Legend:
 Definition
 Field
Listing
 Rank
Order
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Background:
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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
faces the political challenges of meeting public demands for
quality improvements in health care and education services,
as well as responding to separatist concerns in
predominantly francophone Quebec. Canada also aims to
develop its diverse energy resources while maintaining its
commitment to the environment. |
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Location:
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Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean
on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic
Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous US
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Geographic coordinates:
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60 00 N, 95 00 W
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Map references:
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North America |
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Area:
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total: 9,984,670 sq km
land: 9,093,507 sq km
water: 891,163 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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somewhat larger than the US |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 8,893 km
border countries: US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with
Alaska)
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Coastline:
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202,080 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the
continental margin |
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Climate:
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varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in
north |
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Terrain:
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mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in
southeast |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Logan 5,959 m |
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Natural resources:
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iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum,
potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal,
petroleum, natural gas, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land: 4.57%
permanent crops: 0.65%
other: 94.78% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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7,850 sq km (2003)
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Natural hazards:
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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
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen
Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air
Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile
Organic Compounds, Marine Life Conservation |
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Geography - note:
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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 |
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Population:
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33,390,141 (July 2007 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 17.3% (male 2,967,383/female 2,824,189)
15-64 years: 69.2% (male 11,604,723/female
11,490,839)
65 years and over: 13.5% (male 1,927,035/female
2,575,972) (2007 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 39.1 years
male: 38.1 years
female: 40.2 years (2007 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.869% (2007 est.)
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Birth rate:
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10.75 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Death rate:
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7.86 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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5.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.051 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.748 male(s)/female
total population: 0.977 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 4.63 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.08 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 80.34 years
male: 76.98 years
female: 83.86 years (2007 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.61 children born/woman (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.3% (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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56,000 (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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1,500 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Canadian(s)
adjective: Canadian |
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Ethnic groups:
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British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European
15%, Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%,
mixed background 26% |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 42.6%, Protestant 23.3% (including United
Church 9.5%, Anglican 6.8%, Baptist 2.4%, Lutheran 2%),
other Christian 4.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other and unspecified
11.8%, none 16% (2001 census) |
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Languages:
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English (official) 59.3%, French (official) 23.2%, other
17.5% |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Canada |
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Government type:
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constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary
democracy and a federation |
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Capital:
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name: Ottawa
geographic coordinates: 45 25 N, 75 42 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 |
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Administrative divisions:
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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*
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Independence:
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1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11
December 1931 (recognized by UK) |
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National holiday:
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Canada Day, 1 July (1867) |
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Constitution:
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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 |
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Legal system:
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based on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil
law system based on French law prevails; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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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
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or
Senat (105 seats; members appointed by the governor general
with the advice of the prime minister and serve until
reaching 75 years of age) and the House of Commons or
Chambre des Communes (308 seats; members elected by direct,
popular vote to serve four-year terms starting in 2009
elections)
elections: House of Commons - last held 23 January
2006 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: House of Commons - percent of vote
by party - Conservative Party 36.3%, Liberal Party 30.2%,
New Democratic Party 17.5%, Bloc Quebecois 10.5%, Greens
4.5%, other 1%; seats by party - Conservative Party 124,
Liberal Party 102, New Democratic Party 29, Bloc Quebecois
51, other 2; seats by party as of February 2007 -
Conservative Party 125, Liberal Party 100, New Democratic
Party 29, Bloc Quebecois 51, other 2
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Judicial branch:
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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) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Bloc Quebecois [Gilles DUCEPPE]; Conservative Party of
Canada [Stephen HARPER] (a merger of the Canadian Alliance
and the Progressive Conservative Party); Green Party
[Elizabeth MAY]; Liberal Party [Stephane DION]; New
Democratic Party [Jack LAYTON] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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ACCT, AfDB, APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue
partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CDB, CE (observer), EAPC,
EBRD, ESA (cooperating state), FAO, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAFTA, NAM
(guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris
Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SECI (observer), UN, UNAMSIL,
UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMOVIC, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO,
UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Michael WILSON
chancery: 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20001
telephone: [1] (202) 682-1740
FAX: [1] (202) 682-7701
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo,
Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami,
Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco,
Seattle, Tucson
consulate(s): Anchorage, Houston, Philadelphia,
Princeton (New Jersey), Raleigh, San Jose (California) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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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 |
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Flag description:
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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 |
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Economy - overview:
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As an affluent, high-tech industrial society in the
trillion-dollar class, Canada resembles the US in its
market-oriented economic system, pattern of production, and
affluent living standards. 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. The 1989
US-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the 1994 North
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (which includes
Mexico) touched off a dramatic increase in trade and
economic integration with the US. Given its great natural
resources, skilled labor force, and modern capital plant,
Canada enjoys solid economic prospects. Top-notch fiscal
management has produced consecutive balanced budgets since
1997, although public debate continues over how to manage
the rising cost of the publicly funded healthcare system.
