Canada
confederation with parliamentary democracyIndependence 1 July 1867 (from UK)
Canada as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 100 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean | and North Pacific Ocean, north of the conterminous US
18 fieldsLand useshare of 9,976,140 sq km
Location
Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and North Pacific Ocean, north of the conterminous US
Natural resources
nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas
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
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
Environment - 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, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:
- Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea
Geography - 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
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1997 est.)
Religions(1991)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 20% (male 3,101,968; female 2,957,927)
- 15-64 years:
- 68% (male 10,333,085; female 10,201,996)
- 65 years and over:
- 12% (male 1,583,643; female 2,158,715) (July 1997 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.73 male(s)/female
- total population :
- 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Ethnic groups
British Isles origin 40%, French origin 27%, other European 20%, Amerindian 1.5%, other, mostly Asian 11.5%
Government
Confederation with parliamentary democracy; Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Romeo LeBLANC (since 8 February 1995); Prime Minister Jean CHRETIEN (since 4 November 1993)
20 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Legislature, 295 seatsone dot, one seat
Percent of vote
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* note: the Northwest Territories will be split in two as of April 1999; the eastern section will be renamed Nunavut, the west is as yet unnamed
Constitution
- 17 April 1982 (Constitution Act);
- originally, the machinery of the government was set up in the British North America Act of 1867;
- charter of rights and unwritten customs
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
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Romeo LeBLANC (since 8 February 1995)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Jean CHRETIEN (since 4 November 1993)
- cabinet :
- Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister from among the members of his own party sitting in Parliament
- elections:
- none;
- the queen is a hereditary monarch;
- governor general appointed by the queen on the advice of the prime minister;
- following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party in the House of Commons is automatically designated by the governor general to become prime minister
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (a body whose members are appointed to serve until reaching 75 years of age by the governor general and selected on the advice of the prime minister; its normal limit is 104 senators) and the House of Commons or Chambre des Communes (295 seats; note - number of seats will rise to 301 at the time of the next election; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
- elections:
- House of Commons - last held 25 October 1993 (next to be held by 3 November 1998)
- election results:
- percent of votes by party - Liberal Party 41%, Reform Party 19%, Tories 16%, Bloc Quebecois 14%, New Democratic Party 7%, other 3%;
- seats by party - Liberal Party 177, Bloc Quebecois 53, Reform Party 52, New Democratic Party 9, Progressive Conservative Party 2, independents 2
Judicial branch
Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the prime minister through the governor general
Political parties and leaders
- Liberal Party [Jean CHRETIEN];
- Bloc Quebecois [Michel GAUTHIER (until March 1997)];
- Reform Party [Preston MANNING];
- New Democratic Party [Alexa MCDONOUGH];
- Progressive Conservative Party [Jean CHAREST]
International organization participation
ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE (observer), 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, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission :
- Ambassador Raymond A. J. CHRETIEN
- chancery:
- 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 682-1740
FAX
[1] (202) 682-7726
- consulate(s) general :
- Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, and Seattle
- consulate(s):
- Cincinnati, Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Princeton, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador (vacant)
- embassy :
- 100 Wellington Street, K1P 5T1, Ottawa
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 866, Ogdensburg, NY 13669-0430
- telephone :
- [1] (613) 238-5335, 4470
FAX
[1] (613) 238-5720; consulate(s) general: Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, and Vancouver
Flag description
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.
22 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(1996)
Economy - 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 - especially in Quebec and the Maritime Provinces - 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.
Industries
processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, transportation equipment, chemicals, fish products, petroleum and natural gas
Agriculture - products
- 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
Exports
- total value:
- $195.4 billion (f.o.b., 1996 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
Imports
- total value:
- $169.5 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
- commodities :
- crude oil, chemicals, motor vehicles and parts, durable consumer goods, electronic computers; telecommunications equipment and parts
- partners:
- US, Japan, UK, Germany, France, Mexico, Taiwan, South Korea
Exchange rates
Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$1 - 1.3486 (January 1997), 1.3635 (1996), 1.37241 (1995), 1.3656 (1994), 1.2901 (1993), 1.2087 (1992)
Communications
6 fieldsTelephone 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)
Transportation
10 fieldsMerchant marine, 60 ships by typeone square, one ship · ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 557,941 GRT/775,391 DWT
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 70,176 km; note - there are two major transcontinental 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
- standard gauge:
- 70,000 km 1.435-m gauge (63 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 176 km 0.914-m gauge (1995)
Highways
- total:
- 1.021 million km
- paved:
- 358,371 km (including 19,000 km of expressways)
- unpaved:
- 662,629 km (1995 est.)
Ports and harbors
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
Military
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)
7 fieldsMilitary 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)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
- maritime boundary disputes with the US (Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Machias Seal Island);
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon is focus of maritime boundary dispute between Canada and France;
- in 1992 an arbitration panel awarded the islands an exclusive economic zone area of 12,348 sq km to settle the dispute
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 CAPE VERDE
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Canada.” The World Factbook 1997. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/canada/1997.