2021 Edition

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. Canada gained legislative independence from Britain in 1931 and formalized its constitutional independence from the UK in 1982 when it passed the Canada Act in 1982. Economically and technologically, the nation has developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across the world's longest international border. Canada faces the political challenges of meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care, education, social services, and economic competitiveness, as well as responding to the particular concerns of predominantly francophone Quebec. Canada also aims to develop its diverse energy resources while maintaining its commitment to the environment.

Area

land

9,093,507 sq km

total

9,984,670 sq km

water

891,163 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than the US

Climate

varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north

Coastline

202,080 km

note

note: the Canadian Arctic Archipelago - consisting of 36,563 islands, several of them some of the world's largest - contributes to Canada easily having the longest coastline in the world

Elevation

highest point

Mount Logan 5,959 m

lowest point

Atlantic/Pacific/Arctic Oceans 0 m

mean elevation

487 m

Geographic coordinates

60 00 N, 95 00 W

Geography - note

note 1: second-largest country in world (after Russia) and largest in the Americas; strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately 90% of the population is concentrated within 160 km (100 mi) of the US border note 2: Canada has more fresh water than any other country and almost 9% of Canadian territory is water; Canada has at least 2 million and possibly over 3 million lakes - that is more than all other countries combined

Irrigated land

8,700 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

US 8,891 km (includes 2,475 km with Alaska)

note

note: Canada is the world's largest country that borders only one country

total

8,891 km

Land use

agricultural land

6.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 4.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 1.6% (2018 est.)

forest

34.1% (2018 est.)

other

59.1% (2018 est.)

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 aquifers

Northern Great Plains Aquifer

Major lakes (area sq km)

Fresh water lake(s)

Huron* - 35,972 sq km; Great Bear Lake - 31,328 sq km; Superior* - 28,754 sq km; Great Slave Lake - 28,568 sq km; Lake Winnipeg - 24,387 sq km; Erie* - 12,776 sq km; Ontario* - 9,790 sq km; Lake Athabasca - 7,935 sq km; Reindeer Lake - 6,650 sq km; Nettilling Lake - 5,542 sq kmnote - Great Lakes* area shown as Canadian waters

Major rivers (by length in km)

Mackenzie - 4, 241 km; Yukon river source (shared with the US [m]) - 3,185 km; Saint Lawrence river mouth (shared with US) - 3,058 km; Nelson - 2,570 km; Columbia river source (shared with the US [m]) - 1,953 km; Churchill - 1,600 km; Fraser - 1,368 km; Ottawa - 1,271 km; Athabasca - 1,231 km; North Saskatchewan - 1,220 km; Liard - 1,115 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Mississippi* (Gulf of Mexico) (3,202,185 sq km, Canada only 32,000 sq km), Nelson (Hudson Bay) (1,093,141 sq km), Saint Lawrence* (1,049,636 sq km, Canada only 839,200 sq km)Arctic Ocean drainage: Mackenzie (1,706,388 sq km)Pacific Ocean drainage: Yukon* (847,620 sq km, Canada only 823,800 sq km), Columbia* (657,501 sq km, Canada only 103,000 sq km)note - watersheds shared with the US shown with *

Map references

North America

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

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 mountainsvolcanism: the vast majority of volcanoes in Western Canada's Coast Mountains remain dormant

Natural resources

bauxite, iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, uranium, rare earth elements, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower

Population distribution

vast majority of Canadians are positioned in a discontinuous band within approximately 300 km of the southern border with the United States; the most populated province is Ontario, followed by Quebec and British Columbia

Terrain

mostly plains with mountains in west, lowlands in southeast

Age structure

0-14 years

15.99% (male 3,094,008/female 2,931,953)

15-24 years

11.14% (male 2,167,013/female 2,032,064)

25-54 years

39.81% (male 7,527,554/female 7,478,737)

55-64 years

14.08% (male 2,624,474/female 2,682,858)

65 years and over

18.98% (male 3,274,298/female 3,881,126) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

10.21 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current Health Expenditure

10.8% (2018)

Death rate

8.08 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

27.4

potential support ratio

3.7 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

51.2

youth dependency ratio

23.9

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 98.9% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 1.1% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

