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 the world's longest international border. Canada faces the political challenges of meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care, education, social services, and economic competitiveness, as well as responding to the particular concerns of predominantly francophone Quebec. Canada also aims to develop its diverse energy resources while maintaining its commitment to the environment.
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
60 00 N, 95 00 W
North America
total: 9,984,670 sq km
land: 9,093,507 sq km
water: 891,163 sq km
slightly larger than the US
total: 8,893 km
border countries (1): US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska)
note: Canada is the world's largest country that borders only one country
202,080 km
note: the Canadian Arctic Archipelago - consisting of 36,563 islands, several of them some of the world's largest - contributes to Canada easily having the longest coastline in the world
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
varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north
mostly plains with mountains in west, lowlands in southeast
mean elevation: 487 m
elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Logan 5,959 m
iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, rare earth elements, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower
agricultural land: 6.8%
arable land 4.7%; permanent crops 0.5%; permanent pasture 1.6%
forest: 34.1%
other: 59.1% (2011 est.)
8,700 sq km (2012)
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
volcanism: the vast majority of volcanoes in Western Canada's Coast Mountains remain dormant
metal smelting, coal-burning utilities, and vehicle emissions impacting on agricultural and forest productivity; air pollution and resulting acid rain severely affecting lakes and damaging forests; ocean waters becoming contaminated due to agricultural, industrial, mining, and forestry activities
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, 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
second-largest country in world (after Russia) and largest in the Americas; strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately 90% of the population is concentrated within 160 km (100 mi) of the US border; Canada has more fresh water than any other country and almost 9% of Canadian territory is water; Canada has at least 2 million and possibly over 3 million lakes - that is more than all other countries combined
Canadian 32.2%, English 19.8%, French 15.5%, Scottish 14.4%, Irish 13.8%, German 9.8%, Italian 4.5%, Chinese 4.5%, North American Indian 4.2%, other 50.9%
note: percentages add up to more than 100% because respondents were able to identify more than one ethnic origin (2011 est.)
35,362,905 (July 2016 est.)
noun: Canadian(s)
adjective: Canadian
English (official) 58.7%, French (official) 22%, Punjabi 1.4%, Italian 1.3%, Spanish 1.3%, German 1.3%, Cantonese 1.2%, Tagalog 1.2%, Arabic 1.1%, other 10.5% (2011 est.)
Catholic 39% (includes Roman Catholic 38.8%, other Catholic .2%), Protestant 20.3% (includes United Church 6.1%, Anglican 5%, Baptist 1.9%, Lutheran 1.5%, Pentecostal 1.5%, Presbyterian 1.4%, other Protestant 2.9%), Orthodox 1.6%, other Christian 6.3%, Muslim 3.2%, Hindu 1.5%, Sikh 1.4%, Buddhist 1.1%, Jewish 1%, other 0.6%, none 23.9% (2011 est.)
0-14 years: 15.44% (male 2,799,758/female 2,661,645)
15-24 years: 12.12% (male 2,204,127/female 2,080,587)
25-54 years: 40.32% (male 7,231,200/female 7,028,692)
55-64 years: 13.94% (male 2,443,452/female 2,484,788)
65 years and over: 18.18% (male 2,863,114/female 3,565,542) (2016 est.)
total dependency ratio: 47.3%
youth dependency ratio: 23.5%
elderly dependency ratio: 23.8%
potential support ratio: 4.2% (2015 est.)
total: 42 years
male: 40.8 years
female: 43.3 years (2016 est.)
0.74% (2016 est.)
10.3 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)
8.5 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)
5.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)
vast majority of Canadians are positioned in a discontinuous band within approximately 300 km of the southern border with the United States; the most populated province is Ontario, followed by Quebec and British Columbia
urban population: 81.8% of total population (2015)
rate of urbanization: 1.22% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Toronto 5.993 million; Montreal 3.981 million; Vancouver 2.485 million; Calgary 1.337 million; OTTAWA (capital) 1.326 million; Edmonton 1.272 million (2015)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
7 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
total: 4.6 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)
total population: 81.9 years
male: 79.2 years
female: 84.6 years (2016 est.)
