1987 Edition

Boundary disputes

none; maritime disputes with France, US

Climate

varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north

Coastline

243,791 km

Comparative area

slightly larger than US

Continental shelf

200 meters or to depth of exploitation

Environment

80% of population concentrated within 160 km of US border; continuous permafrost in north a serious obstacle to development

Exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

Land boundaries

9,010 km total

Land use

5% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 3% meadows and pastures; 35% forest and woodland; 57% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Special notes

second largest country in world; strategic location between USSR and US via polar route

Telecommunications

excellent service provided by modern telecom media; 18.0 million telephones (66.4 per 100 popl.); countrywide AM, FM, and TV coverage, including 900 AM, 80 FM, 1,100 TV stations; 6 coaxial submarine cables; 3 satellite stations with a total of 5 antennas and 300 domestic satellite stations

Terrain

mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast

Territorial sea

12 nm

Total area

1200 km Arctic Ocean eines Qs Battin Sgr > Bay cs PNR fe = Labrador *whitshorse Churchill Vancouver Catgary Winnipeg Leake Superior Lake Huron

9,976,140 km?; land area: 9,220,970 km?

Ethnic divisions

45% British Isles origin, 29% French origin, 23% other European, 1.5% indigenous Indian and Eskimo

Infant mortality rate

9.1/1,000 (1982)

Labor force

12.88 million (1986 average); 68% services (37% government, 23% trade and finance, 8% transportation), 18% manufacturing, 6% construction, 3.8% agriculture, 4.2% other; 9.6% unemployment (1986 average)

Language

English and French (official)

Life expectancy

men 71.9, women 79

Literacy

99%

Nationality

noun—Canadian(s); adjective—Canadian

Organized labor

80.6% of labor force; 39.6% of nonagricultural paid workers

Population

25,857,943 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 0.91%

Religion

46% Roman Catholic, 16% United Church, 10% Anglican

Administrative divisions

10 provinces and 2 territories

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 House of Commons; judges appointed by Governor General on the advice of the government; Supreme Court is highest tribunal

Capital

Ottawa

Communists

2,000

Elections

legal limit of five years but in practice usually held within four years; last election September 1984; 75% voter turnout Political parties and leaders: Liberal, John Turner; Progressive Conservative, Brian Mulroney; New Democratic, Edward Broadbent

Government leaders

Brian MULRONEY, Prime Minister (since September 1984); Jeanne SAUVE, Governor General (since May 1984)

Legal system

based on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil law system based on French law prevails; constitution as of 1982 (formerly British North America Act of 1867 and various amendments); accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Member of

ADB, Colombo Plan, Commonwealth, DAC, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICES, ICO, ICRC, IDA, IDB—Inter-American Development Bank, IFA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ISO, ITC, 1TU, 1WC—International Whaling Commission, 1WC—International Wheat Council, NATO, OAS (observer), OECD, PAHO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

National holiday

Canada Day, 1 July

Official name

Canada

Suffrage

universal over age 18

Type

federal state recognizing Elizabeth II as sovereign

Voting strength

(1984 election) Progressive Conservative, 50%; Liberal, 28%; New Democratic Party, 19%; parliamentary seats as of December 1986—Progressive Conservative 209, Liberal 40, New Democratic Party 30, vacant 3

Agriculture

livestock, grains (principally wheat), dairy products, feedgrains, oilseeds, tobacco; food shortages—fresh fruits and vegetables Fishing; catch 1.25 million metric tons (1984)

Aid

US, including Ex-Im Bank (FY70-84), $1.9 billion; ODA and OOF economic aid commitments (1970-84), $18.5 billion

Budget

total revenues $61.32 billion; current expenditures $84.91 billion; budget deficit $23.59 billion (1985)

Crude steel

15.0 million metric tons produced (1985); 590 kg per capita

Electric power

99,298,000 kW capacity; 448,840 million kWh produced, 17,500 kWh per capita (1986)

Exports

$88.1 billion (f.0.b., 1985); principal items—transportation equipment; wood and wood products, including paper; ferrous and nonferrous ores; crude petroleum; wheat; Canada is a major food exporter

Fiseal year

1 April-31 March

GDP

$366.0 billion, $14,280 per capita; 61.4% consumption, 19.7% investment, 17.2% government, 0.8% net foreign trade; no change in inventories (1986); real growth rate 3.0% (1985-86); inflation rate 4.2% (1986)

Imports

$75.3 billion (f.0.b., 1985); principal items—transportation equipment, machinery, crude petroleum, communication equipment, textiles, steel, fabricated metals, office machines, fruits and vegetables

Major industries

processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, transportation equipment, chemicals, fish products, petroleum and natural gas

Major trade partners

imports—71.6% US, 5.9% Japan, 3.0% UK; exports—78.5% US, 4.9% Japan, 2.0% UK, 1.3% USSR (1985)

Monetary conversion rate

C$1.873=US$1 (8 January 1987)

Natural resources

nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, silver, fish, forests, wildlife

Shortages

rubber, fruits, precision instruments

Airfields

1,407 total, 1,076 usable; 412 with permanent-surface runways; 4 with runways over 3,659 m, 30 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 306 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

636 major transport aircraft

Highways

884,272 km total; 712,936 km surfaced (250,023 km paved), 171,336 km earth

Inland waterways

3,000 km, including St. Lawrence Seaway

Pipelines

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

Ports

over 250 ports of which 25 are sizeable deep water ports

Railroads

81,088 km total; 79,917 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 129 km electrified; 1,171 km 1.067-meter gauge (in Newfoundland); 178 km 0.915-meter gange (unused)

Branches

Mobile Command, Maritime Command, Air Command, Communications Command, Canadian Forces Europe, Training Command

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 31 March 1986, $8.0 billion; about 10.3% of central government budget

Military manpower

males 15-49, 7,036,000; 6,183,000 fit for military service; 189,000 reach military age (17) annually