World Facts

conventional long form: none
Capital: Ottawa
Type of Government: a constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary democracy and a federation-
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*
Age Structure: 0-14 years: 17.9% (male 3,016,032/female 2,869,244)
Agriculture: wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy products; forest products; fish
Airports: 1,326 (2004 est.)
With Paved Runways: total: 508
With Unpaved Runways:
Area: total: 9,984,670 sq km. somewhat larger than the US
Background: 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'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 which has helped revive the fortunes of separatists in predominantly francophone Quebec.
Birth rate: 10.84 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget: revenues: $159.6 billion
Coastline: 202,080 km-
Climate: varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north
Communications:
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
Currency: Canadian dollar (CAD)
Current account balance: $16.89 billion (2005 est.)
Death rate: 7.73 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external: $600.7 billion (30 June 2005)-
Dependency status: -
Dependent areas:
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador David H. WILKINS
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Francis Joseph MCKENNA
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; 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-
Distribution of family income: -
Economic aid - donor: -
Economic aid - recipient:
Economy - overview: As an affluent, high-tech industrial society, in the trillion dollar class, Canada closely 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. Solid fiscal management has produced a balanced budget, 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 United States, which absorbs more than 85% of Canadian exports.
Electricity - consumption:
Electricity - exports:
Electricity - imports:
Electricity - production:
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
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
Ethnic groups: British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%, Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed background 26%
Exchange rates: Canadian dollars per US dollar - 1.21 (2005), 1.301 (2004), 1.4011 (2003), 1.5693 (2002), 1.5488 (2001)
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Michaelle JEAN (since 27 September 2005)
Exports: $364.8 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - partners: US 85.1%, Japan 2.1%, UK 1.6% (2004)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Flag description: 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
GDP (official exchange rate): $1.047 trillion (2005 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.077 trillion (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.2%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $32,800 (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.8% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates: 60 00 N, 95 00 W
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-
Government - note:
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,500 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 56,000 (2003 est.)-
Heliports:
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8%
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; transit point for heroin and cocaine entering the US market; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering because of its mature financial services sector
Imports: $317.7 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - partners: US 58.9%, China 6.8%, Mexico 3.8% (2004)
Independence: 1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December 1931 (independence recognized)
Industrial production growth rate: 2.9% (2005 est.)
Industries: transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products; wood and paper products; fish products, petroleum and natural gas
Infant mortality rate: total: 4.75 deaths/1,000 live births
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.3% (2005 est.)
International organization participation: ACCT, AfDB, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CDB, CE (observer), EAPC, EBRD, ESA (cooperating state), FAO, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAFTA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNMOVIC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Internet country code: .ca
Internet hosts: 3,210,081 (2003)
Internet users: 16.11 million (2002)
Investment (gross fixed): 20.2% of GDP (2005 est.)
Irrigated land: 7,200 sq km (1998 est.)
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)
Labor force: 17.35 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Land boundaries: total: 8,893 km
Land use: arable land: 4.96%
Languages: English (official) 59.3%, French (official) 23.2%, other 17.5%
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
Legislative branch:
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 80.1 years
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
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-
Major infectious diseases:
Manpower available for military service: males age 16-49: 8,216,510 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 16-49: 6,740,490 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males: 223,821 (2005 est.)
Map references: North America
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
Median age: total: 38.54 years-
Merchant marine: -
Military - note:
Military branches: Canadian Armed Forces: Land Forces Command, Maritime Command, Air Command, Canada Command (homeland security) to be operational in early 2006 (2005)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $9,801.7 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.1% (2003)
Military service age and obligation: 16 years of age for voluntary military service; women comprise some 11% of Canada's armed forces (2001)
National holiday: Canada Day, 1 July (1867)
Nationality: noun: Canadian(s)-
Natural gas - consumption: -
Natural gas - exports: -
Natural gas - imports:
Natural gas - production:
Natural gas - proved reserves: 1.691 trillion cu m (2004)
Natural hazards: 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
Natural resources: iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower
Net migration rate: 5.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: 2.193 million bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: 1.37 million bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports: 987,000 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - production: 3.07 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - proved reserves: 178.9 billion bbl including shale oil (2004 est.)-
People - note: -
Political parties and leaders: Bloc Quebecois [Gilles DUCEPPE]; Conservative Party of Canada (a merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party) [Stephen HARPER]; Green Party [Jim HARRIS]; Liberal Party [Paul MARTIN]; New Democratic Party [Jack LAYTON]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
Population: 32,805,041 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line: 15.9% (2003)
Population growth rate: 0.9% (2005 est.)
Ports and terminals: Fraser River Port, Goderich, Halifax, Montreal, Port Cartier, Quebec, Saint John's (Newfoundland), Sept Isles, Vancouver-
Public debt:
Radio broadcast stations: AM 245, FM 582, shortwave 6 (2004)-
Railways: -
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
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)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $34.48 billion (2004 est.)
Roadways: total: 1,408,800 km
Sex ratio:
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system: general assessment: excellent service provided by modern technology
Telephones - main lines in use: 19,950,900 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 13,221,800 (2003)
Television broadcast stations: 80 (plus many repeaters) (1997)
Terrain: mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast
Total fertility rate: 1.61 children born/woman (2005 est.)-
Transportation - note:
Unemployment rate: 6.8% (2005 est.)-
Waterways: