Canada

Canada 

Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and North Pacific Ocean, north of the conterminous U.S.

Area

Land Boundaries

Total 8,893 km, U.S. 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska)

Coastline

243,791 km

Maritime Claims

International Disputes

Maritime boundary disputes with the U.S.; Saint Pierre and Miquelon is focus of maritime boundary dispute between Canada and France

Climate

Varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north

Terrain

Mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Logan 5,950 m

Natural Resources

Land Use

Irrigated Land

8,400 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment

Note: Second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategic location between Russia and U.S. via north polar route; nearly 90% of the population is concentrated in the region near the US/Canada border

PEOPLE

Population

28,820,671 (July 1996 est.) 28,434,545 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

21% (male 3,032,458; female 2,889,603) (July 1996 est.)
21% (male 3,016,050; female 2,874,705) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

67% (male 9,663,955; female 9,660,648) (July 1996 est.)
67% (male 9,531,107; female 9,529,272) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

12% (male 1,501,542; female 2,072,465) (July 1996 est.)
12% (female 2,022,324; male 1,461,087) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

1.06% (1996 est.)
1.09% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

13.33 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
13.74 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

7.17 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
7.43 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

4.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
4.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

6.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
6.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total Fertility Rate

1.81 children born/woman (1996 est.)
1.83 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic Divisions

Religions

Languages

English (official), French (official)

Literacy

Age 15 and over that can read and write (1986)

Labor Force

13.38 million

By occupation:

GOVERNMENT

Names

Digraph

CA

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 U.K.)

National Holiday

Canada Day, 1 July (1867)

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch

Legislative Branch

Bicameral Parliament (Parlement)

Senate (Senat)

Consisting of a body whose members are appointed to serve until 75 years of age by the governor general and selected on the advice of the prime minister; its normal limit 104 senators

House of Commons (Chambre Des Communes)

Elections last held 25 October 1993 (next to be held by NA October 1998); results - percent of votes by party NA; seats - (295 total) Liberal Party 178, Bloc Quebecois 54, Reform Party 52, New Democratic Party 8, Progressive Conservative Party 2, independents 1

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court

Political Parties and Leaders

Liberal Party, Jean CHRETIEN; Bloc Quebecois, Michel GAUTHIER; Reform Party, Preston MANNING; New Democratic Party, Alexa MCDONOUGH; Progressive Conservative Party, Jean CHAREST

Member of

ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CDB (non-regional), EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, ESA (cooperating state), FAO, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNAMIR, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

National Anthem

Flag

Three vertical bands of red (hoist side), white (double width, square), and red with a red maple leaf centered in the white band

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. Canada started the 1990s in recession, and real rates of growth have averaged only 1.1% so far this decade. Because of slower growth, Canada still faces high unemployment and a large public sector debt. With its great natural resources, skilled labor force, and modern capital plant, however, Canada will enjoy better economic prospects in the future. The continuing constitutional impasse between English- and French-speaking areas is raising the possibility of a split in the confederation, making foreign investors somewhat edgy.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $694 billion (1995 est.), $639.8 billion (1994 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

2.1% (1995 est.)
4.5% (1994)

National Product Per Capita

$24,400 (1995 est.)
$22,760 (1994)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

2.4% (1995 est.)
0.2% (1994)

Unemployment Rate

9.5% (1995)
9.6% (December 1994)

Budget

Exports

$185 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
$164.3 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

Commodities:

Partners:

Imports

$166.7 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.)
$151.5 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)

Commodities:

Partners:

External Debt

$233 billion (1994)
$243 billion (1993)

Industrial Production

Growth rate 5.9% (1994), 4.8% (1993)

Electricity

Industries

Agriculture

Accounts for about 3% of GDP; one of the world's major producers and exporters of grain (wheat and barley); key source of U.S. 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 U.S. market

Economic Aid

Currency

1 Canadian dollar (Can$) = 100 cents

Exchange Rates

Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$1 - 1.3666 (January 1996), 1.3724 (1995), 1.3656 (1994), 1.2901 (1993), 1.2087 (1992), 1.1457 (1991), 1.1668 (1990)

Fiscal Year

1 April - 31 March

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

Highways

Inland Waterways

3,000 km, including Saint Lawrence Seaway

Pipelines

Crude and refined oil 23,564 km; natural gas 74,980 km

Ports

Becancour, Churchill, Halifax, Montreal, New Westminister, Prince Rupert, Quebec, Saint John (New Brunswick), Saint John's (Newfoundland), Seven Islands, Sydney, Three Rivers, Toronto, Vancouver, Windsor

Merchant Marine

Note: Does not include ships used exclusively in the Great Lakes

Airports

  • Heliports
    • 14 (1995 est.)

    COMMUNICATIONS

    Telephone System

    15.3 million telephones (1990); excellent service provided by modern technology

    Radio

    Television

    DEFENSE FORCES

    Branches

    Canadian Armed Forces (includes Land Forces Command or LC, Maritime Command or MC, Air Command or AC, Communications Command or CC, Training Command or TC), Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)

    Manpower Availability

    Males age 15-49 7,645,245; males fit for military service 6,575,057; males reach military age (17) annually 197,688 (1996 est.)

    Defense Expenditures

    Exchange rate conversion - $9.0 billion, 1.6% of GDP (FY95/96)

    History
    World Atlas