| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
North America |
| Geographical Location |
60° 00' North Latitude
95° 00' West Longitude |
| Surface Area |
9,984,670 sq km |
| Climate |
Varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north |
| Natural Resources |
Iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower |
|
| Political Information |
 |
|
| Country Name |
Canada |
| Capital City |
Ottawa |
| Government Type |
Confederation with parliamentary democracy |
| Administrative Divisions |
10 provinces and 3 territories*; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories*,
Nova Scotia, Nunavut*, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory* |
| Independence Day |
1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December 1931 (independence recognized) |
|
| Demographical Information |
|
|
| Population |
32,805,041 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Canadian |
| Ethnic Groups |
British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%, Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed background 26% |
| Religion |
Roman Catholic 46%, Protestant 36%, other 18% |
| Languages |
English 59.3% (official), French 23.2% (official), other 17.5% |
| Population Growth Rate |
0.9% (2005 est.) |
|
| Economical Information |
|
|
| Currency |
Canadian dollar (CAD) |
| Industries |
Transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products; wood and paper products; fish products, petroleum and natural gas |
| Labor Force |
17.37 million (2004) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 3%, manufacturing 15%, construction 5%, services 74%, other 3% (2000) |
| Agriculture Products |
Wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy products; forest products; fish |
| Export Commodities |
Motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft, telecommunications equipment; chemicals, plastics, fertilizers;
wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity, aluminum |
| Export Partners |
US 85.2%, Japan 2.1%, UK 1.6% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil, chemicals, electricity, durable consumer goods |
| Import Partners |
US 58.9%, China 6.8%, Mexico 3.8% (2004) |
|
| Transportation |
|
|
| Railways |
48,909 km |
| Highways |
1,408,800 km |
| Pipelines |
Crude and refined oil 23,564 km; liquid petroleum gas 74,980 km (2003) |
| Airports |
1,326 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Fraser River Port, Goderich, Montreal, Port Cartier, Quebec, Saint John's (Newfoundland), Sept Isles, Vancouver |
|
| Communication |
|
|
| Phone Code |
+1 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.ca |
|
| Other |
|
|
| Short History |
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.
Canada's paramount political problem is meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care and education services after a decade of budget cuts.
The issue of reconciling Quebec's francophone heritage with the majority anglophone Canadian population has moved to the back burner in recent years;
support for separatism abated after the Quebec government's referendum on independence failed to pass in October of 1995. |
|