5.3% of GDP (2011)

Ethnic groups

Canadian 32.3%, English 18.3%, Scottish 13.9%, French 13.6%, Irish 13.4%, German 9.6%, Chinese 5.1%, Italian 4.6%, North American Indian 4.4%, East Indian 4%, other 51.6% (2016 est.)

note

note: percentages add up to more than 100% because respondents were able to identify more than one ethnic origin

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Hospital bed density

2.5 beds/1,000 population (2019)

Infant mortality rate

female

4.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

4.73 deaths/1,000 live births

total

4.44 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Languages

English (official) 58.7%, French (official) 22%, Punjabi 1.4%, Italian 1.3%, Spanish 1.3%, German 1.3%, Cantonese 1.2%, Tagalog 1.2%, Arabic 1.1%, other 10.5% (2011 est.)

major-language sample(s)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. (English)The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)

Life expectancy at birth

female

86.03 years (2021 est.)

male

81.32 years

total population

83.62 years

Major urban areas - population

6.255 million Toronto, 4.247 million Montreal, 2.606 million Vancouver, 1.581 million Calgary, 1.491 million Edmonton, 1.408 million OTTAWA (capital) (2021)

Maternal mortality ratio

10 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

42.9 years (2020 est.)

male

40.6 years

total

41.8 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

29.4 years (2019 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Canadian

noun

Canadian(s)

Net migration rate

5.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

29.4% (2016)

Physicians density

2.31 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Population

37,943,231 (July 2021 est.)

Population distribution

vast majority of Canadians are positioned in a discontinuous band within approximately 300 km of the southern border with the United States; the most populated province is Ontario, followed by Quebec and British Columbia

Population growth rate

0.77% (2021 est.)

Religions

Catholic 39% (includes Roman Catholic 38.8%, other Catholic .2%), Protestant 20.3% (includes United Church 6.1%, Anglican 5%, Baptist 1.9%, Lutheran 1.5%, Pentecostal 1.5%, Presbyterian 1.4%, other Protestant 2.9%), Orthodox 1.6%, other Christian 6.3%, Muslim 3.2%, Hindu 1.5%, Sikh 1.4%, Buddhist 1.1%, Jewish 1%, other 0.6%, none 23.9% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 98.7% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 1.3% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

17 years (2019)

male

16 years

total

16 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.07 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.01 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.84 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.57 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

19.4% (2020 est.)

male

20.9%

total

20.2%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.95% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

81.7% of total population (2021)

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*

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November

etymology

the city lies on the south bank of the Ottawa River, from which it derives its name; the river name comes from the Algonquin word "adawe" meaning "to trade" and refers to the indigenous peoples who used the river as a trade highway

geographic coordinates

45 25 N, 75 42 W

name

Ottawa

time difference

UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

time zone note

Canada has six time zones

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

minimum of 3 of last 5 years resident in Canada

Constitution

amendments

proposed by either house of Parliament or by the provincial legislative assemblies; there are 5 methods for passage though most require approval by both houses of Parliament, approval of at least two thirds of the provincial legislative assemblies and assent and formalization as a proclamation by the governor general in council; the most restrictive method is reserved for amendments affecting fundamental sections of the constitution, such as the office of the monarch or the governor general, and the constitutional amendment procedures, which require unanimous approval by both houses and by all the provincial assemblies, and assent of the governor general in council; amended 11 times, last in 2011 (Fair Representation Act, 2011)

history

consists of unwritten and written acts, customs, judicial decisions, and traditions dating from 1763; 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

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Canada

etymology

the country name likely derives from the St. Lawrence Iroquoian word "kanata" meaning village or settlement

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador David COHEN (since December 2021)

consulate(s)

Winnipeg

consulate(s) general

Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Vancouver

email address and website

OttawaNIV@state.govhttps://ca.usembassy.gov/

embassy

490 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1G8

FAX

[1] (613) 241-7845

mailing address

5480 Ottawa Place, Washington DC  20521-5480

telephone

[1] (613) 238-5335

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001

chief of mission

Ambassador Kirsten HILLMAN (since 17 July 2020)

