Profile - Canada

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Canada

Introduction Canada

Background: A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became aself-governing dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the Britishcrown. Economically and technologically the nation has developed inparallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across an unfortifiedborder. Canada faces the political challenges of meeting public demandsfor quality improvements in health care and education services, as wellas responding to separatist concerns in predominantly francophoneQuebec. Canada also aims to develop its diverse energy resources whilemaintaining its commitment to the environment.

Geography Canada

Location: Northern North America, bordering the North AtlanticOcean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west,and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of theconterminous US

Geographic coordinates: 60 00 N, 95 00 W

Map references: North America

Area: total: 9,984,670 sq km

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land: 9,093,507 sq kmwater: 891,163 sq km

Area - comparative: somewhat larger than the US

Land boundaries: total: 8,893 kmborder countries: US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km

with Alaska)Coastline: 202,080 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nmcontiguous zone: 24 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmcontinental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of thecontinental margin

Climate: varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic innorth

Terrain: mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands insoutheast

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 mhighest point: Mount Logan 5,959 m

Natural resources: iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum,potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal,petroleum, natural gas, hydropower

Land use: arable land: 4.57%permanent crops: 0.65%other:

94.78% (2005)Irrigated land: 7,850 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 3,300 cu km (1985)

Freshwater withdrawal(domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 44.72 cu km/yr (20%/69%/12%)per capita: 1,386 cu m/yr (1996)

Natural hazards: continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle todevelopment; cyclonic storms form east of the RockyMountains, a result of the mixing of air masses fromthe Arctic, Pacific, and North American interior, and

produce most of the country's rain and snow east of themountains

Environment - current issues: air pollution and resulting acid rain severely affectinglakes and damaging forests; metal smelting, coal-burning utilities, and vehicle emissions impacting onagricultural and forest productivity; ocean watersbecoming contaminated due to agricultural, industrial,mining, and forestry activities




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Environment - internationalagreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides,Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, AirPollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine LivingResources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty,Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-KyotoProtocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Lawof the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection,Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber94, Wetlandssigned, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile OrganicCompounds, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note: second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategiclocation between Russia and US via north polar route;approximately 90% of the population is concentratedwithin 160 km of the US border

People Canada

Population: 33,212,696 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 16.3% (male 2,780,491/female 2,644,276)15-64 years: 68.8% (male 11,547,354/female 11,300,639)65 years and over: 14.9% (male 2,150,991/female 2,788,945) (2008 est.)

Median age: total: 40.1 yearsmale: 39 yearsfemale: 41.2 years (2008 est.)

Populationgrowth rate: 0.83% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 10.29 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 7.61 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migrationrate:

5.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortalityrate:

total: 5.08 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 5.4 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 4.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancyat birth:

total population: 81.16 yearsmale: 78.65 yearsfemale: 83.81 years (2008 est.)




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Total fertilityrate:

1.57 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adultprevalence rate:

0.3% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS -people living

with HIV/AIDS:

56,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS -deaths:

1,500 (2003 est.)

Nationality: noun: Canadian(s)adjective: Canadian

Ethnic groups: British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%,Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixedbackground 26%

Religions: Roman Catholic 42.6%, Protestant 23.3% (including United Church

9.5%, Anglican 6.8%, Baptist 2.4%, Lutheran 2%), other Christian 4.4%,Muslim 1.9%, other and unspecified 11.8%, none 16% (2001 census)

Languages: English (official) 59.3%, French (official) 23.2%, other 17.5%

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 99%male: 99%female: 99% (2003 est.)

