Canada

A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867 while retaining 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.

• 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

• 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

• second-largest country in world (after Russia);
• strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route;
• approximately 85% of the population is concentrated within 300 km of the US border

0-14 years:

18.5% (male 3,052,005; female 2,903,007)

15-64 years:

68.6% (male 11,099,907; female 10,984,903)

65 years and over:

12.9% (male 1,774,262; female 2,393,029) (2003 est.)

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 (2003 est.)

noun:

Canadian(s)

adjective:

Canadian

definition:

age 15 and over can read and write

total population:

97% (1986 est.)

male:

NA%

female:

NA%

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Canada

• 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

chief of state:

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Adrienne CLARKSON (since 7 October 1999)

elections:

• none;
• the monarchy 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 or the leader of the majority coalition in the House of Commons is automatically designated prime minister by the governor general

head of government:

Prime Minister Paul MARTIN (since 12 December 2003); Deputy Prime Minister Anne MCLELLAN (since 12 December 2003)

cabinet:

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

• Supreme Court of Canada (judges are appointed by the prime minister through the governor general);
• Federal Court of Canada;
• Federal Court of Appeal;
• Provincial Courts (these are named variously Court of Appeal, Court of Queens Bench, Superior Court, Supreme Court, and Court of Justice)

• Bloc Quebecois [Gilles DUCEPPE];
• Canadian Alliance [Stephen HARPER];
• Liberal Party [Paul MARTIN];
• New Democratic Party [Jack LAYTON];
• Progressive Conservative Party [Peter MACKAY]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Michael F. KERGIN

chancery:

501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001

FAX:

[1] (202) 682-7726

telephone:

[1] (202) 682-1740

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

chief of mission:

Ambassador Paul CELLUCCI

embassy:

490 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1G8

mailing address:

P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburgh, NY 13669-0430

telephone:

[1] (613) 238-5335, 4470

FAX:

[1] (613) 688-3097

consulate(s) general:

Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, and Vancouver

• two vertical bands of red (hoist and fly side, half width), with white square between them;
• an 11-pointed red maple leaf is centered in the white square;
• the official colors of Canada are red and white

lowest 10%:

2.8%

highest 10%:

23.8% (1994)

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

• wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables;
• dairy products;
• forest products;
• fish

• motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft, telecommunications equipment;
• chemicals, plastics, fertilizers;
• wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity, aluminum

general assessment:

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)

total:

49,422 km

standard gauge:

49,422 km 1.435-m gauge (129 km electrified) (2002)

total:

1.408 million km

paved:

497,306 km (including 16,900 km of expressways)

unpaved:

911,494 km (2002)

• managed maritime boundary disputes with the US at Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and around the disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock;
• uncontested dispute with Denmark over Hans Island sovereignty in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland

• illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic drug market;
• use of hydroponics technology permits growers to plant large quantities of high-quality marijuana indoors;
• transit point for heroin and cocaine entering the US market;
• vulnerable to narcotics money laundering because of its mature financial services sector