Canada

confederation with parliamentary democracyIndependence 1 July 1867 (from UK)

Canada as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 70 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalOttawa
Area9,976,140 km2
1991

Every edition of Canada

Populationas each edition published it
26.84 million July 1991 · 26.54m in 1990
Population growth% a year
Not in this edition 1.28% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 37.8 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 77.98 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
1.7 children per woman 1991 · 1.7 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
7 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 7 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
Not in this edition $19,600 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
Not in this edition 0.9% in 1993

Geography

11 fields
Total area
9,976,140km2
land area: 9,220,970 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than US
Land boundaries
8,893km with US
(includes 2,477 km with Alaska)

Coastline

  • 243,791 km Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
  • Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
  • Territorial sea: 12 nm

Disputes

maritime boundary disputes with France (Saint Pierre and Miquelon) and US

Climate

varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north

Terrain

mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast

Natural resources

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

Land use

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

Environment

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

Note

second-largest country in world (after USSR); strategic location between USSR and US via north polar route

People

14 fields
Population
26,835,036
(July 1991), growth rate 1.1% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth
14Death
7Net migration
5

Ethnic divisions

British Isles origin 40%French origin 27%other European 20%indigenous Indian and Eskimo 1.5%
Literacy
99%
(male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981 est.)

Infant mortality rate

7 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth

74 years male, 81 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate

1.7 children born/woman (1991)

Nationality

noun--Canadian(s); adjective--Canadian

Religion

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

Language

English and French (both official)

Labor force

13,380,000; services 75%, manufacturing 14%, agriculture 4%, construction 3%, other 4% (1988)

Organized labor

30.6% of labor force; 39.6% of nonagricultural paid workers

Government

Confederation with parliamentary democracy

16 fields

House of Commons, 295 seats, elected 21 November 1988one dot, one seat

Progressive Conservative 159Liberal 80New Democratic Party 44independent 12

Percent of vote

Progressive Conservative 43.0%Liberal 32%New Democratic Party 20%other 5%

Type

confederation with parliamentary democracy

Capital

Ottawa

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*

Independence

1 July 1867 (from UK)

Constitution

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

National holiday

Canada Day, 1 July (1867)

Executive branch

British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament (Parlement) consists of an upper house or Senate (Senat) and a lower house or House of Commons (Chambre des Communes)

Judicial branch

  • Supreme Court Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Raymond John HNATSHYN (since 29 January 1990);
  • Head of Government--Prime Minister (Martin) Brian MULRONEY (since 4 September 1984);
  • Deputy Prime Minister Donald Frank MAZANKOWSKI (since NA June 1986) Progressive Conservative, Brian MULRONEY;
  • Liberal, Jean CHRETIEN;
  • New Democratic, Audrey McLAUGHLIN

Suffrage

  • universal at age 18 House of Commons--last held 21 November 1988 (next to be held by November 1993);
  • results--Progressive Conservative 43.0%, Liberal 32%, New Democratic Party 20%, other 5%;
  • seats--(295 total) Progressive Conservative 159, Liberal 80, New Democratic Party 44, independent 12

Member of

ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), APEC, AsDB, BIS, C, CCC, CDB, COCOM, CP, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, FAO, G-7, G-8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NATO, NEA, OAS, OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

  • Ambassador Derek BURNEY;
  • Chancery at 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036;
  • telephone (202) 785-1400;
  • there are Canadian Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle;
  • US--Ambassador Edward N. NEY;
  • Embassy at 100 Wellington Street, K1P 5T1, Ottawa (mailing address is P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburg, NY 13669-0430);
  • telephone (613) 248-25256, 25106, 25271, and 25170;
  • there are US Consulates General in 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

Economy

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.

17 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$516.7billion
per capita $19,500; real growth rate 0.9% (1990)
External debt
$247billion
(1987)

Budget

Revenues
$105.8 billionExpenditures
$131.6 billion
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY90 est.)

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. In mid-1990, however, the long-simmering problems between English- and French-speaking areas became so acute that observers spoke openly of a possible split in the confederation; foreign investors were becoming edgy.

Exports

  • $126.7 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
  • commodities--newsprint, wood pulp, timber, grain, crude petroleum, machinery, natural gas, ferrous and nonferrous ores, motor vehicles and parts;
  • partners--US, Japan, UK, FRG, other EC, USSR

Imports

  • $116.3 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
  • commodities--processed foods, beverages, crude petroleum, chemicals, industrial machinery, motor vehicles and parts, durable consumer goods, electronic computers;
  • partners--US, Japan, UK, FRG, other EC, Taiwan, South Korea, Mexico

Industrial production

growth rate - 2.7% (1990); accounts for 34% of GDP

Electricity

105,000,000 kW capacity; 500,000 million kWh produced, 18,840 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries

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

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

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

Economic aid

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

Currency

Canadian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Canadian dollar (Can$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$1--1.1559 (January 1991), 1.1668 (1990), 1.1840 (1989), 1.2307 (1988), 1.3260 (1987), 1.3895 (1986), 1.3655 (1985)

Fiscal year

1 April-31 March

Communications

9 fields

Merchant marine, 75 ships by typeone square, one ship

passenger 1short-sea passenger 5passenger-cargo 2cargo 13railcar carrier 2refrigerated cargo 1roll-on/roll-off 8container 1petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 27chemical tanker 6specialized tanker 1bulk; note--does not include ships used exclusively in the Great Lakes 875 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 532,062 GRT/727,118 DWT

Airports, 1,397 total, 1,154 usable

permanent-surface runways
443runways over 3,659 m
4runways 2,440-3,659 m
30runways 1,220-2,439 m
328

Networkskm

Highways
884,272Railroads
93,544Inland waterways
3,000
Highways: ; 712,936 km surfaced (250,023 km paved), 171,336 km earth · Railroads: ; two major transcontinental freight railway systems--Canadian National (government owned) and Canadian Pacific Railway; passenger service--VIA (government operated) · Inland waterways: , including Saint Lawrence Seaway

Railroads

  • 93,544 km total;
  • two major transcontinental freight railway systems--Canadian National (government owned) and Canadian Pacific Railway;
  • passenger service--VIA (government operated)

Highways

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

Inland waterways

3,000 km, including Saint Lawrence Seaway

Pipelines

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

Ports

Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Saint John (New Brunswick), Saint John's (Newfoundland), Toronto, Vancouver

Civil air

636 major transport aircraft; Air Canada is the major carrier

Telecommunications

  • excellent service provided by modern media;
  • 18.0 million telephones;
  • stations--900 AM, 29 FM, 53 (1,400 repeaters) TV;
  • 5 coaxial submarine cables;
  • over 300 earth stations operating in INTELSAT (including 4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) and domestic systems

Defense Forces

Canadian Armed Forces (including Mobile Command, Maritime Command, Air Command, Communications Command, Canadian Forces Europe, Training Commands), Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)

3 fields
Defense expenditures
$11.3billion
2% of GDP (FY90)

Branches

Canadian Armed Forces (including Mobile Command, Maritime Command, Air Command, Communications Command, Canadian Forces Europe, Training Commands), Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)

Manpower availability

  • males 15-49, 7,243,909;
  • 6,297,520 fit for military service;
  • 188,996 reach military age (17) annually

Central Intelligence Agency. “Canada.” The World Factbook 1991. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/canada/1991.

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