Canada

• 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 90% of the population is concentrated within 160 km of the US border

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:

0.75 male(s)/female

total population:

0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

noun:

Canadian(s)

adjective:

Canadian

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Canada

name:

Ottawa

geographic coordinates:

45 25 N, 75 40 W

time difference:

UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)

daylight saving time:

+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November

note: Canada is divided into six time zones

• made up of unwritten and written acts, customs, judicial decisions, and traditions;
• the written part of the constitution consists of the Constitution Act of 29 March 1867, which created a federation of four provinces, and the Constitution Act of 17 April 1982, which transferred formal control over the constitution from Britain to Canada, and added a Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as procedures for constitutional amendments

chief of state:

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Michaelle JEAN (since 27 September 2005)

head of government:

Prime Minister Stephen HARPER (since 6 February 2006)

cabinet:

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

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

• 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];
• Conservative Party of Canada (a merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party) [Stephen HARPER];
• Green Party [Elizabeth MAY];
• Liberal Party [Stephane DION];
• New Democratic Party [Jack LAYTON]

chief of mission:

Ambassador David H. WILKINS

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) 688-3082

consulate(s) general:

Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg

• 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

• 15.9%;
• note - this figure is the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO), a calculation that results in higher figures than found in many comparable economies;
• Canada does not have an official poverty line (2003)

lowest 10%:

2.8%

highest 10%:

23.8% (1994)

• 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:

• country code - 1-xxx;
• 5 coaxial submarine cables;
• satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) and 2 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)

total:

48,467 km

standard gauge:

48,467 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)

total:

1,042,300 km

paved:

415,600 km (including 17,000 km of expressways)

unpaved:

626,700 km (2005)

males age 16-49:

8,216,510

females age 16-49:

8,034,939 (2005 est.)

males age 16-49:

6,740,490

females age 16-49:

6,580,868 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49:

223,821

females age 16-49:

212,900 (2005 est.)

• 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;
• working toward greater cooperation with US in monitoring people and commodities crossing the border;
• uncontested sovereignty dispute with Denmark over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland

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