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco/Silicon Valley, Seattle

email address and website

ccs.scc@international.gc.cahttps://www.international.gc.ca/country-pays/us-eu/washington.aspx?lang=eng

FAX

[1] (202) 682-7738

telephone

[1] (844) 880-6519

trade office(s)

Houston, Palo Alto (CA), San Diego; note - there are trade offices in the Consulates General

Executive branch

cabinet

Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister usually from among members of his/her own party sitting in Parliament

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Mary SIMON (since 6 July 2021)

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister for a 5-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the House of Commons generally designated prime minister by the governor general

head of government

Prime Minister Justin Pierre James TRUDEAU (Liberal Party) (since 4 November 2015)

note

note: the governor general position is largely ceremonial

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 maple leaf has long been a Canadian symbol

Government type

federal parliamentary democracy (Parliament of Canada) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm; federal and state authorities and responsibilities regulated in constitution

Independence

1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December 1931 (recognized by UK per Statute of Westminster)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CD, CDB, CE (observer), EAPC, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest courts

Supreme Court of Canada (consists of the chief justice and 8 judges); note - in 1949, Canada abolished all appeals beyond its Supreme Court, which prior to that time, were heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)

judge selection and term of office

chief justice and judges appointed by the prime minister in council; all judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 75

subordinate courts

federal level: Federal Court of Appeal; Federal Court; Tax Court; federal administrative tribunals; Courts Martial; provincial/territorial level: provincial superior, appeals, first instance, and specialized courts; note -  in 1999, the Nunavut Court - a circuit court with the power of a provincial superior court, as well as a territorial court - was established to serve isolated settlements

Legal system

common law system except in Quebec, where civil law based on the French civil code prevails

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of:Senate or Senat (105 seats; members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister and can serve until age 75)House of Commons or Chambre des Communes (338 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote with terms up to 4 years)

election results

Senate - composition as of December 2018 - men 51, women 54, percent of women 51.4% House of Commons - percent of vote by party - CPC 33.7%, Liberal Party 32.6%, NDP 17.8%, Bloc Quebecois 7.7%, Greens 2.3%, other 5.9%; seats by party - Liberal Party 159, CPC 119, NDP 25, Bloc Quebecois 32, Greens 2, independent 1; composition - men 236, women 102, percent of women 29%; note - total Parliament percent of women 30.2%

elections

Senate - appointed; latest appointments in December 2018House of Commons - last held on 20 September 2021 (next to be held NA)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Adolphe-Basile ROUTHIER [French], Robert Stanley WEIR [English]/Calixa LAVALLEE

name

O Canada

note

note: adopted 1980; originally written in 1880, "O Canada" served as an unofficial anthem many years before its official adoption; the anthem has French and English versions whose lyrics differ; as a Commonwealth realm, in addition to the national anthem, "God Save the Queen" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)

National holiday

Canada Day, 1 July (1867)

National symbol(s)

maple leaf, beaver; national colors: red, white

Political parties and leaders

Bloc Quebecois [Yves-Francois BLANCHET]Conservative Party of Canada or CPC [Erin O'TOOLE]Green Party [vacant]Liberal Party [Justin TRUDEAU]New Democratic Party or NDP [Jagmeet SINGH]People's Party of Canada [Maxime BERNIER]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

wheat, rapeseed, maize, barley, milk, soybeans, potatoes, oats, peas, pork

Budget

expenditures

665.7 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

649.6 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

AA+ (2020)

Moody's rating

Aaa (2002)

Standard & Poors rating

AAA (2002)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2018

-$42.862 billion (2018 est.)

Current account balance 2019

-$35.425 billion (2019 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$1,949,796,000,000 (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$2,124,887,000,000 (2019 est.)

