Themapleleafisthecharacteristicleafofthemapletree,andisthemostwidelyrecognizednationalsymbolofCanada.

　　AmapleleafisonthecoatofarmsofCanada,andisontheCanadianflag.ThemapleisacommonsymbolofstrengthandenduranceandhasbeenchosenasthenationaltreeofmanycountriesincludingCanada.MapleleavesaretraditionallyanimportantpartofCanadianForcesmilitaryregalia.Intheliteraryworld,thewordmaplewasfirstpublishedinGeofferyChaucer's"TheKnightsTale"online2,065,spelledas"mapul".

　　Atthebeginningoftheeighteenthcentury,thesettlementsofNewFrancehadattainedapopulationofabout18,000.Alsobythistime,themapleleafhadbeenadoptedasanemblembytheFrenchCanadiansalongtheSaintLawrenceRiver.

　　ItspopularitywithFrenchCanadianscontinuedandwasreinforcedwhen,attheinauguralmeetingoftheSociétéSaint-Jean-Baptistein1834,themapleleafwasoneofnumerousemblemsproposedtorepresentthesociety.Speakinginitsfavour,JacquesViger,thefirstmayorofMontreal,describedthemapleas"thekingofourforest;...thesymboloftheCanadianpeople."

　　Themapleleafslowlycaughtonasanationalsymbol:in1868,itwasincludedinthecoatofarmsofbothOntarioandQuebec,andwasaddedtotheCanadiancoatofarmsin1921.Historically,thegoldenmapleleafhadrepresentedOntario,whilethegreenmapleleafhadrepresentedQuebec.In1867,AlexanderMuircomposedthepatriotic"TheMapleLeafForever,"whichbecameanunofficialantheminEnglish-speakingCanada.From1876until1901,theleafappearedonallCanadiancoins,andremainedonthepennyafter1901.DuringtheFirstWorldWar,badgesoftheCanadianExpeditionaryForcewereoftenbasedonamapleleafdesign.Theuseofthemapleleafasaregimentalsymbolextendedbacktothe1800s,andCanadiansoldiersintheSecondBoerWarweredistinguishedbyamapleleafontheirsunhelmets.

　　ThemapleleaffinallybecamethecentralnationalsymbolwiththeintroductionoftheCanadianflag(suggestedbyGeorgeF.G.StanleyandsponsoredbyM.P.JohnMatheson)in1965,whichusesahighly-stylizedeleven-pointedmapleleaf,referringtonospecificspeciesofmaple.Earlierofficialusesofamapleleafdesignoftenusedover30pointsandashortstem.TheonechosenisagenericmapleleafrepresentingthetenspeciesofmapletreenativetoCanada—atleastoneofthesespeciesgrowsnativelyineveryprovince.[4]ThemapleleafiscurrentlyusedontheCanadianflag,logosofvariousCanadian-basedcompaniesandthelogosofCanadiansportsteams.ExamplesincludeAirCanada,McDonald'sCanada,GeneralMotorsCanada,theTorontoMapleLeafsNHLfranchise,theTorontoFCsoccerclub,andWendy'sCanada(usingthemapleleafinplaceofthenormalapostrophefoundatU.S.locations).ItisalsousedbytheFederalGovernmentasapersonificationandidentifieronitswebsites.

　　Since1979,theRoyalCanadianMinthasproducedgold,silver,platinum,andpalladiumbullioncoins,whichareofficiallyknownasMapleLeafs,asgeometricmapleleavesarestampedonthem.