Canada
federation with parliamentary democracyIndependence 1 July 1867 (from UK)
Canada as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 108 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, from 1867 on Canada has enjoyed de facto independence while retaining, even to the present day, certain formal ties to the British crown. Economically and technologically the nation has developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across an unfortified border. Its paramount political problem continues to be the relationship of the province of Quebec, with its French-speaking residents and unique culture, to the remainder of the country.
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-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, 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-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
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 160 km of the US/Canada border
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1999 est.)
Religions(1991)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 20% (male 3,105,944; female 2,960,171)
- 15-64 years:
- 68% (male 10,587,553; female 10,461,455)
- 65 years and over:
- 12% (male 1,652,044; female 2,239,180) (1999 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:
- 0.74 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.98 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
British Isles origin 40%, French origin 27%, other European 20%, Amerindian 1.5%, other, mostly Asian 11.5%
Government
Federation with parliamentary democracy; Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Romeo Le BLANC (since 8 February 1995); Prime Minister Jean CHRETIEN (since 4 November 1993)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Legislature, 301 seatsseats by party
Percent of vote
Administrative divisions
10 provinces and 3 territories*; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories*, Nova Scotia, Nunavut*, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory*
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 (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Romeo Le BLANC (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 monarch is hereditary;
- governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister for a five-year term;
- 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 (301 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
- elections:
- House of Commons--last held 2 June 1997 (next to be held by NA June 2002)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party--Liberal Party 38%, Reform Party 19%, Tories 19%, Bloc Quebecois 11%, New Democratic Party 11%, other 2%;
- seats by party--Liberal Party 155, Reform Party 60, Bloc Quebecois 44, New Democratic Party 21, Progressive Conservative Party 20, independents 1
Judicial branch
Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the prime minister through the governor general
International organization participation
ACCT, AfDB, APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE (observer), CP, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, ESA (cooperating state), FAO, G- 7, 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, MINURCA, MIPONUH, MTCR, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, 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
- consulate(s) general:
- Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, and Seattle
- consulate(s):
- Miami, Princeton, San Francisco, and San Jose
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Gordon D. GIFFIN
- embassy:
- 100 Wellington Street, K1P 5T1, Ottawa
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburg, NY 13669-0430
- 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
31 fieldsGDP--composition by sector(1998)
Electricity
Economy--overview
As an affluent, high-tech industrial society, Canada today closely 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.
Real rates of growth have averaged nearly 3.0% since 1993. Unemployment is falling and government budget surpluses are being partially devoted to reducing the large public sector debt. The 1989 US-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (which included Mexico) have touched off a dramatic increase in trade and economic integration with the US. With its great natural resources, skilled labor force, and modern capital plant Canada can anticipate solid economic prospects in the future.
The continuing constitutional impasse between English- and French-speaking areas is raising the possibility of a split in the federation, making foreign investors somewhat edgy.
Labor force--by occupation
services 75%, manufacturing 16%, construction 5%, agriculture 3%, other 1% (1997)
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;
- fish
Exports--commodities
motor vehicles and parts, newsprint, wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, machinery, natural gas, aluminum, telecommunications equipment
Imports--commodities
machinery and equipment, crude oil, chemicals, motor vehicles and parts, durable consumer goods
Exchange rates
Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$1--1.5192 (January 1999), 1.4835 (1998), 1.3846 (1997), 1.3635 (1996), 1.3724 (1995), 1.3656 (1994)
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)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 334, FM 35, shortwave 7 (one of the shortwave stations, Radio Canada International, has six transmitters, 48 frequencies, and broadcasts in seven languages; the transmissions are relayed by repeaters in Europe and Asia) (1998)
Transportation
10 fieldsMerchant marine, 109 ships by typeships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,489,110 GRT/2,205,274 DWT
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 67,773 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:
- 67,773 km 1.435-m gauge (183 km electrified) (1996)
Highways
- total:
- 912,200 km
- paved:
- 246,400 km (including 16,600 km of expressways)
- unpaved:
- 665,800 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors
Becancour (Quebec), Churchill, Halifax, Hamilton, Montreal, New Westminster, Prince Rupert, Quebec, Saint John (New Brunswick), St. John's (Newfoundland), Sept Isles, Sydney, Trois-Rivieres, 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)
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
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Canada.” The World Factbook 1999. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/canada/1999.