1981 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1981 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
9,971,500 km1; 4% cultivated, 2% meadows and pastures, 44% forested, 42% waste or urban, 8% inland water
Coastline
90,908 km
Land boundaries
9,010 km
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
12 nm (fishing 200 nm)
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
44% British Isles origin, 30% French origin, 26% other
Labor force
11.9 million (December 1981); 41% service, 19% manufacturing, 17% trade, 8% transportation and utilities, 6% construction, 4% agriculture, 5% other; 7.6% unemployment (1981 average); 8.6% unemployment (December 1981)
Language
English and French official
Literacy
almost complete
Nationality
noun — Canadian(s); adjective — Canadian
Organized labor
30% of labor force
Population
24,469,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 1.1%
Religion
48% Protestant, 47% Catholic, 5% other
Government
Branches
federal executive power vested in Cabinet collectively responsible to House of Commons, and headed by Prime Minister; federal legislative authority resides in Parliament (282 seats) consisting of Queen represented by Governor General, Senate, and Commons; judges appointed by Governor General on the advice of the government; Supreme Court is highest tribunal
Capital
Ottawa
Communists
approx. 2,000
Elections
legal limit of five years but in practice usually held within four years, last election February 1980; voter turnout, 72% Political parties and leaders: Liberal, Pierre Trudeau; Progressive-Conservative, Joe Clark; New Democratic, Edward Broadbent Voting strength (1980 election): Liberal, 44%; Progressive Conservative, 33%; New Democratic Party, 20%; Parliamentary seats as of March 1982 — Liberal (146 seats), Progressive Conservative (101 seats), New Democratic Party (32 seats), Independent (1 seat), vacant (2 seats)
Government leaders
Prime Minister Pierre E. TRUDEAU; Governor General Edward R. SCHREYER
Legal system
based on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil law system based on French law prevails; constitution is British North America Act of 1867 and various amendments; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Member of
ADB, Colombo Plan, Commomwealth, DAC, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICES, ICO, ICRC, IDA, IDE, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMCO, IMF, IPU, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC— International Whaling Commission, IWC — International Wheat Council, NATO, OAS (observer), OECD, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
National holiday
Canada Day, 1 July (official name: Dominion Day)
Official name
Canada
Political subdivisions
10 provinces and 2 territories
Suffrage
universal over age 18
Type
federal state recognizing Elizabeth II as sovereign
Economy
Agriculture
main products — livestock, grains (principally wheat), dairy products; food shortages — fresh fruits and vegetables; caloric intake, 3,180 calories per day per capita (1966-67)
Aid
economic — (received US, $412.8 million Ex-Im Bank, FY70-79); Canada commitments to LDCs (1970-79), bilateral ODA and OOF, $12.0 billion
Budget
total revenues $42,250 million; current expenditures $51,213 million; gross capital expenditure $1,014 million; budget deficit $9,167 million (1980; National Accounts Basis)
Crude steel
15.9 million metric tons produced (1980)
Electric power
78,000,000 kW capacity (1980); 366.677 billion kWh produced (1980), 15,260 kWh per capita
Exports
$66,289 million (f.o.b., 1980; principal itemstransportation equipment, wood and wood products including paper, ferrous and nonferrous ores, crude petroleum, wheat; Canada is a major food exporter CAPE VERDE CANADA (Continued)
Fiscal year
1 April-31 March
Fishing
catch 892 million metric tons; exports 784.7 million metric tons (1978)
GNP
$252.2 billion (1980 in 1980 prices), $10,832 per capita (1980); 63% consumption, 20% government, 20% investment, —3% net foreign trade; real growth rate 5.3% (1970-74), 2.8% (1975-80)
Imports
$59,473 million (f.o.b., 1980); principal items — transportation equipment, machinery, crude petroleum, communication equipment, textiles, steel, fabricated metals, office machines, fruits and vegetables
Major industries
mining, metals, food products, wood and paper products, transportation equipment, chemicals
Major trade partners
67% US, 11% EC, 4.4% Japan (1980)
Monetary conversion rate
there is no designated par value for the Canadian dollar, which was allowed to float freely on the exchanges beginning 1 June 1970; since then the Canadian dollar has moved between US$0.81-1.04 in value, C$1.00=US$0.8572 (official rate, 1980 average)
Shortages
rubber, rolled steel, fruits, precision instruments
Communications
Airfields
1,863 total, 1,510 usable; 358 with permanentsurface runways; 4 with runways over 3,659 m, 30 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 316 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
599 major transport aircraft
Highways
829,325 km total; 640,850 km surfaced (189,800 km paved), 188,475 km earth
Inland waterways
3,000 km
Military manpower
males 15-49, 6,694,000; 5,744,000 fit for military service; 202,000 reach military age (17) annually
Pipelines
oil, 23,564 km total crude and refined; natural gas, 74,980 km
Ports
19 major, 300 minor
Railroads
68,978 km total; 67,616 km standard gauge (1.435 m), 43 km electrified; 1,183 km 1.067-meter gauge (in Newfoundland); 179 km 0.914-meter gauge
Telecommunications
excellent service provided by modern telecom media; 15.9 million telephones (66.6 per 100 popl.); countrywide AM, FM, and TV coverage including 630 AM, 80 FM, and 500 TV stations; 8 coaxial submarine cables; 2 satellite stations with total of 5 antennas and 70 domestic satellite stations DEFENSE FORCES