1.6 children born/woman (2016 est.)
10.4% of GDP (2014)
2.07 physicians/1,000 population (2010)
2.7 beds/1,000 population (2010)
improved:
urban: 100% of population
rural: 99% of population
total: 99.8% of population
unimproved:
urban: 0% of population
rural: 1% of population
total: 0.2% of population (2015 est.)
improved:
urban: 100% of population
rural: 99% of population
total: 99.8% of population
unimproved:
urban: 0% of population
rural: 1% of population
total: 0.2% of population (2015 est.)
NA
NA
fewer than 400 (2013 est.)
30.1% (2014)
5.3% of GDP (2011)
28.1 (2011 est.)
total: 13.5%
male: 15%
female: 11.9% (2014 est.)
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Canada
etymology: the country name derives from the St. Lawrence Iroquoian word "kanata" meaning village or settlement
federal parliamentary democracy (Parliament of Canada) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
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 has six time zones
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*
1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December 1931 (recognized by UK per Statute of Westminster)
Canada Day, 1 July (1867)
made up of unwritten and written acts, customs, judicial decisions, and traditions dating from 1763; 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; several amendments to the 1982 Constitution Act, last in 2011 (2016)
common law system except in Quebec, where civil law based on the French civil code prevails
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
citizenship by birth: yes
citizenship by descent: yes
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 3 years
18 years of age; universal
head of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General David JOHNSTON (since 1 October 2010)
head of government: Prime Minister Justin Pierre James TRUDEAU (Liberal Party) (since 4 November 2015)
cabinet: Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister usually from among members of his own party sitting in Parliament
elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister for a 5-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the House of Commons generally designated prime minister by the governor general
description: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (105 seats; members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister and can serve until age 75) and the House of Commons or Chambre des Communes (338 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve a maximum of 4-year terms)
elections: House of Commons - last held on 19 October 2015 (next to be held in 2019)
election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Liberal Party 39.5%, Conservative Party 31.9%, NDP 19.7%, Bloc Quebecois 4.7%, Greens 3.4%, other .8%; seats by party - Liberal Party 184, Conservative Party 99, NDP 44, Bloc Quebecois 10, Greens 1
highest court(s): Supreme Court of Canada (consists of the chief justice and 8 judges); note - in 1949, Canada abolished all appeals beyond its Supreme Court, which prior to that time, were heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
judge selection and term of office: chief justice and judges appointed by the prime minister in council; all judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 75
subordinate courts: subordinate courts: federal level: Federal Court of Appeal; Federal Court; Tax Court; federal administrative tribunals; courts martial; provincial/territorial level: provincial superior, appeals, first instance, and specialized courts; in 1999, the Nunavut Court - a circuit court with the power of a provincial superior court as well as a territorial court - was established to serve isolated settlements
Bloc Quebecois [Rheal FORTIN (interim leader)]
Conservative Party of Canada or CPC [Rona AMBROSE (interim leader)]
Green Party [Elizabeth MAY]
Liberal Party [Justin TRUDEAU]
New Democratic Party or NDP [Thomas MULCAIR]
other: agricultural sector; automobile industry; business groups; chemical industry; commercial banks; communications sector; energy industry; environmentalists; public administration groups; steel industry; trade unions
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CD, CDB, CE (observer), EAPC, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
chief of mission: Ambassador David Brookes MACNAUGHTON (since 2 March 2016)
chancery: 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
telephone: [1] (202) 682-1740
FAX: [1] (202) 682-7726
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco/Silicon Valley, Seattle
trade office(s): Houston, Palo Alto (CA), San Diego; note - there are trade offices in the Consulates General
chief of mission: Ambassador Bruce A. HEYMAN (since 8 April 2014)
embassy: 490 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1G8
mailing address: P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburg, NY 13669-0430; P.O. Box 866, Station B, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5T1
telephone: [1] (613) 688-5335
FAX: [1] (613) 688-3082
consulate(s) general: Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Vancouver
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 maple leaf has long been a Canadian symbol
maple leaf, beaver; national colors: red, white
name: "O Canada"
lyrics/music: Adolphe-Basile ROUTHIER [French], Robert Stanley WEIR [English]/Calixa LAVALLEE
note: adopted 1980; originally written in 1880, "O Canada" served as an unofficial anthem many years before its official adoption; the anthem has French and English versions whose lyrics differ; as a Commonwealth realm, in addition to the national anthem, "God Save the Queen" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)
As a high-tech industrial society in the trillion-dollar class, Canada resembles the US in its market-oriented economic system, pattern of production, and high living standards. Since World War II, the impressive growth of the manufacturing, mining, and s
The 1989 US-Canada Free Trade Agreement and the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (which includes Mexico) touched off a dramatic increase in trade and economic integration with the US, its principal trading partner. Canada enjoys a substantial trad
Given its abundant natural resources, highly skilled labor force, and modern capital plant, Canada enjoyed solid economic growth from 1993 through 2007. Buffeted by the global economic crisis, the economy dropped into a sharp recession in the final months
$1.674 trillion (2016 est.)