School lifeexpectancy(primary to

tertiaryeducation):

total: 17 yearsmale: 17 yearsfemale: 17 years (2004)

Educationexpenditures:

5.2% of GDP (2002)

Government Canada

Country name: conventional long form: noneconventional short form: Canada

Governmenttype:

constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary democracy and afederation

Capital: name: Ottawageographic coordinates: 45 25 N, 75 42 Wtime difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during StandardTime)daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends firstSunday in Novembernote: Canada is divided into six time zones

Administrative 10 provinces and 3 territories*; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba,




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divisions: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories*,Nova Scotia, Nunavut*, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec,Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory*

Independence: 1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December1931 (recognized by UK)

Nationalholiday: Canada Day, 1 July (1867)

Constitution: made up of unwritten and written acts, customs, judicial decisions, andtraditions; the written part of the constitution consists of the ConstitutionAct of 29 March 1867, which created a federation of four provinces, andthe Constitution Act of 17 April 1982, which transferred formal controlover the constitution from Britain to Canada, and added a CanadianCharter of Rights and Freedoms as well as procedures for constitutionalamendments

Legal system: based on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil law systembased on French law prevails; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, withreservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executivebranch:

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);represented by Governor General Michaelle JEAN (since 27 September2005)head of government: Prime Minister Stephen HARPER (since 6 February2006)cabinet: Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister usually fromamong the members of his own party sitting in Parliamentelections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the

monarch on the advice of the prime minister for a five-year term;following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or theleader of the majority coalition in the House of Commons isautomatically designated prime minister by the governor general

Legislativebranch:

bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (105seats; members appointed by the governor general with the advice of theprime minister and serve until reaching 75 years of age) and the House ofCommons or Chambre des Communes (308 seats; members elected bydirect, popular vote to serve a maximum of five-year terms starting in2009 elections)elections: House of Commons - last held 23 January 2006 (next to beheld 19 October 2009)election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party -Conservative Party 36.3%, Liberal Party 30.2%, New Democratic Party17.5%, Bloc Quebecois 10.5%, Greens 4.5%, other 1%; seats by party -Conservative Party 124, Liberal Party 102, New Democratic Party 29,Bloc Quebecois 51, other 2; seats by party as of November 2007 -Conservative Party 125, Liberal Party 96, New Democratic Party 30,Bloc Quebecois 49, other 4, vacant 4




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Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Canada (judges are appointed by the prime ministerthrough the governor general); Federal Court of Canada; Federal Courtof Appeal; Provincial Courts (these are named variously Court ofAppeal, Court of Queens Bench, Superior Court, Supreme Court, andCourt of Justice)

Political parties

and leaders:

Bloc Quebecois [Gilles DUCEPPE]; Conservative Party of Canada

[Stephen HARPER] (a merger of the Canadian Alliance and theProgressive Conservative Party); Green Party [Elizabeth MAY]; LiberalParty [Stephane DION]; New Democratic Party [Jack LAYTON]

Politicalpressure

groups andleaders:

other: agricultural sector; automobile industry; business groups;chemical industry; commercial banks; communications sector; energyindustry; environmentalists; public administration groups; steel industry;trade unions

Internationalorganization

participation:

ACCT, ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members),APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), AustraliaGroup, BIS, C, CDB, CE (observer), EAPC, EBRD, ESA (cooperating

state), FAO, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO,Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINUSTAH,NAFTA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OIF, OPCW,OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SECI (observer), UN, UNAMID,UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNMIS,UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomaticrepresentation

in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Michael WILSONchancery: 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001telephone: [1] (202) 682-1740

FAX: [1] (202) 682-7701consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Denver,Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, SanDiego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tucsonconsulate(s): Anchorage, Houston, Philadelphia, Princeton (New Jersey),Raleigh, San Jose (California)

Diplomaticrepresentation

from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador David H. WILKINSembassy: 490 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1G8mailing address: P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburgh, NY 13669-0430; P.O.Box 866, Station B, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5T1telephone: [1] (613) 688-5335FAX: [1] (613) 688-3082consulate(s) general: Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto,Vancouver, Winnipeg

Flagdescription:

two vertical bands of red (hoist and fly side, half width), with whitesquare between them; an 11-pointed red maple leaf is centered in thewhite square; the official colors of Canada are red and white

Economy Canada




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Economy -overview:

