1995 Edition

Area

total area: 9,976,140 sq km land area: 9,220,970 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than US

Climate

varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north

Coastline

243,791 km

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 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 American interior, and produce most of the country's rain and snow international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea

International disputes

maritime boundary disputes with the US; Saint Pierre and Miquelon is focus of maritime boundary dispute between Canada and France

Irrigated land

8,400 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

total 8,893 km, US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska)

Land use

arable land: 5% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 3% forest and woodland: 35% other: 57%

Location

Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and North Pacific Ocean, north of the conterminous US

Map references

North America

Maritime claims

continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas

Note

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

Terrain

mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast

Age structure

0-14 years: 21% (female 2,874,705; male 3,016,050) 15-64 years: 67% (female 9,529,272; male 9,531,107) 65 years and over: 12% (female 2,022,324; male 1,461,087) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate

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

Death rate

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

Ethnic divisions

British Isles origin 40%, French origin 27%, other European 20%, indigenous Indian and Eskimo 1.5%

Infant mortality rate

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

Labor force

13.38 million by occupation: services 75%, manufacturing 14%, agriculture 4%, construction 3%, other 4% (1988)

Languages

English (official), French (official)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 78.29 years male: 74.93 years female: 81.81 years (1995 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1986) total population: 97%

Nationality

noun: Canadian(s) adjective: Canadian

Net migration rate

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

Population

28,434,545 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate

1.09% (1995 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 46%, United Church 16%, Anglican 10%, other 28%

Total fertility rate

1.83 children born/woman (1995 est.)

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*

Capital

Ottawa

Constitution

amended British North America Act 1867 patriated to Canada 17 April 1982; charter of rights and unwritten customs

Digraph

CA

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Raymond A.J. CHRETIEN chancery: 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001 telephone: [1] (202) 682-1740

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Romeo LeBLANC (since 8 February 1995) head of government: Prime Minister Jean CHRETIEN (since 4 November 1993) was elected on 25 October 1993, replacing Kim CAMBELL; Deputy Prime Minister Sheila COPPS cabinet: Federal Ministry; chosen by the prime minister from members of his own party sitting in Parliament

FAX

[1] (202) 682-7726 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, and Seattle consulate(s): Cincinnati, Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Princeton, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)

[1] (613) 238-5720 consulate(s) general: Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, and Vancouver

Flag

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

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

Independence

1 July 1867 (from UK)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

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

bicameral Parliament (Parlement)

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, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, ONUSAL, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNOMOZ, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Names

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Canada

National holiday

Canada Day, 1 July (1867)

Political parties and leaders

Liberal Party, Jean CHRETIEN; Bloc Quebecois, Lucien BOUCHARD; Reform Party, Preston MANNING; New Democratic Party, Audrey McLAUGHLIN; Progressive Conservative Party, Jean CHAREST

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

confederation with parliamentary democracy

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador James Johnston BLANCHARD embassy: 100 Wellington Street, K1P 5T1, Ottawa mailing address: P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburg, NY 13669-0430 telephone: [1] (613) 238-5335, 4470

Agriculture

accounts for about 3% of GDP; one of the world's major producers and exporters of grain (wheat and barley); key source of US 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

Budget

revenues: $85 billion (Federal) expenditures: $115.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY93/94 est.)

Currency

1 Canadian dollar (Can$) = 100 cents

Economic aid

donor: ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $7.2 billion

Electricity

capacity: 108,090,000 kW production: 511 billion kWh consumption per capita: 16,133 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$1 - 1.4129 (January 1995), 1.3656 (1994), 1.2901 (1993), 1.2087 (1992), 1.1457 (1991), 1.1668 (1990)

Exports

$164.3 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: newsprint, wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, machinery, natural gas, aluminum, motor vehicles and parts; telecommunications equipment partners: US, Japan, UK, Germany, South Korea, Netherlands, China

External debt

$243 billion (1993)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

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 US market

Imports

$151.5 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.) commodities: crude oil, chemicals, motor vehicles and parts, durable consumer goods, electronic computers; telecommunications equipment and parts partners: US, Japan, UK, Germany, France, Mexico, Taiwan, South Korea

Industrial production

growth rate 4.8% (1993)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.2% (1994)

National product

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

National product per capita

$22,760 (1994)

National product real growth rate

4.5% (1994)

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. In the 1980s, Canada registered one of the highest rates of real growth among the OECD nations, averaging about 3.2%. With its great natural resources, skilled labor force, and modern capital plant, Canada has excellent economic prospects, although the country still faces high unemployment and a growing debt. Moreover, the continuing constitutional impasse between English- and French-speaking areas has observers discussing a possible split in the confederation; foreign investors have become edgy.

Unemployment rate

9.6% (December 1994)

Radio

broadcast stations: AM 900, FM 29, shortwave 0 radios: NA

Telephone system

18,000,000 telephones; excellent service provided by modern media local: NA intercity: about 300 earth stations for domestic satellite

Television

broadcast stations: 53 (repeaters 1,400) televisions: NA

Airports

total: 1,386 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 17 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 16 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 147 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 234 with paved runways under 914 m: 550 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 69 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 353

Highways

total: 849,404 km paved: 253,692 km (15,983 km of expressways) unpaved: gravel 595,712 km (1991)

Inland waterways

3,000 km, including Saint Lawrence Seaway

Merchant marine

total: 71 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 617,010 GRT/878,819 DWT ships by type: bulk 17, cargo 10, chemical tanker 5, oil tanker 23, passenger 1, passenger-cargo 1, railcar carrier 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 7, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 2 note: does not include ships used exclusively in the Great Lakes

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

Railroads

total: 78,148 km; note - there are two major transcontinental freight railway systems: Canadian National (government owned) and Canadian Pacific Railway; passenger service provided by VIA (government operated) standard gauge: 78,148 km 1.435-m gauge (185 km electrified) (1994)

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)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $9.0 billion, 1.6% of GDP (FY95/96) ________________________________________________________________________ CAPE VERDE

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 7,570,877; males fit for military service 6,522,092; males reach military age (17) annually 151,590 (1995 est.)