Canada Red Maple Leaf Pattern Cushion

Classic red maple leaf with white background, repeating pattern, the cheerful colours of the Canadian flag, perfect for special occasions such as Canada Day or everyday use. Great souvenir for travelers, tourists and visitors; fun unique gift for family or friends far away; or to show your pride at living in Canada - the best country in the world! There are ten native species of maple tree in Canada, and the maple leaf is the most well-known official national symbol. On the Canadian flag it's a single leaf on a white background with red to left and right. The maple leaf was originally adopted as an emblem by French settlers along the St Lawrence River in the early 1700s. It became popular with both French and English speaking colonists, and appeared on the coat-of-arms of Quebec and Ontario by the mid-1800s. The maple leaf of Quebec was green, while the Ontario maple leaf was gold. In 1834, Jacques Viger, the first mayor of Montreal, spoke of the maple as "the king of our forest ... the symbol of the Canadian people." The maple leaf appeared on the Canadian coat of arms in 1921, and in 1965 became the central image of the official flag on Canada, along with the current colours of red and white. Some Canada trivia and Canadian facts! Canada is the second-largest country in the word, after Russia. The border of Canada and the United States is the world's longest land border. The nation is home to about 35.6 million people. The original inhabitants of this land were First Nations (inc. Cree, Chippewa, Algonquin, Huron, Haida et al) and Inuit people. The first known attempted settlements were by Vikings in about 1000 AD. The capital city of Canada is Ottawa, Ontario; its largest city is Toronto, Ontario. Canada's major exports include crude oil, liquid petroleum gas, cars, gold and coal, in that order. Our beautiful country is also famous for amazing natural scenery such as the Pacific Rim, the Rocky Mountains, the Great Lakes, the golden Prairies, the Arctic tundra and Atlantic Coast - and also ice hockey, beer and humour! The Canadian national motto is "from sea to sea", which is written in Latin (a mari usque ad mare) on the coat of arms. Canada has ten provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland / Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island; and three territories: Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. Celebrate Canada!