As an affluent, high-tech industrial society in the trillion-dollar class,Canada resembles the US in its market-oriented economic system,pattern of production, and affluent living standards. Since World War II,the impressive growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service sectorshas transformed the nation from a largely rural economy into oneprimarily industrial and urban. The 1989 US-Canada Free TradeAgreement (FTA) and the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA) (which includes Mexico) touched off a dramatic increase intrade and economic integration with the US. Given its great naturalresources, skilled labor force, and modern capital plant, Canada enjoyssolid economic prospects. Top-notch fiscal management has producedconsecutive balanced budgets since 1997, although public debatecontinues over the equitable distribution of federal funds to the Canadianprovinces. Exports account for roughly a third of GDP. Canada enjoys asubstantial trade surplus with its principal trading partner, the US, whichabsorbs 80% of Canadian exports each year. Canada is the US's largestforeign supplier of energy, including oil, gas, uranium, and electricpower. During 2007, Canada enjoyed good economic growth, moderate

inflation, and the lowest unemployment rate in more than three decades.

GDP(purchasing

power parity):

$1.271 trillion (2007 est.)

GDP (officialexchange rate):

$1.432 trillion (2007 est.)

GDP - realgrowth rate:

2.7% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita(PPP):

$38,600 (2007 est.)

GDP -composition by

sector:

agriculture: 2.1%industry: 28.8%services: 69.1% (2007 est.)

Labor force: 17.95 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - byoccupation:

agriculture 2%, manufacturing 13%, construction 6%, services 76%,other 3% (2006)

Unemploymentrate:

6% (2007 est.)

Populationbelow povertyline:

10.8%; note - this figure is the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO), acalculation that results in higher figures than found in many comparableeconomies; Canada does not have an official poverty line (2005)

Householdincome or

consumption bypercentage

share:

lowest 10%: 2.6%highest 10%: 24.8% (2000)

Distribution of 32.1 (2005)




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family income -Gini index:

Inflation rate(consumer

prices):

2.1% (2007 est.)

Investment

(gross fixed):

22.6% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget: revenues: $569.3 billionexpenditures: $556.2 billion (2007 est.)

Public debt: 64.2% of GDP (2007 est.)

Agriculture -products:

wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy products; forestproducts; fish

Industries: transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessedminerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products,petroleum and natural gas

Industrialproduction

growth rate:

0.3% (2007 est.)

Electricity -production:

609.6 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity -production by

source:

fossil fuel: 28%hydro: 57.9%nuclear: 12.9%other: 1.3% (2001)

Electricity -consumption: 540.2 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity -exports:


Electricity -imports:


Oil - production: 3.31 million bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil -consumption:

2.29 million bbl/day (2005)

Oil - exports: 2.274 million bbl/day (2004)Oil - imports: 1.185 million bbl/day (2004)

Oil - provedreserves:

178.8 billion bblnote: includes oil sands (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas -production:

178.2 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - 92.76 billion cu m (2005 est.)




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consumption:

Natural gas -exports:

101.9 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas -imports:

9.403 billion cu m (2005)

Natural gas -provedreserves:

1.537 trillion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current accountbalance:

$12.67 billion (2007 est.)

Exports: $431.1 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports -commodities:

motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft,telecommunications equipment; chemicals, plastics, fertilizers; woodpulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity, aluminum

Exports -partners:

US 79.3%, UK 2.8%, China 2.1% (2007)

Imports: $386.4 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports -commodities:

machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil, chemicals,electricity, durable consumer goods

Imports -partners:

US 54.4%, China 9.4%, Mexico 4.2% (2007)

Economic aid -donor:

ODA, $3.9 billion (2007)

Reserves offoreignexchange and

gold:

$41.08 billion (2007 est.)

Debt - external: $758.6 billion (30 June 2007)

Stock of directforeign

investment - athome:

$527.4 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of directforeign

investment -abroad:

$514.7 billion (2007 est.)