Exports account for roughly a third of GDP. Canada enjoys a
substantial trade surplus with its principal trading
partner, the US, which absorbs about 85% of Canadian
exports. Canada is the US' largest foreign supplier of
energy, including oil, gas, uranium, and electric power.
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$1.181 trillion (2006 est.) |
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$1.089 trillion (2006 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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2.8% (2006 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$35,700 (2006 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 2.1%
industry: 29%
services: 68.9% (2006 est.) |
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Labor force:
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17.59 million (2006 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 2%, manufacturing 14%, construction 5%, services
75%, other 3% (2004) |
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Unemployment rate:
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6.4% (2006 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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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) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 24.8% (2000) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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32.6 (2000)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2% (2006 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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22% of GDP (2006 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $510.6 billion
expenditures: $501 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) |
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Public debt:
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67.7% of GDP (2006 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy
products; forest products; fish
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Industries:
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transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and
unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper
products, fish products, petroleum and natural gas |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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0.7% (2006 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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609.6 billion kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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540.2 billion kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - exports:
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42.93 billion kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - imports:
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19.33 billion kWh (2005) |
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Oil - production:
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3.135 million bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - consumption:
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2.294 million bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - exports:
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2.274 million bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - imports:
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1.185 million bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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178.8 billion bbl
note: includes oil sands (1 January 2005 est.) |
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Natural gas - production:
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178.2 billion cu m (2005 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
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92.76 billion cu m (2005 est.)
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Natural gas - exports:
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101.9 billion cu m (2005 est.)
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Natural gas - imports:
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9.403 billion cu m (2005) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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1.537 trillion cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
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Current account balance:
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$20.79 billion (2006 est.) |
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Exports:
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$401.7 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
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motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft,
telecommunications equipment; chemicals, plastics,
fertilizers; wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural
gas, electricity, aluminum |
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Exports - partners:
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US 81.6%, UK 2.3%, Japan 2.1% (2006) |
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Imports:
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$356.5 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude
oil, chemicals, electricity, durable consumer goods |
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Imports - partners:
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US 54.9%, China 8.7%, Mexico 4% (2006) |
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Economic aid - donor:
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ODA, $2.6 billion (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$35.06 billion (2006 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$684.7 billion (30 June 2006)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
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$398.4 billion (2006 est.) |
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
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$458.1 billion (2006 est.) |
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Market value of publicly traded shares:
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$1.481 trillion (2005) |
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Currency (code):
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Canadian dollar (CAD)
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Exchange rates:
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Canadian dollars per US dollar - 1.1334 (2006), 1.2118
(2005), 1.301 (2004), 1.4011 (2003), 1.5693 (2002) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 April - 31 March
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Airports:
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1,343 (2007) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 509
over 3,047 m: 18
2,438 to 3,047 m: 16
1,524 to 2,437 m: 149
914 to 1,523 m: 248
under 914 m: 78 (2007) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 834
1,524 to 2,437 m: 68
914 to 1,523 m: 356
under 914 m: 410 (2007) |
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Heliports:
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11 (2007) |
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Pipelines:
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crude and refined oil 23,564 km; liquid petroleum gas 74,980
km (2005) |
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Railways:
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total: 48,068 km
standard gauge: 48,068 km 1.435-m gauge (2006) |
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Roadways:
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total: 1,042,300 km
paved: 415,600 km (includes 17,000 km of expressways)
unpaved: 626,700 km (2006) |
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Waterways:
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636 km
note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including
the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with United
States (2007) |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 171 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,191,099 GRT/2,815,416
DWT
by type: bulk carrier 60, cargo 10, carrier 1,
chemical tanker 9, combination ore/oil 1, container 2,
passenger 6, passenger/cargo 64, petroleum tanker 12, roll
on/roll off 6
foreign-owned: 8 (Germany 3, Netherlands 1, Norway 1,
US 3)
registered in other countries: 130 (Australia 2,
Bahamas 13, Barbados 9, Cambodia 6, Cyprus 2, Denmark 1,
Honduras 1, Hong Kong 39, Liberia 3, Malta 15, Marshall
Islands 4, Panama 17, St Vincent and The Grenadines 6,
Taiwan 3, US 4, Vanuatu 5) (2007) |
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Ports and terminals:
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Fraser River Port, Halifax, Montreal, Port-Cartier, Quebec,
Saint John (New Brunswick), Sept-Isles, Vancouver |
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Military branches:
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Canadian Forces: Land Forces Command, Maritime Command, Air
Command, Canada Command (homeland security) (2006) |
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Military service age and obligation:
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16-34 years of age for voluntary military service; women
comprise approximately 11% of Canada's armed forces (2006)
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Manpower available for military service:
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males age 16-49: 8,216,510
females age 16-49: 8,034,939 (2005 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males age 16-49: 6,740,490
females age 16-49: 6,580,868 (2005 est.)
|
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males age 18-49: 223,821
females age 16-49: 212,900 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1.1% (2005 est.) |
This page was last updated on 15
November, 2007
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