While Canada is undeniably one of the coldest nations on Earth, it is technically ranked as the second coldest country globally, following Russia. This ranking is based on average annual temperatures across the entire landmass. Because Canada is the second-largest country by total area, it encompasses a vast range of climates, but its northern territories and the Prairie provinces experience extreme Arctic conditions where temperatures can plummet below -40°C in the winter. The coldest temperature ever recorded in North America was actually in Snag, Yukon, at a bone-chilling -63°C. However, Russia takes the top spot due to the vast, deep interior of Siberia, which remains colder for longer periods than most of the Canadian inhabited south. Other contenders for extreme cold include Mongolia and Greenland (Denmark), but when averaging the temperature of the entire sovereign territory year-round, Canada sits firmly in the silver-medal position. For travelers, this means that while cities like Vancouver stay relatively mild, a huge portion of the country requires heavy-duty winter gear for several months of the year to survive the "Great White North" chill.