Canadian Symbols: Canadian Citizenship Test Questions

Q1.What is the name of Canada's national anthem?

• God Save the King
• O Canada
• The Maple Leaf Forever
• True North

Answer: 'O Canada' was proclaimed the national anthem in 1980. It was first sung in Québec City in 1880.

Q2.What is Canada's national motto, 'A mari usque ad mare'?

• 'Strong and free'
• 'From sea to sea'
• 'Peace, order and good government'
• 'God keep our land'

Answer: The motto 'A mari usque ad mare' is Latin for 'from sea to sea.'

Q3.What is Canada's best-known symbol?

• The beaver
• The maple leaf
• The loon
• The fleur-de-lys

Answer: The maple leaf is Canada's best-known symbol. It has appeared on uniforms and insignia since the 1850s and is on the national flag.

Q4.On which Canadian coin does the beaver appear?

• The one-cent coin
• The five-cent coin (nickel)
• The ten-cent coin (dime)
• The one-dollar coin (loonie)

Answer: The industrious beaver — a symbol from the fur trade — appears on the five-cent coin.

Q5.What is the Royal Anthem of Canada, played to honour the Sovereign?

• O Canada
• God Save the King
• The Maple Leaf Forever
• Rule Britannia

Answer: The Royal Anthem is 'God Save the King' (it was 'God Save the Queen' during Queen Elizabeth II's reign). It can be played on occasions honouring the Sovereign.

Q6.In what year was the current Canadian flag (the red-and-white maple leaf flag) first raised?

• 1867
• 1921
• 1965
• 1982

Answer: The current Canadian flag was raised for the first time in 1965.

Q7.What is Canada's official national winter sport?

• Curling
• Ice hockey
• Skiing
• Lacrosse

Answer: Ice hockey is Canada's national winter sport and most popular spectator sport. (Lacrosse is the official summer sport.)

Q8.What is Canada's official national summer sport?

• Soccer
• Baseball
• Lacrosse
• Canadian football

Answer: Lacrosse, first played by Aboriginal peoples, is the official summer sport. Soccer has the most registered players.

Q9.What are the two official colours of Canada?

• Blue and white
• Red and white
• Red and gold
• Green and white

Answer: Red and white have been Canada's national colours since 1921, when they were assigned by King George V.

Q10.The Order of Canada, created in 1967, is part of Canada's system of:

• Taxes
• Honours that recognize outstanding citizens
• Military ranks
• Courts

Answer: Canada started its own honours system with the Order of Canada in 1967, the centennial of Confederation, to recognize outstanding citizens.

Q11.The fleur-de-lys is a symbol most associated with which heritage?

• British
• French
• Aboriginal
• Scottish

Answer: The fleur-de-lys (lily flower) was a symbol of French royalty for centuries and appears on the flag of Quebec, adopted in 1948.

Q12.Victoria Day, a national holiday, celebrates what?

• The end of WWI
• The Sovereign's birthday
• Confederation
• The founding of Quebec

Answer: Victoria Day (the Monday before May 25) celebrates the Sovereign's birthday.

Q13.What is the name of the central tower of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa?

• The CN Tower
• The Peace Tower
• The Clock Tower
• The Victoria Tower

Answer: The Peace Tower stands at the centre of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa and honours Canadians who died in the First World War.

Q14.The maple leaf has been used as a Canadian symbol since approximately which decade?

• The 1750s
• The 1850s
• The 1920s
• The 1960s

Answer: The maple leaf has served as a Canadian emblem since the 1850s, long before it was placed at the centre of the national flag in 1965.

Q15.True or False: Canada's national flag is sometimes referred to as the Maple Leaf flag.

• True
• False

Answer: True. The red-and-white national flag, featuring a single red maple leaf, was first raised in 1965 and is commonly called the Maple Leaf flag.

Q16.Why was the beaver chosen as an early emblem of Canada?

• It is the largest Canadian animal
• Its fur was central to the early fur-trade economy
• It appears on the national flag
• It is Canada's national winter sport

Answer: The hardworking beaver became an emblem of Canada because its pelts drove the fur trade that was central to the country's early economy.

Q17.On which Canadian one-dollar coin does the common loon appear, giving the coin its nickname?

• The 'toonie'
• The 'loonie'
• The 'nickel'
• The 'penny'

Answer: The one-dollar coin shows a common loon and is popularly known as the 'loonie'; the two-dollar coin is nicknamed the 'toonie.'

Q18.What does the Latin motto 'A mari usque ad mare' on Canada's coat of arms refer to geographically?

• Canada's mountain ranges
• Canada stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean
• Canada's many lakes
• The border with the United States

Answer: 'A mari usque ad mare' means 'from sea to sea,' reflecting that Canada stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

Q19.In Canada, what does the Crown represent?

• A symbol of the state, shared by all Canadians
• A single political party
• Canada's largest bank
• The capital city of Canada

Answer: The Crown is a symbol of the state and of Canada's parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy, shared across the Commonwealth.

Q20.In what year did 'O Canada' officially become Canada's national anthem?

• 1867
• 1931
• 1965
• 1980

Answer: Though written and sung long before, 'O Canada' was proclaimed the official national anthem of Canada in 1980.