CANADA
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CANADA
@Canada:Geography
Location: Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean
and North Pacific Ocean, north of the conterminous US
Map references: North America
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CANADA - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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Toronto 3,427,000 43.42N, 79.25W 1-416 GMT-5
Montreal 2,921,000 45.30N, 73.36W 1-514 GMT-5
Vancouver 1,381,000 49.17N,123.00W 1-604 GMT-8
OTTAWA 819,000 45.25N, 75.43W 1-613 GMT-5
Calgary 636,000 51.05N,114.05W 1-403 GMT-7
Winnipeg 595,000 49.53N, 97.10W 1-204 GMT-6
Edmonton 574,000 53.34N,113.25W 1-403 GMT-7
Hamilton 307,000 43.15N, 79.50W 1-416 GMT-5
Regina 175,000 50.25N,104.39W 1-306 GMT-6
Quebec 165,000 46.50N, 71.15W 1-418 GMT-5
Halifax 114,000 44.39N, 63.36W 1-902 GMT-4
Thunder Bay 112,000 48.23N, 89.15W 1-807 GMT-5
Saint John's 96,000 47.34N, 52.43W 1-709 GMT-3.5
Niagara Falls 72,000 43.06N, 79.04W 1-416 GMT-5
Victoria 66,000 48.25N,123.22W 1-604 GMT-8
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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
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
@Canada: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)
@Canada: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
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
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
@Canada: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
@Canada: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
@Canada: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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