Fun facts, stats, figures & lots of information on Canada

General information on Canada:

Vast and richly endowered in natural resources, Canada became independent in 1867 while still a part of the Commonwealth organisation. The economy of Canada is dramatically linked to its southern neighbour: the United States of America. Nevertheless, the country has to face the recurrent problem of the relationship between the province of Quebec, with its French-speaking population, and the other English-speaking provinces.

Geographical information on Canada:

Geographical Position: Northern America, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, the Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north.

Map Ref Latitude & Longitude 60 degrees 00' North, 95 degrees 00' W

Total Land & Sea Area: 9,985,000 square kms land area: 9,093,500 square kms Sea Area: 891,000 square kms

Land boundaries: Total: 8,890 kms Border countries: US 8,890 kms Coastal Length: 202,100 kms

Climatological information on Canada:

Temperate in the southern regions to arctic in the northern regions. Country terrain: Plains and mountains in the west of the country and lowlands in the southeast of it.

Highest & Lowest Elevations: Lowest elevation: Atlantic Ocean at mean sea level highest point: Mount Logan 5,960 meters

Natural resources : Lots of minings: iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver and fish, timber and lumber products, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower Land use: arable land area: 4.95 percent permanent crops: 0.03 percent other: 95.05 percent (1998 estimate.) Irrigated land area: 7,200 square kms (1998 estimate.)

Natural hazards: Permanent frost in the northern regions, cyclonic storms in the eastern Rocky Mountains.

Geographical information on Canada:

second-largest country in world; more than 80 percent of the population gathered within 350 kms of the US border.

Population: 32,207,120 (July 2003 estimate.) Age structure: Under 15: 18 percent From 15 to 65: 69 percent Over 65: 13 percent (2003 estimate.) Median age: Total: 37 years male: 36 years female: 38 years (2002) Population growth rate: 0.95 percent (2003 estimate.) Birth rate: 11 births/1,000 population (2003 estimate.) Death rate: 7.6 deaths/1,000 population (2003 estimate.) Net migration rate: 6 migrant /1,000 population (2003 estimate.) infant mortality rate: Total: 4.9 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 estimate.) male: 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births Life expectancy at birth: total population: 80 years male: 76 years female: 84 years (2003 estimate.) Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (2003 estimate.)

Nationality: Canadian

Ethnicity: British 30 percent, French 5 percent, other European 10 percent, Amerindian 1 percent, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 7 percent, mixed background 25 percent

Religions: Roman Catholic 45 percent, Protestant 35 percent, other 20 percent

Languages: English 60 percent (official), French 23 percent (official), other 17 percent Literacy: definition: age 15 and over that can read and write total population: 98 percent (1986 estimate.)

Government:

Government type: confederation with parliamentary democracy Capital city: Ottawa

Independence: 1 July 1867 (from UK) National holiday: Canada Day, 1 July (1867) 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 but with reservations.

Suffrage: All citizens eligible to vote from the age of 18 years

Executive branch: Head of State: Queen ELIZABETH II Head of government: Prime Minister cabinet: Federal Ministry Legislative branch: Bicameral Parliament: Senate and the House of Commons

Economy of Canada:

Economy – information on Canada: Very similar to its southern neighbour thanks to both Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed with the US and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) signed between Canada, the US and Mexico, Canada is a high-tech industrial society in in terms of economic system. Despite a recent recession of its economy, the recurrent disputes between French and English speaking people, Canada enjoys solid economic prospects, by the quantity of its natural resources, its skilled labor force. GDP - Gross Domestic Product: - $USD934 billion (2002 estimate.) GDP - Gross Domestic Product - growth rate: 3.5 percent (2002 estimate.) GDP - Gross Domestic Product - per capita: - $USD29,000 (2002 estimate.) GDP - Gross Domestic Product - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.5 percent industry: 26 percent services: 71 percent (2001 estimate.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2 percent (2002 estimate.) Labor force: 16.5 million (2001 estimate.) Labor force - by occupation: services 75 percent, manufacturing 14 percent, construction 4 percent, agriculture 4 percent, other 4 percent (2000) rate of unemployment: 7.5 percent (2002 estimate.)

Budget information on Canada: incomes: $USD179 billion spending: $USD161 billion, (Fiscal Year 00/01 estimate.)

Industries: Transportation , chemicals, minerals, food products; timber and lumber products; fishing, petroleum and natural gas Industrial production growth rate: 2 percent (2002 estimate.)

Agriculture - products:

Wheat, barley, oil, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy products; timber and lumber; fishing. Exports: $USD260 billion (2002 estimate.)

Exports - commodities: Vehicles, machinery, aircraft, telecommunications ; chemicals, paper, timber, petroleum, natural gas, electricity, aluminum Exports - partners: US 88 percent, Japan 2 percent, UK 1 percent (2002) Imports: $USD230 billion (2002 estimate.)

Imports - commodities: Machinery and equipment,vehicles , crude oil, chemicals, electricity, durable consumer goods Imports - partners: US 63 percent, China 4.5 percent, Japan 4.5 percent (2002) Debt - external: $USD2 billion $USDNA (2000) Economic aid - donor: ODA, $USD1.5 billion (1999)

Currency: Canadian dollar (CAD) Currency code: CAD

Communications in Canada:

Telephones: 20,802,900 (1999) Radio broadcast stations: Amplitude Modulation 535, Frequency Modulation 53, SW 6 (1998) Television stations: 80 Internet country code: .ca

Travel to Canada:

Railroad networks: Total: 49,422 kms Roading System: Total: 1.408 million kms

Pipelines: Oil 23,5 kms; natural gas 75,000 kms Airports: 1,390 (2002)

Military information on Canada:

Military branches: Canadian Armed Forces Military spending: $USD8 billion Military spending: - percent of GDP - Gross Domestic Product: 1 percent (Fiscal Year 01/02)

International Issues Disputes - international: Maritime disputes with the US and Denmark

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Information sourced and adapted from the CIA Factbook

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