The national symbols of Canada include the red maple leaf flag, the coat of arms featuring maple leaves, the Great Seal bearing the Queen's image used on official documents, the maple tree/leaf which has become a prominent symbol of Canada, and the beaver which was officially recognized as an emblem in 1975. Other symbols are hockey and lacrosse as the official sports, O Canada as the national anthem, the stylized "Canada" wordmark found in many places, and the House of Commons as the elected body that is part of Parliament.

1. Symbols of the Canadian
Government
The Flag
Arms of Canada
Great Seal
Maple Tree/Leaf
The Beaver
Canada’s Official Sports
The National Anthem
Canada’s Wordmark
The House of Commons

2. The Flag
The national flag of Canada, also known as the Maple Leaf, is a red flag with
a white square in its centre, featuring a red maple leaf with 11-points.
The Maple Leaf flag became Canada's flag on 15 February 1965.

3. Arms of Canada
The Arms of Canada is,
since 1921, the official coat
of arms of Canada. The
Arms of Canada includes
elements to represent
Canada such as the maple
leaves in the shield.

4. Great Seal
The Great Seal of Canada is
used on all state documents.
The seal is made of specially
tempered steel, weighs 3.75
kilograms and is 12.7
centimetres in diameter.
The seal bears the effigy of
Queen Elizabeth II, in her
robes, holding the orb and
sceptre, and shows her sitting
on the coronation chair.

5. Maple Tree/Leaf
Trees have played a meaningful role in the
historical development of Canada and continue
to be of commercial, environmental importance
to all Canadians. Maples contribute valuable
wood products, sustain the maple sugar industry
and help to beautify the landscape.
Since 1965, the maple leaf has been the
centrepiece of the National Flag of Canada and
the maple tree bears the leaves that have
become the most prominent Canadian symbol.
Maple leaf pins and badges are proudly worn by
Canadians abroad, and are recognized around
the world. Although the maple leaf is closely
associated with Canada, the maple tree was
never officially recognized as Canada's arboreal
emblem until 1996.

6. The Beaver
In 1600s and early 1700s
beavers were hunted to make
fur hats, which needed beaver
pelts. This was called the fur
trade.
There were an estimated six
million beavers in Canada
before the start of the fur
trade. But then beavers
became in danger of being
wiped out.
The beaver attained official
status as an emblem of
Canada on March 24, 1975.

7. Canada's Official
Sports
One of Canada's official sports is
hockey. Canada reasserted itself
as the world's greatest hockey
nation at the Salt Lake City 2002
Winter Olympic Games where
both the women and men's
hockey teams won the gold
medal.
The other official sport of Canada
is Lacrosse. Lacrosse has been
the unofficial sport of Canada
since before Confederation,
although popularity has lessened
somewhat since then.

8. • O Canada! Our home and
The National
native land, True patriot
Anthem love in all thy sons
O Canada is the national
anthem of Canada. command! With glowing
Calixa Lavallée wrote the hearts® we see thee rise
music; Adolphe-Basile
Routhier wrote the words in
The True North strong and
French. It was first sung in free, From far and wide, O
French in 1880. Robert Stanley Canada, We stand on guard
Weir wrote English words for
the song in 1908. for thee. God keep our land
It was sung as the national glorious and free! O
anthem for many years before
the government made it
Canada, we stand on guard
official in 1980. for thee; O Canada, we
stand on guard for thee.

9. Canada’s
Wordmark
When Chris Hadfield was
floating in space, working on
the multi-billion dollar space
station construction program,
the most visible word in his
universe was the federal
government's "wordmark" -
the big letters on the
Canadarm spelling out C-a-n-
a-d-a, with a stylized maple
leaf flag over the last "a."
This symbol can be found in
many different places across
Canada.

10. House of
Commons
The House of Commons of
Canada is a part of the
Parliament of Canada. The
House of Commons is an
elected body, of 308
members.
The House of Commons
was established in 1867.
The Canadian House of
Commons is in the Centre
Block of the Parliament
Buildings on Parliament
Hill, in Ottawa, Ontario.