Economic overview

Canada resembles the US in its market-oriented economic system, pattern of production, and high 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. Canada has a large oil and natural gas sector with the majority of crude oil production derived from oil sands in the western provinces, especially Alberta. Canada now ranks third in the world in proved oil reserves behind Venezuela and Saudi Arabia and is the world’s seventh-largest oil producer.TThe 1989 Canada-US Free Trade Agreement and the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (which includes Mexico) dramatically increased trade and economic integration between the US and Canada. Canada and the US enjoy the world’s most comprehensive bilateral trade and investment relationship, with goods and services trade totaling more than $680 billion in 2017, and two-way investment stocks of more than $800 billion. Over three-fourths of Canada’s merchandise exports are destined for the US each year. Canada is the largest foreign supplier of energy to the US, including oil, natural gas, and electric power, and a top source of US uranium imports.Given its abundant natural resources, highly skilled labor force, and modern capital stock, Canada enjoyed solid economic growth from 1993 through 2007. The global economic crisis of 2007-08 moved the Canadian economy into sharp recession by late 2008, and Ottawa posted its first fiscal deficit in 2009 after 12 years of surplus. Canada's major banks emerged from the financial crisis of 2008-09 among the strongest in the world, owing to the financial sector's tradition of conservative lending practices and strong capitalization. Canada’s economy posted strong growth in 2017 at 3%, but most analysts are projecting Canada’s economic growth will drop back closer to 2% in 2018.

Exchange rates

currency

Canadian dollars (CAD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

1.0298 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

1.2788 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

1.32925 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

1.3228 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

1.28035 (2020 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$556.89 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$555.83 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$477.31 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, cars and vehicle parts, gold, refined petroleum, natural gas (2019)

Exports - partners

US 73% (2019)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

30.9% (2017 est.)

government consumption

20.8% (2017 est.)

household consumption

57.8% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-33.2% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

23% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.7% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

1.6% (2017 est.)

industry

28.2% (2017 est.)

services

70.2% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1,741,865,000,000 (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 1994

31.5 (1994)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017

33.3 (2017 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

24.8% (2000)

lowest 10%

2.6%

Imports

Imports 2018

$589.55 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$583.6 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$510.29 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Imports - commodities

cars and vehicle parts, delivery trucks, crude petroleum, refined petroleum (2019)

Imports - partners

US 57%, China 11%, Mexico 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

4.9% (2017 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

1.5% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

2.2% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

1.9% (2019 est.)

Labor force

18.136 million (2020 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

2%

industry

13%

industry and services

76%

manufacturing

3% (2006 est.)

services

6%

Population below poverty line

9.4% (2008 est.)

note

note: this figure is the Low Income Cut-Off, a calculation that results in higher figures than found in many comparable economies; Canada does not have an official poverty line

Public debt

note

note: figures are for gross general government debt, as opposed to net federal debt; gross general government debt includes both intragovernmental debt and the debt of public entities at the sub-national level

Public debt 2016

91.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

89.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$1,808,660,000,000 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$1,842,330,000,000 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$1,742,790,000,000 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2017

3.17% (2017 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2018

2.02% (2018 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2019

1.66% (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$48,800 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$49,000 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$45,900 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$82.72 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$86.68 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

39.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2018

5.83% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate 2019

5.67% (2019 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

19.4% (2020 est.)

male

20.9%

total

20.2%

Crude oil - exports

2.818 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - imports

806,700 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - production

4.264 million bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

170.5 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

522.2 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

73.35 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

23% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

56% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

9% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

12% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

2.682 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

143.5 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

649.6 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

Natural gas - consumption

124.4 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

83.96 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

26.36 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

159.1 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

2.056 trillion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

2.445 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

1.115 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

405,700 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

2.009 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

41.8 (2020 est.)

total

15,776,602 (2020)

Broadcast media

2 public TV broadcasting networks, 1 in English and 1 in French, each with a large number of network affiliates; several private-commercial networks also with multiple network affiliates; overall, about 150 TV stations; multi-channel satellite and cable systems provide access to a wide range of stations including US stations; mix of public and commercial radio broadcasters with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the public radio broadcaster, operating 4 radio networks, Radio Canada International, and radio services to indigenous populations in the north; roughly 1,119 licensed radio stations (2016)

Internet country code

.ca

Internet users

percent of population

91% (2019 est.)

