Canada

confederation with parliamentary democracyIndependence 1 July 1867 (from UK)

Canada as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 75 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
1992

Every edition of Canada

Populationas each edition published it
27.35 million July 1992 · 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
1.8 children per woman 1992 · 1.7 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
7 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 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

13 fields
Total area
9,976,140km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than US
Coastline
243,791km
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitationExclusive fishing zone: 200 nmTerritorial sea: 12 nm
Land boundaries
8,893km with US
(includes 2,477 km with Alaska)

Land area

9,220,970 km2

Disputes

maritime boundary disputes with the 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 Russia); strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route

People

14 fields
Population
27,351,509
(July 1992), growth rate 1.3% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth
14Death
7Net migration
6

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 (1992)

Life expectancy at birth

74 years male, 81 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate

1.8 children born/woman (1992)

Nationality

noun - Canadian(s); adjective - Canadian

Religions

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

Languages

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

19 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

43.0%
Progressive Conservative Party 43.0%Liberal Party 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

Leaders

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 June 1986)

Political parties and leaders

  • Progressive Conservative Party, Brian MULRONEY;
  • Liberal Party, Jean CHRETIEN;
  • New Democratic Party, Audrey McLAUGHLIN

Suffrage

universal at age 18

Elections

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

Member of

ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, 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, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation

  • Ambassador Derek BURNEY;
  • Chancery at 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001;
  • telephone (202) 682-1740;
  • 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 Peter TEELEY;
  • Embassy at 100 Wellington Street, K1P 5T1, Ottawa (mailing address is P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburg, NY 13669-0430);
  • telephone (613) 238-5335 or (613) 238-4470;
  • FAX (613) 238-5720;
  • 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
Inflation, consumer prices
4.2%
(November 1991, annual rate)
Unemployment rate
10.3%
(November 1991)
External debt
$247billion
(1987)

Budget

Revenues
$111.8 billionExpenditures
$138.3 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. However, the continuing constitutional impasse between English- and French-speaking areas has observers discussing a possible split in the confederation; foreign investors are becoming edgy.

GDP

purchasing power equivalent - $521.5 billion, per capita $19,400; real growth rate -1.1% (1991 est.)

Exports

$124.0 billion (f.o.b., 1991)

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

Imports

$118 billion (c.i.f., 1991)

commodities:
crude petroleum, 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 -3.8% (August 1991); accounts for 34% of GDP

Electricity

106,464,000 kW capacity; 479,600 million kWh produced, 17,872 kWh per capita (1991)

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;
  • growing role as a transit point for heroin and cocaine entering the US market

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 - 1.1565 (January 1992), 1.1457 (1991), 1.1668 (1990), 1.1840 (1989), 1.2307 (1988), 1.3260 (1987)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

Communications

9 fields

Merchant marine, 70 ships by typeone square, one ship

passenger 1short-sea passenger 3passenger-cargo 2cargo 10railcar carrier 2refrigerated cargo 1roll-on/roll-off 8container 1petroleum tanker 28chemical tanker 5specialized tanker 1bulk; note - does not include ships used exclusively in the Great Lakes 870 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 500,904 GRT/727,118 DWT

Airports, 1,416 total, 1,168 usable

permanent-surface runways
455| runways over 3,659 m
4runways 2,440-3,659 m
30runways | 1,220-2,439 m
338

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

crude and refined oil 23,564 km; 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;
  • broadcast 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

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, 7,366,675;
  • 6,387,459 fit for military service;
  • 190,752 reach military age (17) annually

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $11.4 billion, 1.7% of GDP (FY91); $10.5 billion, NA% of GDP (FY 92)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Canada.” The World Factbook 1992. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/canada/1992.

How to cite ← 1991 edition 1993 edition →