Canada




                                 Geography


Location:
     Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and North
     Pacific Ocean north of the US
Map references:
     Arctic Region, North America, Standard Time Zones of the World
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-m depth or to depth of exploitation
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:
     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
international agreements:
     party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
     Pollution-Sulphur, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
     Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
     Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
     Pollution, Tropical Timber, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Air
     Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental
     Protocol, 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:
     28,113,997 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     1.18% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     14.1 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     7.39 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     5.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     6.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     78.13 years
male:
     74.73 years
female:
     81.71 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     1.84 children born/woman (1994 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%
male:
     NA%
female:
     NA%
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:
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 Raymond John HNATYSHYN (since 29 January 1990)
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 - number of votes by percent 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
Member of:
     ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC,
     CDB (non-regional), COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, ESA (cooperating
     state), FAO, G-7, G-8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
     IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
     IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA,
     NSG, OAS, OECD, ONUSAL, PCA, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO,
     UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOMOZ, UNOMUR, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UNTSO,
     UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WIPO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Raymond CHRETIEN
chancery:
     501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
telephone:
     (202) 682-1740
FAX:
     (202) 682-7726
consulate(s) general:
     Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles,
     Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, and Seattle
consulate(s):
     Cincinnati, Cleveland, Miami, Pittsburg, Princeton, San Diego, San
     Francisco, 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:
     (613) 238-5335 or 4470
FAX:
     (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 equivalent - $617.7 billion (1993)
National product real growth rate:
     2.4% (1993)
National product per capita:
     $22,200 (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     1.9% (1993)
Unemployment rate:
     11% (December 1993)
Budget:
revenues:
     $92.34 billion (Federal)
expenditures:
     $123.04 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY93 est.)
Exports:
     $133.9 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
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:
     $125.3 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
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:
     $435 billion (1993)
Industrial production:
     growth rate 3.5% (1993)




Electricity:
capacity:
     109,340,000 kW
production:
     493 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
     17,900 kWh (1992)
Industries:
     processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper
     products, transportation equipment, chemicals, fish products,
     petroleum and natural gas
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 - 1.3174 (January 1994), 1.2901
     (1993), 1.2087 (1992), 1.1457 (1991), 1.1668 (1990), 1.1840 (1989)
Fiscal year:
     1 April - 31 March


                              Communications


Railroads:
     146,444 km total; two major transcontinental freight railway systems -
     Canadian National (government owned) and Canadian Pacific Railway;
     passenger service - VIA (government operated); 158 km is electrified
Highways:
total:
     884,272 km
paved:
     250,023 km
unpaved:
     gravel 462,913 km; earth 171,336 km
Inland waterways:
     3,000 km, including Saint Lawrence Seaway
Pipelines:
     crude and refined oil 23,564 km; natural gas 74,980 km
Ports:
     Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Saint John (New Brunswick), Saint John's
     (Newfoundland), Toronto, Vancouver




Merchant marine:
     59 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 448,357 GRT/639,319 DWT, bulk 9,
     cargo 8, chemical tanker 4, container 1, oil tanker 22, passenger 1,
     passenger-cargo 1, railcar carrier 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 6,
     short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 2
note:
     does not include ships used exclusively in the Great Lakes
Airports:
total:
     1,356
usable:
     1,107
with permanent-surface runways:
     458
with runways over 3,659 m:
     4
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     29
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     326
Telecommunications:
     excellent service provided by modern media; 18.0 million telephones;
     broadcast stations - 900 AM, 29 FM, 53 (1,400 repeaters) TV; 5 coaxial
     submarine cables; over 300 earth stations operating in INTELSAT
     (including 4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) and domestic systems


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     Canadian Armed Forces (including Land Forces Command, Maritime
     Command, Air Command, Communications Command, Training Command), Royal
     Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 7,508,590; fit for military service 6,482,267; reach
     military age (17) annually 191,850 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
     exchange rate conversion - $10.3 billion, 1.9% of GDP (FY93/94)