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(opens in new window) A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a
self-governing dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the British
crown. Economically and technologically the nation has developed in
parallel with the US, its neighbour to the south across an
unfortified border. Canada's paramount political problem is meeting
public demands for quality improvements in health care and education
services after a decade of budget cuts. Canada also faces questions
about integrity in government following revelations regarding a
corruption scandal in the federal government that has helped revive
the fortunes of separatists in predominantly francophone Quebec.
Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the
east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the
north, north of the conterminous US
60 00 N, 95 00 W
total: 9,984,670 sq km total: 8,893 km 202,080 km territorial sea: 12 nm varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north
mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash,
diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural
gas, hydropower arable land: 4.57% 7,850 sq km (2003)
continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle to development;
cyclonic storms form east of the Rocky Mountains, a result of the
mixing of air masses from the Arctic, Pacific, and North American
interior, and produce most of the country's rain and snow east of
the mountains air pollution and resulting acid rain severely affecting lakes and
damaging forests; metal smelting, coal-burning utilities, and
vehicle emissions impacting on agricultural and forest productivity;
ocean waters becoming contaminated due to agricultural, industrial,
mining, and forestry activities second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategic location
between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately 90% of
the population is concentrated within 160 km of the US border 33,098,932 (July 2006 est.)
0-14 years: 17.6% (male 2,992,811/female 2,848,388) total: 38.9 years 0.88% (2006 est.)
10.78 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
7.8 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
5.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female total: 4.69 deaths/1,000 live births total population: 80.22 years 1.61 children born/woman (2006 est.)
0.3% (2003 est.)
56,000 (2003 est.)
1,500 (2003 est.)
noun: Canadian(s) British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%,
Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed
background 26% 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) English (official) 59.3%, French (official) 23.2%, other 17.5%
definition: age 15 and over can read and write conventional long form: none a constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary democracy and
a federation Ottawa 10 provinces and 3 territories*; Alberta, British Columbia,
Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest
Territories*, Nova Scotia, Nunavut*, Ontario, Prince Edward Island,
Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory* 1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December
1931 (independence recognized)
Canada Day, 1 July (1867)
made up of unwritten and written acts, customs, judicial decisions,
and traditions; the written part of the constitution consists of the
Constitution Act of 29 March 1867, which created a federation of
four provinces, and the Constitution Act of 17 April 1982, which
transferred formal control over the constitution from Britain to
Canada, and added a Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well
as procedures for constitutional amendments based on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil law
system based on French law prevails; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations 18 years of age; universal
bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat
(members appointed by the governor general with the advice of the
prime minister and serve until reaching 75 years of age; its normal
limit is 105 senators) and the House of Commons or Chambre des
Communes (308 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to
serve for up to five-year terms) Supreme Court of Canada (judges are appointed by the prime minister
through the governor general); Federal Court of Canada; Federal
Court of Appeal; Provincial Courts (these are named variously Court
of Appeal, Court of Queens Bench, Superior Court, Supreme Court, and
Court of Justice) 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 sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural
economy into one primarily industrial and urban. The 1989 US-Canada
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the 1994 North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA) (which includes Mexico) touched off a dramatic
increase in trade and economic integration with the US. Given its
great natural resources, skilled labor force, and modern capital
plant, Canada enjoys solid economic prospects. Top-notch fiscal
management has produced consecutive balanced budgets since 1997,
although public debate continues over how to manage the rising cost
of the publicly funded healthcare system. Exports account for
roughly a third of GDP. Canada enjoys a substantial trade surplus
with its principal trading partner, the US, which absorbs more than
85% of Canadian exports. Canada is the US' largest foreign supplier
of energy, including oil, gas, uranium, and electric power. $1.08 trillion (2005 est.)
$1.023 trillion (2005 est.)
2.9% (2005 est.)
$32,900 (2005 est.)
agriculture: 2.2% 16.3 million (December 2005)
agriculture 2%, manufacturing 14%, construction 5%, services 75%,
other 3% (2004) 6.8% (2005 est.)
15.9%; note - this figure is the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO), a
calculation that results in higher figures than found in many
comparable economies; Canada does not have an official poverty line
(2003) lowest 10%: 2.8% 33.1 (1998)
2.2% (2005) 20.2% of GDP (2005 est.)
revenues: $159.6 billion 38.7% of GDP (2004-2005)
wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy products;
forest products; fish
transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed
minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products,
petroleum and natural gas 2.9% (2005 est.)
566.3 billion kWh (2003)
520.9 billion kWh (2003)
22 billion kWh (2004)
33 billion kWh (2004)
2.4 million bbl/day (2004)
2.3 million bbl/day (2004)
1.6 million bbl/day (2004)
963,000 bbl/day (2004)
178.9 billion bbl 165.8 billion cu m (2003 est.)
90.95 billion cu m (2003 est.)
91.52 billion cu m (2003 est.)
8.73 billion cu m (2003 est.)
1.673 trillion cu m (2004)
$16.89 billion (2005 est.)
$364.8 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft,
telecommunications equipment; chemicals, plastics, fertilizers; wood
pulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity, aluminum
US 85.1%, Japan 2.1%, UK 1.6% (2004)
$317.7 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil,
chemicals, electricity, durable consumer goods US 58.9%, China 6.8%, Mexico 3.8% (2004)
$33 billion (31 December 2005)
$439.8 billion (30 November 2005)
ODA, $2.6 billion (2004)
Canadian dollar (CAD)
1 April - 31 March
20.61 million (2004)
14,984,400 (2004)
general assessment: excellent service provided by modern
technology AM 245, FM 582, shortwave 6 (2004)
80 (plus many repeaters) (1997)
.ca 3,525,392 (2005)
20.9 million (2005)
1,331 (2005) total: 508 total: 823 319 (2005) crude and refined oil 23,564 km; liquid petroleum gas 74,980 km
(2003) total: 48,683 km total: 1,408,900 km 631 km total: 175 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,184,681 GRT/2,809,249
DWT Fraser River Port, Goderich, Halifax, Montreal, Port Cartier,
Quebec, Saint John's (Newfoundland), Sept Isles, Vancouver Canadian Forces: Land Forces Command, Maritime Command, Air Command,
Canada Command (homeland security) (2006) managed maritime boundary disputes with the US at Dixon Entrance,
Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and around the disputed
Machias Seal Island and North Rock; working toward greater
cooperation with US in monitoring people and commodities crossing
the border; uncontested sovereignty dispute with Denmark over Hans
Island in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland
illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic drug market and export
to US; use of hydroponics technology permits growers to plant large
quantities of high-quality marijuana indoors; transit point for
ecstasy entering the US market; vulnerable to narcotics money
laundering because of its mature financial services sector |
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