Total area:
9,976,140 km2
Land area:
9,220,970 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than US
Land boundaries:
8,893 km with US (includes 2,477 km with Alaska)
Coastline:
243,791 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf:
200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
maritime boundary disputes with the US
Climate:
varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north
Terrain:
mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast
Natural resources:
nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, silver, fish, timber,
wildlife, coal, crude oil, natural gas
Land use:
arable land 5%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and
woodland 35%; other 57%; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment:
80% of population concentrated within 160 km of US border; continuous
permafrost in north a serious obstacle to development
Note:
second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategic location between
Russia and US via north polar route
:Canada People
Population:
27,351,509 (July 1992), growth rate 1.3% (1992)
Birth rate:
14 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
6 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
7 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
74 years male, 81 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
1.8 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Canadian(s); adjective - Canadian
Ethnic divisions:
British Isles origin 40%, French origin 27%, other European 20%, indigenous
Indian and Eskimo 1.5%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 46%, United Church 16%, Anglican 10%
Languages:
English and French (both official)
Literacy:
99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981 est.)
Labor force:
13,380,000; services 75%, manufacturing 14%, agriculture 4%, construction
3%, other 4% (1988)
Organized labor:
30.6% of labor force; 39.6% of nonagricultural paid workers
:Canada Government
Long-form name:
none
Type:
confederation with parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Ottawa
Administrative divisions:
10 provinces and 2 territories*; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New
Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories*, Nova Scotia, Ontario,
Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory*
Independence:
1 July 1867 (from UK)
Constitution:
amended British North America Act 1867 patriated to Canada 17 April 1982;
charter of rights and unwritten customs
Legal system:
based on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil law system based
on French law prevails; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
National holiday:
Canada Day, 1 July (1867)
Executive branch:
British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
Cabinet
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament (Parlement) consists of an upper house or Senate
(Senat) and a lower house or House of Commons (Chambre des Communes)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
Raymond John HNATSHYN (since 29 January 1990)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister (Martin) Brian MULRONEY (since 4 September 1984); Deputy
Prime Minister Donald Frank MAZANKOWSKI (since June 1986)
Political parties and leaders:
Progressive Conservative Party, Brian MULRONEY; Liberal Party, Jean
CHRETIEN; New Democratic Party, Audrey McLAUGHLIN
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
House of Commons:
last held 21 November 1988 (next to be held by November 1993); results -
Progressive Conservative Party 43.0%, Liberal Party 32%, New Democratic
Party 20%, other 5%; seats - (295 total) Progressive Conservative Party 159,
Liberal Party 80, New Democratic Party 44, independents 12
Communists:
3,000
Member of:
ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CDB,
COCOM, CP, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, FAO, G-7, G-8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG,
OAS, OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIIMOG,
UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
:Canada Government
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Derek BURNEY; Chancery at 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20001; telephone (202) 682-1740; there are Canadian Consulates General in
Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles,
Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle
US:
Ambassador Peter TEELEY; Embassy at 100 Wellington Street, K1P 5T1, Ottawa
(mailing address is P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburg, NY 13669-0430); telephone
(613) 238-5335 or (613) 238-4470; FAX (613) 238-5720; there are US
Consulates General in Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, and
Vancouver
Flag:
three vertical bands of red (hoist side), white (double width, square), and
red with a red maple leaf centered in the white band
:Canada Economy
Overview:
As an affluent, high-tech industrial society, Canada today closely resembles
the US in per capita output, market-oriented economic system, and pattern of
production. Since World War II the impressive growth of the manufacturing,
mining, and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural
economy into one primarily industrial and urban. In the 1980s, Canada
registered one of the highest rates of real growth among the OECD nations,
averaging about 3.2%. With its great natural resources, skilled labor force,
and modern capital plant, Canada has excellent economic prospects. However,
the continuing constitutional impasse between English- and French-speaking
areas has observers discussing a possible split in the confederation;
foreign investors are becoming edgy.
GDP:
purchasing power equivalent - $521.5 billion, per capita $19,400; real
growth rate -1.1% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.2% (November 1991, annual rate)
Unemployment rate:
10.3% (November 1991)
Budget:
revenues $111.8 billion; expenditures $138.3 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY90 est.)
Exports:
$124.0 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
commodities:
newsprint, wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, machinery, natural gas,
aluminum, motor vehicles and parts; telecommunications equipment
partners:
US, Japan, UK, Germany, South Korea, Netherlands, China
Imports:
$118 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
commodities:
crude petroleum, chemicals, motor vehicles and parts, durable consumer
goods, electronic computers; telecommunications equipment and parts
partners:
US, Japan, UK, Germany, France, Mexico, Taiwan, South Korea
External debt:
$247 billion (1987)
Industrial production:
growth rate -3.8% (August 1991); accounts for 34% of GDP
Electricity:
106,464,000 kW capacity; 479,600 million kWh produced, 17,872 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products,
transportation equipment, chemicals, fish products, petroleum and natural
gas
Agriculture:
accounts for about 3% of GDP; one of the world's major producers and
exporters of grain (wheat and barley); key source of US agricultural
imports; large forest resources cover 35% of total land area; commercial
fisheries provide annual catch of 1.5 million metric tons, of which 75% is
exported
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic drug market; use of
hydroponics technology permits growers to plant large quantities of
high-quality marijuana indoors; growing role as a transit point for heroin
and cocaine entering the US market
:Canada Economy