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 neighbor to the south across an unfortified border. Canada faces the political challenges of meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care and education services, as well as responding to separatist concerns in predominantly francophone Quebec. Canada also aims to develop its diverse energy resources while maintaining its commitment to the environment.
Location
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
Geographic coordinates
60 00 N, 95 00 W
Map references
North America
Area
total
9,984,670 sq km
land
9,093,507 sq km
water
891,163 sq km
Area - comparative
somewhat larger than the US
Land boundaries
total
8,893 km
border countries
US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska)
Coastline
202,080 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
12 nm
contiguous zone
24 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
continental shelf
200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate
varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north
Terrain
mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast
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
Environment - current issues
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
Environment - international agreements
party to
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified
Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note
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
British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%, Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed background 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 write
total population
99%
male
99%
female
99% (2003 est.)
Country name
conventional long form
none
conventional short form
Canada
Government type
constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary democracy and a federation
Capital
name
Ottawa
geographic coordinates
45 25 N, 75 40 W
time difference
UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time
+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November
note
Canada is divided into six time zones
Administrative divisions
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*
Independence
1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December 1931 (recognized by UK)
National holiday
Canada Day, 1 July (1867)
Constitution
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
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
chief of state
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Michaelle JEAN (since 27 September 2005)
head of government
Prime Minister Stephen HARPER (since 6 February 2006)
cabinet
Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister usually from among the members of his own party sitting in Parliament
elections
none; 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 the leader of the majority coalition in the House of Commons is automatically designated prime minister by the governor general
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (105 seats; members appointed by the governor general with the advice of the prime minister and serve until reaching 75 years of age) and the House of Commons or Chambre des Communes (308 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Commons - last held 23 January 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Conservative Party 36.3%, Liberal Party 30.2%, New Democratic Party 17.5%, 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 February 2007 - Conservative Party 125, Liberal Party 100, New Democratic Party 29, Bloc Quebecois 51, other 2
Judicial branch
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)
Political parties and leaders
Bloc Quebecois [Gilles DUCEPPE]; Conservative Party of Canada [Stephen HARPER] (a merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party); Green Party [Elizabeth MAY]; Liberal Party [Stephane DION]; New Democratic Party [Jack LAYTON]
Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tucson
consulate(s)
Anchorage, Houston, Philadelphia, Princeton (New Jersey), Raleigh, San Jose (California)
two vertical bands of red (hoist and fly side, half width), with white square between them; an 11-pointed red maple leaf is centered in the white square; the official colors of Canada are red and white
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 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 about 85% of Canadian exports. Canada is the US' largest foreign supplier of energy, including oil, gas, uranium, and electric power.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$1.178 trillion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$1.088 trillion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
2.7% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$35,600 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
2.3%
industry
29.2%
services
68.5% (2006 est.)
Labor force
17.59 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture 2%, manufacturing 14%, construction 5%, services 75%, other 3% (2004)
Unemployment rate
6.4% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line
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)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
2.8%
highest 10%
23.8% (1994)
Distribution of family income - Gini index
33.1 (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
21.3% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$183.5 billion
expenditures
$181.8 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Public debt
65.4% of GDP (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products
Industries
transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products, petroleum and natural gas
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil, chemicals, electricity, durable consumer goods
Imports - partners
US 55.1%, China 8.7%, Mexico 4% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$35.79 billion (August 2006 est.)
Debt - external
$684.7 billion (30 June 2006)
Economic aid - donor
ODA, $2.6 billion (2004)
Currency (code)
Canadian dollar (CAD)
Currency code
CAD
Exchange rates
Canadian dollars per US dollar - 1.1334 (2006), 1.2118 (2005), 1.301 (2004), 1.4011 (2003), 1.5693 (2002)
Fiscal year
1 April - 31 March
Telephones - main lines in use
18.276 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular
16.6 million (2005)
Telephone system
general assessment
excellent service provided by modern technology
domestic
domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stations
international
country code - 1; 5 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) and 2 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 245, FM 582, shortwave 6 (2004)
Radios
32.3 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations
80 (plus many repeaters) (1997)
Televisions
21.5 million (1997)
Internet country code
.ca
Internet hosts
3.934 million (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
760 (2000 est.)
Internet users
21.9 million (2005)
Airports
1,337 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
509
over 3,047 m
18
2,438 to 3,047 m
15
1,524 to 2,437 m
151
914 to 1,523 m
248
under 914 m
77 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
828
1,524 to 2,437 m
66
914 to 1,523 m
355
under 914 m
407 (2006)
Heliports
12 (2006)
Pipelines
crude and refined oil 23,564 km; liquid petroleum gas 74,980 km (2005)
Railways
total
48,467 km
standard gauge
48,467 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)
Roadways
total
1,042,300 km
paved
415,600 km (includes 17,000 km of expressways)
unpaved
626,700 km (2005)
Waterways
636 km
note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with United States (2007)
Merchant marine
total
173 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,129,243 GRT/2,716,340 DWT
by type
bulk carrier 62, cargo 10, chemical tanker 9, container 2, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 63, petroleum tanker 13, roll on/roll off 8
foreign-owned
7 (Germany 3, Netherlands 1, Norway 1, US 2)
registered in other countries
111 (Australia 1, Bahamas 18, Barbados 8, Cambodia 6, Cyprus 2, Denmark 1, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 28, Liberia 2, Malta 18, Marshall Islands 6, Panama 4, Russia 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6, US 4, Vanuatu 5) (2006)
Ports and terminals
Fraser River Port, Halifax, Montreal, Port-Cartier, Quebec, Saint John's (Newfoundland), Sept-Isles, Vancouver
Military branches
Canadian Forces: Land Forces Command, Maritime Command, Air Command, Canada Command (homeland security) (2006)
Military service age and obligation
16 years of age for voluntary military service; women comprise approximately 11% of Canada's armed forces (2001)
Manpower available for military service
males age 16-49
8,216,510
females age 16-49
8,034,939 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 16-49
6,740,490
females age 16-49
6,580,868 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49
223,821
females age 16-49
212,900 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
1.1% (2005 est.)
Disputes - international
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; US works closely with Canada to intensify security measures to monitor and control legal and illegal personnel, transport, and commodities across the international border; sovereignty dispute with Denmark over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland
Illicit drugs
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; increasing ecstasy production, some of which is destined for the US; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering because of its mature financial services sector