$1.655 trillion (2015 est.)
$1.638 trillion (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
$1.532 trillion (2015 est.)
1.2% (2016 est.)
1.1% (2015 est.)
2.5% (2014 est.)
$46,200 (2016 est.)
$46,200 (2015 est.)
$46,100 (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
19.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
20.4% of GDP (2015 est.)
22% of GDP (2014 est.)
household consumption: 57.9%
government consumption: 21.3%
investment in fixed capital: 22.2%
investment in inventories: 0.3%
exports of goods and services: 31.9%
imports of goods and services: -33.6% (2016 est.)
agriculture: 1.6%
industry: 27.7%
services: 70.7% (2016 est.)
wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy products; fish; forest products
transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products, petroleum, natural gas
-0.3% (2016 est.)
19.42 million (2016 est.)
agriculture: 2%
manufacturing: 13%
construction: 6%
services: 76%
other: 3% (2006 est.)
7.1% (2016 est.)
6.9% (2015 est.)
9.4%
note: this figure is the Low Income Cut-Off, a calculation that results in higher figures than found in many comparable economies; Canada does not have an official poverty line (2008 est.)
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 24.8% (2000)
32.1 (2005)
31.5 (1994)
revenues: $594.7 billion
expenditures: $632.4 billion (2016 est.)
38.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
-2.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
98.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
98.6% of GDP (2015 est.)
note: figures are for gross general government debt, as opposed to net federal debt; gross general government debt includes both intragovernmental debt and the debt of public entities at the sub-national level
1 April - 31 March
1.6% (2016 est.)
1.1% (2015 est.)
1% (31 December 2010)
0.25% (31 December 2009)
2.7% (31 December 2016 est.)
2.78% (31 December 2015 est.)
$635.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$568.8 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$1.486 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)
$1.47 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)
$2.932 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)
$2.642 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)
$1.593 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)
$2.095 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)
$2.114 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)
-$56.73 billion (2016 est.)
-$48.97 billion (2015 est.)
$402.4 billion (2016 est.)
$411 billion (2015 est.)
motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft, telecommunications equipment; chemicals, plastics, fertilizers; wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity, aluminum
US 76.7% (2015)
$419 billion (2016 est.)
$428.7 billion (2015 est.)
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil, chemicals, electricity, durable consumer goods
US 53.1%, China 12.2%, Mexico 5.8% (2015)
$82.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$79.75 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$1.608 trillion (31 March 2016 est.)
$1.55 trillion (31 March 2015 est.)
$1.099 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)
$1.065 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)
$1.334 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)
$1.256 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)
Canadian dollars (CAD) per US dollar -
1.331 (2016 est.)
1.2788 (2015 est.)
1.2788 (2014 est.)
1.0298 (2013 est.)
0.9992 (2012 est.)
electrification - total population: 100% (2016)
633 billion kWh (2014 est.)
528 billion kWh (2014 est.)
58.4 billion kWh (2014 est.)
13 billion kWh (2014 est.)
137 million kW (2014 est.)
25.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
10% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
55.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
8.3% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
3.677 million bbl/day (2015 est.)
3.21 million bbl/day (2015 est.)
581,300 bbl/day (2015 est.)
171 billion bbl (1 January 2016 es)
1.868 million bbl/day (2015 est.)
