofino on the wild west coast of Vancouver Island to the welcoming pubs of St John's, Newfoundland, there's an extraordinary 7,730 kilometres east to west to discover.

Canada's borders extend from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, the US in the south to the Arctic Ocean in the north. In between lies vast tracts of pristine forest crawling with grizzly bears, mountains peppered with ski resorts, turquoise glacial lakes waiting to be canoed, windswept prairie ranches, the vibrant metropolises of Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto and even a desert in British Columbia that slithers with rattlesnakes.

Canada is a paradise for outdoor types. Author Pierre Berton wasn't joking when he defined a Canadian as "someone who knows how to make love in a canoe". The country offers visitors abundant opportunities for hiking, camping, mountain biking, surfing, fishing, hunting, skiing, snowboarding, kayaking, canoeing, whale-watching, wildlife-viewing, skydiving, rock climbing and ice climbing.

While the country may rub borders with a trans-fats-guzzling, trigger-happy neighbour, Canada is in many respects the liberal antithesis to the United States. In forging its own identity, Canada has embraced its extraordinary landscape and is also increasingly looking to the cultures of its indigenous groups - the First Nations, Inuit and Metis.

Survival guide

Canada has two official languages - English and French - although the latter is not widely spoken outside the provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick and parts of Ontario.

Canadian winters are notoriously long, white and hostile. The 40% of the country that is above the treeline is the most inhospitable, enduring bitter winters and summers where the air is thick with insects. While Vancouver is spared the brunt of the harsh Canadian winters, the city's mild climate also attracts much of the country's homeless population.

Canada has an extensive network of paved highways as well as unpaved roads that traverse remote wilderness areas. Canadians drive on the right side of the road and many tourists rent a car or an RV to explore the country. The Greyhound bus service is extensive, reliable and reasonably inexpensive. Train is the best way to travel across Canada, although the VIA Rail service is expensive and relatively infrequent and does not offer extensive coverage.

Air travel within Canada is expensive. Canada has 13 international airports and hundreds of smaller regional airports and remote airstrips.