1996 Edition

Description

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

Location

60 00 N, 95 00 W -- Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and North Pacific Ocean, north of the conterminous US Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly larger than US

land area

9,220,970 sq km

total area

9,976,140 sq km

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

international agreements

party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea, Tropical Timber 94

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

Geographic coordinates

60 00 N, 95 00 W

Geographic 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 within 161 km of the US/Canada border

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

border country

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

total

8,893 km

Land use

arable land

9%

forest and woodland

45%

meadows and pastures

3%

other

43%

permanent crops

0%

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

Terrain

mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast

highest point

Mount Logan 5,950 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 21% (male 3,032,458; female 2,889,603) 15-64 years: 67% (male 9,663,955; female 9,660,648) 65 years and over: 12% (male 1,501,542; female 2,072,465) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

13.33 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

7.17 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

British Isles origin 40%, French origin 27%, other European 20%, indigenous Indian and Eskimo 1.5%, other, mostly Asian 11.5%

Infant mortality rate

6.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

English (official), French (official)

Life expectancy at birth

female

82.65 years (1996 est.)

male

75.67 years

total population

79.07 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1986 est.)

female

NA%

male

NA%

total population

97%

Nationality

adjective

Canadian

noun

Canadian(s)

Net migration rate

4.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

28,820,671 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

1.06% (1996 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 45%, United Church 12%, Anglican 8%, other 35% (1991)

Sex ratio

all ages

0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

1.81 children born/woman (1996 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

Data code

CA

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001

chief of mission

Ambassador Raymond A. J. CHRETIEN

telephone

[1] (202) 682-1740

Executive branch

cabinet

Federal Ministry was chosen by the prime minister from members of his own party sitting in Parliament

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), a hereditary monarch, is represented by Governor General Romeo LeBLANC (since 8 February 1995), who was appointed by the queen

head of government

Prime Minister Jean CHRETIEN (since 4 November 1993) was appointed by the governor general; on 25 October 1993; Deputy Prime Minister Sheila COPPS (since NA); note - the prime minister is the leader of the political party commanding a majority in the House of Commons

FAX

[1] (202) 682-7726

[1] (613) 238-5720

consulate(s)

Cincinnati, Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Princeton, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, and Seattle

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 179, Bloc Quebecois 53, Reform Party 52, New Democratic Party 8, Progressive Conservative Party 2, independents 1

Independence

1 July 1867 (from UK)

International organization participation

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, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNAMIR, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

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)

Name of country

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, Michel GAUTHIER; Reform Party, Preston MANNING; New Democratic Party, Alexa MCDONOUGH; 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 is 104 senators

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

confederation with parliamentary democracy

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant)

embassy

100 Wellington Street, K1P 5T1, Ottawa

mailing address

P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburg, NY 13669-0430

telephone

[1] (613) 238-5335, 4470

Agriculture

wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy products; forest products; commercial fisheries provide annual catch of 1.5 million metric tons, of which 75% is exported

Budget

expenditures

$114.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95 est.)

revenues

$90.4 billion

Currency

1 Canadian dollar (Can$) = 100 cents

Economic aid

donor

ODA, $2.373 billion (1993)

note

ODA and OOF commitments, $10.1 billion (1986-91)

Economic 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. Canada started the 1990s in recession, and real rates of growth have averaged only 1.1% so far this decade. Because of slower growth, Canada still faces high unemployment and a large public sector debt. With its great natural resources, skilled labor force, and modern capital plant, however, Canada will enjoy better economic prospects in the future. The continuing constitutional impasse between English- and French-speaking areas is raising the possibility of a split in the confederation, making foreign investors somewhat edgy.

Electricity

capacity

108,090,000 kW

consumption per capita

16,133 kWh (1993)

production

511 billion kWh

Exchange rates

Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$1 - 1.3666 (January 1996), 1.3724 (1995), 1.3656 (1994), 1.2901 (1993), 1.2087 (1992), 1.1457 (1991)

Exports

$185 billion (f.o.b., 1995 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

$233 billion (1994)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $694 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

2%

industry

26%

services

72% (1994)

GDP per capita

$24,400 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

2.1% (1995 est.)

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

$166.7 billion (c.i.f., 1995 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

5.9% (1994)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.4% (1995 est.)

Labor force

13.38 million

by occupation

services 75%, manufacturing 14%, agriculture 4%, construction 3%, other 4% (1988)

Unemployment rate

9.5% (1995)

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)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

7,645,245

males fit for military service

6,575,057

males reach military age (17) annually

197,688 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 900, FM 29, shortwave 0

Radios

NA

Telephone system

excellent service provided by modern technology

domestic

domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stations

international

5 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) and 2 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean Region)

Telephones

15.3 million (1990)

Television broadcast stations

70 (repeaters 1,400) (1991)

Televisions

11.53 million (1983 est.) Defense

Airports

total

1,138

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

136

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

15

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

226

with paved runways over 3 047 m

17

with paved runways under 914 m

422

with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

53

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

269 (1995 est.)

Heliports

14 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

297,291 km (including 15,983 km of expressways)

total

849,404 km

unpaved

552,113 km (1991 est.)

Merchant marine

note

does not include ships used exclusively in the Great Lakes (1995 est.)

ships by type

bulk 17, cargo 9, chemical tanker 4, oil tanker 15, passenger 2, passenger-cargo 1, railcar carrier 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 7, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 2

total

62 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 573,089 GRT/804,436 DWT

Pipelines

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

Ports

Becancour (Quebec), Churchill, Halifax, Montreal, New Westminister, Prince Rupert, Quebec, Saint John (New Brunswick), Saint John's (Newfoundland), Seven Islands, Sydney, Three Rivers, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Windsor

Railways

freight railway systems

Canadian National (privatized November 1995) and Canadian Pacific Railway; passenger service provided by government-operated firm VIA, which has no trackage of its own

narrow gauge

176 km 0.914-m gauge (1995)

standard gauge

70,000 km 1.435-m gauge (63 km electrified)

total

70,176 km; note - there are two major transcontinental

Waterways

3,000 km, including Saint Lawrence Seaway