2.406 million bbl/day (2015 est.)
491,900 bbl/day (2015 est.)
251,900 bbl/day (2015 est.)
151.5 billion cu m (2014 est.)
116.5 billion cu m (2014 est.)
77.96 billion cu m (2014 est.)
21.89 billion cu m (2014 est.)
1.996 trillion cu m (1 January 2016 es)
564 million Mt (2013 est.)
total subscriptions: 15.902 million
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 45 (July 2015 est.)
total: 29.39 million
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 84 (July 2015 est.)
general assessment: excellent service provided by modern technology
domestic: domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stations
international: country code - 1; submarine cables provide links to the US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 7 (5 Intelsat - 4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean, and 2 Intersputnik - Atlantic Ocean region) (2011)
2 public TV broadcasting networks each with a large number of network affiliates; several private-commercial networks also with multiple network affiliates; overall, about 150 TV stations; multi-channel satellite and cable systems provide access to a wide (2008)
.ca
total: 31.053 million
percent of population: 88.5% (July 2015 est.)
number of registered air carriers: 51
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 879
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 80,228,301
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 2,074,830,881 mt-km (2015)
C (2016)
1,467 (2013)
total: 523
over 3,047 m: 21
2,438 to 3,047 m: 19
1,524 to 2,437 m: 147
914 to 1,523 m: 257
under 914 m: 79 (2013)
total: 944
1,524 to 2,437 m: 75
914 to 1,523 m: 385
under 914 m: 484 (2013)
26 (2013)
gas and liguid petroleum 100,000 km (2013)
total: 77,932 km
standard gauge: 77,932 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
total: 1,042,300 km
paved: 415,600 km (includes 17,000 km of expressways)
unpaved: 626,700 km (2011)
636 km (Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with United States) (2011)
total: 181
by type: bulk carrier 62, cargo 15, carrier 1, chemical tanker 15, combination ore/oil 1, container 2, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 63, petroleum tanker 11, roll on/roll off 6
foreign-owned: 19 (Estonia 1, France 1, Netherlands 1, Norway 4, Sweden 2, US 10)
registered in other countries: 225 (Australia 5, Bahamas 96, Barbados 11, Cambodia 2, Cyprus 2, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 77, Liberia 2, Malta 5, Marshall Islands 8, Norway 1, Panama 6, Spain 4, Vanuatu 5) (2010)
major seaport(s): Halifax, Saint John (New Brunswick), Vancouver
river and lake port(s): Montreal, Quebec City, Sept-Isles (St. Lawrence); Fraser River Port (Fraser); Hamilton (Lake Ontario)
oil terminal(s): Lower Lakes terminal
dry bulk cargo port(s): Port-Cartier (iron ore and grain),
container port(s): Montreal (1,362,975), Vancouver (2,507,032)(2011)
LNG terminal(s) (import): Saint John
Canadian Forces: Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force, Canadian Joint Operations Command (2015)
17 years of age for voluntary male and female military service (with parental consent); 16 years of age for Reserve and Military College applicants; Canadian citizenship or permanent residence status required; maximum 34 years of age; service obligation 3-9 years (2012)
1% of GDP (2015)
1% of GDP (2014)
1% of GDP (2013)
1.24% of GDP (2012)
1.31% of GDP (2011)
managed maritime boundary disputes with the US at Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Gulf of Maine, including the disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; Canada and the United States dispute how to divide the Beaufort Sea and the status of the Northwest Passage but continue to work cooperatively to survey the Arctic continental shelf; US works closely with Canada to intensify security measures for monitoring and controlling legal and illegal movement of people, transport, and commodities across the international border; sovereignty dispute with Denmark over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland; commencing the collection of technical evidence for submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in support of claims for continental shelf beyond 200 nm from its declared baselines in the Arctic, as stipulated in Article 76, paragraph 8, of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
refugees (country of origin): 13,666 (Colombia); 11,415 (China); 8,807 (Haiti); 8,807 (Sri Lanka); 7,207 (Pakistan); 6,414 (Mexico) (2015)
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; increasing ecstasy production, some of which is destined for the US; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering because of its mature financial services sector