total

35.63 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

35 per 100 fixed-line; 93 per 100 mobile-cellular; comparatively low mobile penetration provides further room for growth; domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stations (2019)

general assessment

Canada has highly developed, technologically advanced telecom services; LTE and broadband are nearly universal; competition between the DSL and cable platforms with investment in fiber networks; regulatory efforts ensure operators have spectrum available to develop 5G services; policy to improve service speeds and enable digital economy and e-services; operator’s 5G network facilitates smart-city vehicle and pedestrian traffic; high value in e-commerce transactions; international connections through submarine, terrestrial, and satellite systems; importer of broadcasting equipment from China (2020)

international

country code - 1; landing points for the Nunavut Undersea Fiber Optic Network System, Greenland Connect, Persona, GTT Atlantic, and Express, KetchCan 1 Submarine Fiber Cable system, St Pierre and Miquelon Cable submarine cables providing links to the US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 7 (5 Intelsat - 4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean, and 2 Intersputnik - Atlantic Ocean region) (2019)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

36.9 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

13.926 million (2020)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

95.63 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

36,093,021 (2020)

Airports

total

1,467 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

147

2,438 to 3,047 m

19

914 to 1,523 m

257

over 3,047 m

21

total

523

under 914 m

79 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

75

914 to 1,523 m

385

total

944

under 914 m

484 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

C

Heliports

26 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 22, container ship 1, general cargo 66, oil tanker 15, other 575 (2021)

total

679

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

3,434,070,000 mt-km (2018)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

89.38 million (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

879

number of registered air carriers

51 (2020)

Pipelines

840,000 km oil and gas  (2017)

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Montreal (1,745,244), Vancouver (3,398,860) (2019)

dry bulk cargo port(s)

Port-Cartier (iron ore and grain),

LNG terminal(s) (import)

Saint John

major seaport(s)

Halifax, Saint John (New Brunswick), Vancouver

note

Fraser River Port (Fraser) Hamilton (Lake Ontario)

oil terminal(s)

Lower Lakes terminal

river and lake port(s)

Montreal, Quebec City, Sept-Isles (St. Lawrence)

Railways

standard gauge

77,932 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)

total

77,932 km note: 129 km electrified (2021) (2014)

Roadways

paved

415,600 km (includes 17,000 km of expressways) (2011)

total

1,042,300 km (2011)

unpaved

626,700 km (2011)

Waterways

636 km (Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with United States) (2011)

Military - note

Canada is a member of NATO and was one of the original 12 countries to sign the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) in 1949 Canada is part of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD; established 1958); NORAD is a Canada-US bi-national military command responsible for monitoring and defending North American airspace; traditionally, a Canadian Armed Forces officer has served as the deputy commander of NORAD Canada’s defense relationship with the US extends back to the Ogdensburg Declaration of 1940, when the two countries formally agreed on military cooperation, including the establishment of the Permanent Joint Board on Defense (PJBD), which continued to be the highest-level bilateral defense forum between Canada and the US as of 2021 British troops withdrew from Canada in 1871 as part of the UK-US Treaty of Washington; following the withdrawal, the first Canadian militia, known as the Royal Canadian Regiment, was organized in 1883 to protect Canadian territory and defend British interests abroad, which it did in the South African War (1899-1902), Canada’s first overseas conflict; militia units formed the backbone of the more than 425,000 Canadian soldiers that went to Europe during World War I in what was called the Canadian Expeditionary Force; the Royal Canadian Navy was created in 1910, while the Canadian Air Force was established in 1920 and became the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1924; the Canadian Army was officially founded in 1942; a unified Canadian Armed Forces was created in 1968

Military and security forces

Canadian Forces: Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force, Canadian Joint Operations Command, Canadian Special Operations Forces Command; Primary Reserve (army, air, naval reserves); Coast Guard (Department of Fisheries and Oceans) (2021)

note

note - the Army reserves include the Canadian Rangers, which provides a limited presence in Canada's northern, coastal, and isolated areas for sovereignty, public safety, and surveillance roles

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 70,000 total active personnel (23,000 Army; 12,000 Navy; 12,000 Air Force; 23,000 other) (2021)

note

note - the Army also has 19,000 part-time, volunteer soldiers in the Reserve Force, including about 5,500 Rangers who serve in sparsely settled northern, coastal, and isolated areas of Canada

