Match 46 DB Rec# - 7,498 Dataset-WOFACT
Title :Canada
Text :
Canada
Geography
Location:
Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and North Pacific
Ocean, north of the conterminous US
Map references:
North America
Area:
total area:
9,976,140 sq km
land area:
9,220,970 sq km
comparative area:
slightly larger than US
Land boundaries:
total 8,893 km, US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska)
Coastline:
243,791 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
maritime boundary disputes with the US; Saint Pierre and Miquelon is focus
of maritime boundary dispute between Canada and France
Climate:
varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north
Terrain:
mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast
Natural resources:
nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, silver, fish, timber,
wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas
Land use:
arable land:
5%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
3%
forest and woodland:
35%
other:
57%
Irrigated land:
8,400 sq km (1989 est.)
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
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 American interior, and produce most
of the country's rain and snow
Geography
international agreements:
party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine
Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94,
Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Desertification, Law of the Sea
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 in the region near the US/Canada border
People
Population:
28,434,545 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
21% (female 2,874,705; male 3,016,050)
15-64 years:
67% (female 9,529,272; male 9,531,107)
65 years and over:
12% (female 2,022,324; male 1,461,087) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.09% (1995 est.)
Birth rate:
13.74 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate:
7.43 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate:
4.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
6.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
78.29 years
male:
74.93 years
female:
81.81 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.83 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Canadian(s)
adjective:
Canadian
Ethnic divisions:
British Isles origin 40%, French origin 27%, other European 20%, indigenous
Indian and Eskimo 1.5%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 46%, United Church 16%, Anglican 10%, other 28%
Languages:
English (official), French (official)
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1986)
total population:
97%
Labor force:
13.38 million
by occupation:
services 75%, manufacturing 14%, agriculture 4%, construction 3%, other 4%
(1988)
Government
Names:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Canada
Digraph:
CA
Type:
confederation with parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Ottawa
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*
Independence:
1 July 1867 (from UK)
National holiday:
Canada Day, 1 July (1867)
Constitution:
amended British North America Act 1867 patriated to Canada 17 April 1982;
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
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (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) was elected on 25
October 1993, replacing Kim CAMBELL; Deputy Prime Minister Sheila COPPS
cabinet:
Federal Ministry; chosen by the prime minister from members of his own party
sitting in Parliament
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament (Parlement)
Senate (Senat):
consisting of a body whose members are appointed to serve until 75 years of
age by the governor general and selected on the advice of the prime
minister; its normal limit 104 senators
House of Commons (Chambre des Communes):
elections last held 25 October 1993 (next to be held by NA October 1998);
results - percent of votes by party NA; seats - (295 total) Liberal Party
178, Bloc Quebecois 54, Reform Party 52, New Democratic Party 8, Progressive
Conservative Party 2, independents 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Liberal Party, Jean CHRETIEN; Bloc Quebecois, Lucien BOUCHARD; Reform Party,
Preston MANNING; New Democratic Party, Audrey McLAUGHLIN; Progressive
Conservative Party, Jean CHAREST
Government
Member of:
ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CDB
(non-regional), EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, ESA (cooperating state), FAO, G- 7, G- 8,
G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, ONUSAL, OSCE,
PCA, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM,
UNITAR, UNOMOZ, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in 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, San Jose, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador James Johnston BLANCHARD
embassy:
100 Wellington Street, K1P 5T1, Ottawa
mailing address:
P. O. Box 5000, 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:
three vertical bands of red (hoist side), white (double width, square), and
red with a red maple leaf centered in the white band
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. In the 1980s, Canada
registered one of the highest rates of real growth among the OECD nations,
averaging about 3.2%. With its great natural resources, skilled labor force,
and modern capital plant, Canada has excellent economic prospects, although
the country still faces high unemployment and a growing debt. Moreover, the
continuing constitutional impasse between English- and French-speaking areas
has observers discussing a possible split in the confederation; foreign
investors have become edgy.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power parity - $639.8 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate:
4.5% (1994)
National product per capita:
$22,760 (1994)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.2% (1994)
Unemployment rate:
9.6% (December 1994)
Budget:
revenues:
$85 billion (Federal)
expenditures:
$115.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY93/94 est.)
Exports:
$164.3 billion (f.o.b., 1994 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:
$151.5 billion (c.i.f., 1994 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
External debt:
$243 billion (1993)
Industrial production:
growth rate 4.8% (1993)
Electricity:
capacity:
108,090,000 kW
production:
511 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
16,133 kWh (1993)
Industries:
processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products,
transportation equipment, chemicals, fish products, petroleum and natural
gas
Economy
Agriculture:
accounts for about 3% of GDP; one of the world's major producers and
exporters of grain (wheat and barley); key source of US agricultural
imports; large forest resources cover 35% of total land area; commercial
fisheries provide annual catch of 1.5 million metric tons, of which 75% is
exported
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
Economic aid:
donor:
ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $7.2 billion
Currency:
1 Canadian dollar (Can$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$1 - 1.4129 (January 1995), 1.3656 (1994),
1.2901 (1993), 1.2087 (1992), 1.1457 (1991), 1.1668 (1990)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Transportation
Railroads:
total:
78,148 km; note - there are two major transcontinental freight railway
systems: Canadian National (government owned) and Canadian Pacific Railway;
passenger service provided by VIA (government operated)
standard gauge:
78,148 km 1.435-m gauge (185 km electrified) (1994)
Highways:
total:
849,404 km
paved:
253,692 km (15,983 km of expressways)
unpaved:
gravel 595,712 km (1991)
Inland waterways:
3,000 km, including Saint Lawrence Seaway
Pipelines:
crude and refined oil 23,564 km; natural gas 74,980 km
Ports:
Becancour, Churchill, Halifax, Montreal, New Westminister, Prince Rupert,
Quebec, Saint John (New Brunswick), Saint John's (Newfoundland), Seven
Islands, Sydney, Three Rivers, Toronto, Vancouver, Windsor
Merchant marine:
total:
71 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 617,010 GRT/878,819 DWT
ships by type:
bulk 17, cargo 10, chemical tanker 5, oil tanker 23, passenger 1,
passenger-cargo 1, railcar carrier 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 7, short-sea
passenger 3, specialized tanker 2
note:
does not include ships used exclusively in the Great Lakes
Airports:
total:
1,386
with paved runways over 3,047 m:
17
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:
16
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m:
147
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
234
with paved runways under 914 m:
550
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m:
69
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
353
Communications
Telephone system:
18,000,000 telephones; excellent service provided by modern media
local:
NA
intercity:
about 300 earth stations for domestic satellite communications
international:
5 coaxial submarine cables; 5 INTELSAT earth stations (4 Atlantic Ocean and
1 Pacific Ocean)
Radio:
broadcast stations:
AM 900, FM 29, shortwave 0
radios:
NA
Television:
broadcast stations:
53 (repeaters 1,400)
televisions:
NA
Defense Forces
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)
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 7,570,877; males fit for military service 6,522,092; males
reach military age (17) annually 151,590 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $9.0 billion, 1.6% of GDP (FY95/96)
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The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995
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