Canada

• 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 km

note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

• vast majority of the population lives in a discontinuous band within approximately 300 km (186 mi) of the southern border with the United States;
• the most populated province is Ontario, followed by Quebec and British Columbia

• 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 mountains

volcanism:

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

noun:

Canadian(s)

adjective:

Canadian

total:

42.8 years (2025 est.)

male:

41.4 years

female:

43.8 years

• vast majority of the population lives in a discontinuous band within approximately 300 km (186 mi) of the southern border with the United States;
• the most populated province is Ontario, followed by Quebec and British Columbia

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.85 male(s)/female

total population:

0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

3.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

4.5 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

4 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

84.2 years (2024 est.)

male:

81.9 years

female:

86.6 years

total:

8 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

3.5 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

2 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

2.1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0.4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

10.1% (2025 est.)

male:

12.3% (2025 est.)

female:

8% (2025 est.)

• air pollution and acid rain from vehicle emissions, coal-burning, and metal smelting severely affecting lakes and forests;
• seawater pollution from agriculture, industry, mining, and forestry

urban population:

81.9% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

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

energy:

2,787.3 kt (2022-2024 est.)

agriculture:

1,049.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste:

816.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)

other:

39.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

25.103 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

23.1% (2022 est.)

municipal:

4.869 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial:

27.357 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural:

3.859 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

total global geoparks and regional networks:

5

global geoparks and regional networks:

• Perce;
• Stonehammer;
• Tumbler Ridge;
• Cliffs of Fundy;
• Discovery (2023)

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Canada

etymology:

the name is probably derived from the Huron or Iroquois word kanata , meaning village or camp

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

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

amendment process:

• 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

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

chief of state:

King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Mary SIMON (since 26 July 2021)

head of government:

Prime Minister Mark CARNEY (since 14 March 2025)

cabinet:

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

election/appointment process:

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

note: the governor general position is largely ceremonial

legislature name:

Parliament of Canada - Parlement du Canada

legislative structure:

bicameral

chamber name:

House of Commons

number of seats:

343 (all directly elected)

electoral system:

plurality/majority

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

4 years

most recent election date:

4/28/2025

parties elected and seats per party:

• Liberal Party (169);
• Conservative Party (144);
• Bloc Québécois (BQ) (22);
• Other (30)

percentage of women in chamber:

30.3%

expected date of next election:

October 2029

chamber name:

Senate

number of seats:

105 (all appointed)

percentage of women in chamber:

54.8%

highest court(s):

Supreme Court of Canada (consists of the chief justice and 8 judges)

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

• Bloc Québécois
• Conservative Party of Canada or CPC
• Green Party of Canada
• Liberal Party of Canada
• New Democratic Party

chief of mission:

Ambassador Pete HOEKSTRA (since 29 April 2025)

embassy:

490 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1G8

mailing address:

5480 Ottawa Place, Washington DC 20521-5480

telephone:

[1] (613) 688-5335

FAX:

[1] (613) 241-7845

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://ca.usembassy.gov/

consulate(s) general:

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

consulate(s):

Winnipeg

description:

two vertical bands of red on each side, with a white square between them; a large 11-pointed red maple leaf is centered in the white square

meaning:

the maple leaf is a national symbol

total World Heritage Sites:

22 (10 cultural, 11 natural, 1 mixed) (2021)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• L'Anse aux Meadows (c);
• Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks (n);
• Dinosaur Provincial Park (n);
• Historic District of Old Quebec (c);
• Old Town Lunenburg (c);
• Wood Buffalo National Park (n);
• Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump (c);
• Gros Morne National Park (n);
• Pimachiowin Aki (m)

• high-income economy and second-largest US trading partner;
• key timber, oil, and gas industries;
• trade uncertainties and weak business investments contributing to economic slowdown;
• high and growing public debt;
• inflation moderating but remains above target range

agriculture:

1.6% (2021 est.)

industry:

25.3% (2021 est.)

services:

66.4% (2021 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

13% (2024 est.)

male:

13.8% (2024 est.)

female:

12.1% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

on food:

9.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

3.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

lowest 10%:

3.5% (2020 est.)

highest 10%:

23.4% (2020 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Number of operational nuclear reactors:

17 (2025)

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors:

12.71GW (2025 est.)

Percent of total electricity production:

13.7% (2023 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down:

8 (2025)

production:

50.687 million metric tons (2023 est.)

consumption:

20.092 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports:

35.447 million metric tons (2023 est.)

imports:

7.03 million metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

6.582 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

total petroleum production:

5.688 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

2.377 million bbl/day (2024 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

170.3 billion barrels (2021 est.)

production:

194.105 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption:

131.887 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports:

82.537 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports:

29.058 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

2.067 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

• 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;
• a total of about 150 TV stations, accessible via multi-channel satellite and cable systems;
• mix of public and commercial radio, with over 1,000 licensed stations;
• public broadcaster Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) provides 4 radio networks, Radio Canada International, and radio services to ethnic populations in the north (2016)

total:

49,422 km (2021) note: 129 km electrified (2021)

standard gauge:

49,422 km (2021) 1.435-m gauge

total ports:

284 (2024)

large:

4

medium:

14

small:

58

very small:

149

size unknown:

59

ports with oil terminals:

59

key ports:

Argentia, Canaport (St. John), Halifax, Hamilton, Montreal, New Westminster, Pond Inlet, Prince Rupert, Quebec, Sept Iles, St. John, Sydney, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Trois Rivieres, Vancouver, Victoria Harbor, Windsor

• the CAF's inventory is a mix of domestically produced and imported weapons systems from Australia, Europe, Israel, the UK, and the US;
• in recent years, the leading supplier has been the US;
• Canada's defense industry develops, maintains, and produces a range of equipment, including aircraft, combat vehicles, naval vessels, and associated components;
• it also collaborates with the defense industries of allied countries such as the UK (2025)

• has a national space strategy and a long history of developing space-related technologies;
• designs, builds, operates, and tracks communications, remote sensing (RS), multi-mission, and scientific/testing satellites;
• has an astronaut program;
• involved in the development and production of advanced communications systems, lunar rovers, planetary probes, robotics, sensors, and space telescopes;
• participates in international space programs, including the International Space Station, the Hubble Space Telescope, the Square Kilometer Array radio telescope, and the James Webb Space Telescope;
• Cooperating State of the ESA since 1979 and participates in a variety of ESA programs, such as the Copernicus Earth observation project;
• works with numerous foreign space agencies and commercial entities, including those of Argentina, Brazil, individual ESA and EU member states, Japan, India, and particularly the US;
• has an active commercial space sector (2025)

• 1959-1962 - launched first domestically built sounding rocket (Black Brant 1); first domestically designed and built satellite (Alouette) launched by US
• 1972-1973 - first domestic communications satellites (Anik A-1 and Anik A-2) launched by US, making Canada first country to employ satellites for domestic communications
• 1970s - began participating in US Space Shuttle (first Canadian in space on Shuttle in 1984) and US Mars probe/exploration programs
• 1995 - first Canadian-built, radar-capable remote sensing satellite (Radarsat-1) launched by US
• 2019 - began participating in US/NASA Lunar Gateway orbital station program; launched constellation of remote sensing satellites (RADARSAT Constellation Mission)
• 2020 - signed the US-led Artemis Accords for space exploration (active participant in planned Moon missions under the Artemis program)

refugees:

561,551 (2024 est.)

IDPs:

1,981 (2024 est.)

stateless persons:

8,166 (2024 est.)