The Coat of Arms of Canada Explained

# The Coat of Arms of Canada Explained

Canada's Royal Coat of Arms is one of the country's most important official symbols. It appears on every Canadian passport, on government documents, and on federal buildings. The citizenship test asks about it — especially the motto. Here is a clear guide.

The ribbon below the coat of arms reads "A Mari Usque Ad Mare" — Latin for "From Sea to Sea". It comes from Psalm 72:8 in the Bible. The motto refers to Canada stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean — and, since the addition of the North, to the Arctic Ocean as well.

This is the most commonly tested fact about the coat of arms.

The central shield contains five sections:

1. Three royal lions (passant guardant) — representing England
2. A royal lion rampant — representing Scotland
3. A harp — representing Ireland
4. Three fleurs-de-lis — representing France and Canada's French heritage
5. A sprig of three red maple leaves on a white background — representing Canada

Together, these symbols honour the four founding nations of Confederation and the Canadian land itself.

On either side of the shield stand two figures:

• A lion holding the Royal Union Flag (Union Jack) — representing England
• A unicorn holding the Royal Flag of France — representing France

The lion and unicorn come from the British Royal Coat of Arms. Canada's version adapts them to include both British and French heritage.

Above the shield sits the St. Edward's Crown (or the Royal Crown of Canada), representing Canada's status as a constitutional monarchy under the Crown.

• Above the crown: a lion holding a red maple leaf — the crest
• Below the shield: the motto ribbon (A Mari Usque Ad Mare)
• Below the ribbon: badges of the Order of Canada and the Order of Military Merit (added in 1994)
• At the base: a beaver — Canada's official animal emblem — sitting on a branch

• 1868 — Canada's first coat of arms was designed after Confederation, using the arms of the four original provinces.
• 1921 — King George V proclaimed the current design on November 21, 1921, the same day red and white were declared Canada's official colours.
• 1957 — The maple leaves were changed from green to red to match the national colours.
• 1994 — The Order of Canada and Order of Military Merit ribbons were added.

• Passports — the coat of arms is on the front cover of every Canadian passport
• Currency — appears on the $20 bill and formerly on the $1 bill
• Government buildings — carved or painted on courthouses, embassies, and Parliament
• Federal documents — official letters, Acts of Parliament, military insignia
• Governor General's flag — features the coat of arms on a blue background

Common citizenship-test questions:

• What is Canada's motto? *(A Mari Usque Ad Mare — "From Sea to Sea")*
• What does the motto mean? *(Canada stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific)*
• What symbols are on the coat of arms? *(Lion, unicorn, maple leaves, crown, fleurs-de-lis, harp)*

For more on Canadian symbols, see [The Canadian Flag — History and Meaning](/blog/canadian-flag-history-meaning) and [The Beaver — Canada's National Animal](/blog/beaver-national-symbol-canada).

Try our [free practice test](/practice-test) — it includes coat-of-arms questions in the same format you will see on test day.