Market value ofpublicly traded

shares:

$1.481 trillion (2005)

Currency(code):

Canadian dollar (CAD)

Currency code: CAD




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Exchange rates: Canadian dollars per US dollar - 1.0724 (2007), 1.1334 (2006), 1.2118(2005), 1.301 (2004), 1.4011 (2003)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Communications Canada

Telephones -main lines in

use:21 million (2006)

Telephones -mobile cellular:

18.749 million (2006)

Telephonesystem:

general assessment: excellent service provided by modern technologydomestic: domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stationsinternational: country code - 1; submarine cables provide links to the USand Europe; satellite earth stations - 7 (5 Intelsat - 4 Atlantic Ocean and 1Pacific Ocean, and 2 Intersputnik - Atlantic Ocean region) (2007)

Radiobroadcast

stations:

AM 245, FM 582, shortwave 6 (2004)

Radios: 32.3 million (1997)

Televisionbroadcast

stations:

80 (plus many repeaters) (1997)

Televisions: 21.5 million (1997)

Internet countrycode:

.ca

Internet hosts: 4.196 million (2007)

Internet ServiceProviders

(ISPs):

760 (2000 est.)

Internet users: 28 million (2007)

Transportation Canada

Airports: 1,343 (2007)

Airports - with

paved runways:

total: 509

over 3,047 m: 182,438 to 3,047 m: 161,524 to 2,437 m: 149914 to 1,523 m: 248under 914 m: 78 (2007)

Airports - withunpaved

runways:

total: 8341,524 to 2,437 m: 68914 to 1,523 m: 356under 914 m: 410 (2007)




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Heliports: 11 (2007)

Pipelines: crude and refined oil 23,564 km; liquid petroleum gas 74,980 km (2006)

Railways: total: 48,068 kmstandard gauge: 48,068 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)

Roadways: total: 1,042,300 kmpaved: 415,600 km (includes 17,000 km of expressways)unpaved: 626,700 km (2006)

Waterways: 636 kmnote: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint LawrenceRiver of 3,058 km, shared with United States (2007)

Merchantmarine:

total: 166 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,162,760 GRT/2,771,653 DWTby type: bulk carrier 60, cargo 8, carrier 1, chemical tanker 9,combination ore/oil 1, container 2, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 62,petroleum tanker 12, roll on/roll off 5foreign-owned: 17 (Germany 3, Netherlands 1, Norway 3, US 10)registered in other countries: 200 (Australia 9, Bahamas 77, Barbados12, Cambodia 2, Cyprus 2, Denmark 1, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 42,Liberia 4, Malta 2, Marshall Islands 5, Netherlands 1, Norway 10,Panama 19, Spain 4, St Vincent and the Grenadines 2, Taiwan 2,Vanuatu 5) (2008)

Ports andterminals:

Fraser River Port, Halifax, Hamilton, Montreal, Port-Cartier, QuebecCity, Saint John (New Brunswick), Sept-Isles, Vancouver

Military Canada

Military

branches:

Canadian Forces: Land Forces Command (LFC), Maritime Command

(MARCOM), Air Command (AIRCOM), Canada Command (homelandsecurity) (2008)

Military serviceage and

obligation:

17 years of age for male and female voluntary military service (withparental consent); 16 years of age for reserve and military collegeapplicants; Canadian citizenship or permanent residence status required;maximum 34 years of age; service obligation 3-9 years (2008)

Manpoweravailable for

military service:

males age 16-49: 8,072,010females age 16-49: 7,813,462 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for

military service:

males age 16-49: 6,646,281

females age 16-49: 6,417,924 (2008 est.)

Manpowerreachingmilitarily

significant ageannually:

male: 227,435female: 215,556 (2008 est.)

Militaryexpenditures:

1.1% of GDP (2005 est.)




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Transnational

IssuesCanada

Disputes -international:

managed maritime boundary disputes with the US at Dixon Entrance,Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Gulf of Maine including thedisputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; Canada, the US, and othercountries dispute the status of the Northwest Passage; US works closely

with Canada to intensify security measures for monitoring andcontrolling legal and illegal movement of people, transport, andcommodities across the international border; sovereignty dispute withDenmark over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between EllesmereIsland and Greenland; commencing the collection of technical evidencefor submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelfin support of claims for continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles fromits declared baselines in the Arctic, as stipulated in Article 76, paragraph8, of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic drug market and export toUS; use of hydroponics technology permits growers to plant large

quantities of high-quality marijuana indoors; increasing ecstasyproduction, some of which is destined for the US; vulnerable to narcoticsmoney laundering because of its mature financial services sector

This page was last updated on 2 October, 2008


Profile - Canada

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