Military deployments

up to 530 Latvia (NATO); up to 200 Ukraine; up to 850 Middle East (multiple missions, including support to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and NATO assistance mission Iraq) (2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the CAF's inventory is a mix of domestically-produced equipment and imported weapons systems from Australia, Europe, Israel, and the US; since 2010, the leading supplier is the US; Canada's defense industry develops, maintains, and produces a range of equipment, including aircraft, combat vehicles, naval vessels, and associated components (2021)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2016

1.16% of GDP (2016)

Military Expenditures 2017

1.44% of GDP (2017)

Military Expenditures 2018

1.31% of GDP (2018)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.29% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.42% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military service age and obligation

17 years of age for voluntary male and female military service (with parental consent); 16 years of age for Reserve and Military College applicants; Canadian citizenship or permanent residence status required; maximum 34 years of age; service obligation 3-9 years (2021)

Disputes - international

managed maritime boundary disputes with the US at Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Gulf of Maine, including the disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; Canada and the United States dispute how to divide the Beaufort Sea and the status of the Northwest Passage but continue to work cooperatively to survey the Arctic continental shelf; US works closely with Canada to intensify security measures for monitoring and controlling legal and illegal movement of people, transport, and commodities across the international border; sovereignty dispute with Denmark over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland; commencing the collection of technical evidence for submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in support of claims for continental shelf beyond 200 nm from its declared baselines in the Arctic, as stipulated in Article 76, paragraph 8, of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea

Illicit drugs

illicit production of fentanyl primarily for Canada's domestic drug market with at least small quantities smuggled to the US; complex laboratories setup for fentanyl production have been found and Mexican traffickers present in the country; Canada legalized marijuana in 2018

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

22,400 (Venezuela) (refugees and migrants), 8,082 (Nigeria), 6,387 (Turkey), 6,085 (Pakistan), 5,916 (China), 5,085 (Iran) (2020)

stateless persons

4,139 (2020)

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

544.89 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

101.82 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

6.48 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north

Environment - current issues

metal smelting, coal-burning utilities, and vehicle emissions impacting agricultural and forest productivity; air pollution and resulting acid rain severely affecting lakes and damaging forests; ocean waters becoming contaminated due to agricultural, industrial, mining, and forestry activities

Environment - international agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Marine Life Conservation

Land use

agricultural land

6.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 4.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 1.6% (2018 est.)

forest

34.1% (2018 est.)

other

59.1% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Northern Great Plains Aquifer

Major lakes (area sq km)

Fresh water lake(s)

Huron* - 35,972 sq km; Great Bear Lake - 31,328 sq km; Superior* - 28,754 sq km; Great Slave Lake - 28,568 sq km; Lake Winnipeg - 24,387 sq km; Erie* - 12,776 sq km; Ontario* - 9,790 sq km; Lake Athabasca - 7,935 sq km; Reindeer Lake - 6,650 sq km; Nettilling Lake - 5,542 sq kmnote - Great Lakes* area shown as Canadian waters

Major rivers (by length in km)

Mackenzie - 4, 241 km; Yukon river source (shared with the US [m]) - 3,185 km; Saint Lawrence river mouth (shared with US) - 3,058 km; Nelson - 2,570 km; Columbia river source (shared with the US [m]) - 1,953 km; Churchill - 1,600 km; Fraser - 1,368 km; Ottawa - 1,271 km; Athabasca - 1,231 km; North Saskatchewan - 1,220 km; Liard - 1,115 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Mississippi* (Gulf of Mexico) (3,202,185 sq km, Canada only 32,000 sq km), Nelson (Hudson Bay) (1,093,141 sq km), Saint Lawrence* (1,049,636 sq km, Canada only 839,200 sq km)Arctic Ocean drainage: Mackenzie (1,706,388 sq km)Pacific Ocean drainage: Yukon* (847,620 sq km, Canada only 823,800 sq km), Columbia* (657,501 sq km, Canada only 103,000 sq km)note - watersheds shared with the US shown with *

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0.08% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0.08% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

2.902 trillion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

2.639 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

28.07 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

4.888 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.95% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

81.7% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

25,103,034 tons (2014 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

5,168,715 tons (2008 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

20.6% (2008 est.)