"text":"<p>A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867, while retaining ties to the British crown. Canada repatriated its constitution from the UK in 1982, severing a final colonial tie. 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.</p>"
"text":"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"
"note":"<p><strong>note:</strong> 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</p>"
"text":"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"
"text":"<p>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</p><p><strong>volcanism:</strong> the vast majority of volcanoes in Western Canada's Coast Mountains remain dormant</p>"
"text":"metal smelting, coal-burning utilities, and vehicle emissions impacting 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"
},
"Environment - international agreements":{
"party to":{
"text":"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":{
"text":"Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Marine Life Conservation"
"text":"<p><strong>note 1:</strong> 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</p> <p><strong>note 2:</strong> 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</p>"
"text":"Canadian 32.3%, English 18.3%, Scottish 13.9%, French 13.6%, Irish 13.4%, German 9.6%, Chinese 5.1%, Italian 4.6%, North American Indian 4.4%, East Indian 4%, other 51.6% (2016 est.)",
"text":"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.)"
},
"Religions":{
"text":"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.)"
"text":"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"
},
"Urbanization":{
"urban population":{
"text":"81.6% of total population (2020)"
},
"rate of urbanization":{
"text":"0.97% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)"
}
},
"Major urban areas - population":{
"text":"6.197 million Toronto, 4.221 million Montreal, 2.581 million Vancouver, 1.547 million Calgary, 1.461 million Edmonton, 1.393 million OTTAWA (capital) (2020)"
"text":"the country name likely derives from the St. Lawrence Iroquoian word \"kanata\" meaning village or settlement"
}
},
"Government type":{
"text":"federal parliamentary democracy (Parliament of Canada) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm; federal and state authorities and responsibilities regulated in constitution"
},
"Capital":{
"name":{
"text":"Ottawa"
},
"geographic coordinates":{
"text":"45 25 N, 75 42 W"
},
"time difference":{
"text":"UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)"
},
"daylight saving time":{
"text":"+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November"
"note":"<p><strong>note: </strong>Canada has six time zones<strong><br /><br />etymology: </strong>the city lies on the south bank of the Ottawa River, from which it derives its name; the river name comes from the Algonquin word \"adawe\" meaning \"to trade\" and refers to the indigenous peoples who used the river as a trade highway<strong><br /><br /><br /></strong></p>"
"text":"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*"
},
"Independence":{
"text":"1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December 1931 (recognized by UK per Statute of Westminster)"
},
"National holiday":{
"text":"Canada Day, 1 July (1867)"
},
"Constitution":{
"history":{
"text":"consists 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"
},
"amendments":{
"text":"proposed by either house of Parliament or by the provincial legislative assemblies; there are 5 methods for passage though most require approval by both houses of Parliament, approval of at least two thirds of the provincial legislative assemblies and assent and formalization as a proclamation by the governor general in council; the most restrictive method is reserved for amendments affecting fundamental sections of the constitution, such as the office of the monarch or the governor general, and the constitutional amendment procedures, which require unanimous approval by both houses and by all the provincial assemblies, and assent of the governor general in council; amended 11 times, last in 2011 (Fair Representation Act, 2011)"
}
},
"Legal system":{
"text":"common law system except in Quebec, where civil law based on the French civil code prevails"
},
"International law organization participation":{
"text":"accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction"
},
"Citizenship":{
"citizenship by birth":{
"text":"yes"
},
"citizenship by descent only":{
"text":"yes"
},
"dual citizenship recognized":{
"text":"yes"
},
"residency requirement for naturalization":{
"text":"minimum of 3 of last 5 years resident in Canada"
"text":"Prime Minister Justin Pierre James TRUDEAU (Liberal Party) (since 4 November 2015)"
},
"cabinet":{
"text":"Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister usually from among members of his/her own party sitting in Parliament"
},
"elections/appointments":{
"text":"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"
"note":"<p><strong>note:</strong> the governor general position is largely ceremonial; Julie PAYETTE, Canada's fourth female governor general, resigned on 21 January 2021; Richard WAGNER, chief justice of the Supreme Court, will be Acting Governor General in the interim</p>"
"text":"bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of:<br />Senate or Senat (105 seats; members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister and can serve until age 75)<br /> House of Commons or Chambre des Communes (338 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote with terms up to 4 years)"
"text":"Senate - appointed; latest appointments in December 2018<br /> House of Commons - last held on 21 October 2019 (next to be held in October 2023)"
"text":"<br /> Senate - composition as of December 2018 - men 51, women 54, percent of women 51.4% <br /><br />House of Commons - percent of vote by party - CPC 34.4%, Liberal Party 33.1%, NDP 15.9%, Bloc Quebecois 7.7%, Greens 6.5%, other 2.4%; seats by party - Liberal Party 157, CPC 121, NDP 24, Bloc Quebecois 32, Greens 4; composition - men 240, women 98, percent of women 29%; note - total Parliament percent of women 34.3%"
"text":"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":{
"text":"chief justice and judges appointed by the prime minister in council; all judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 75"
"text":"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; note - 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"
"text":"Bloc Quebecois [Mario BEAULIEU]<br />Conservative Party of Canada or CPC [Erin O'TOOLE]<br />Green Party [Annamie PAUL]<br />Liberal Party [Justin TRUDEAU]<br />New Democratic Party or NDP [Jagmeet SINGH]<br />People's Party of Canada [Maxime BERNIER]"
"text":"P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburg, NY 13669-0430; P.O. Box 866, Station B, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5T1"
},
"FAX":{
"text":"[1] (613) 688-3082"
},
"consulate(s) general":{
"text":"Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Vancouver"
},
"consulate(s)":{
"text":"Winnipeg"
}
},
"Flag description":{
"text":"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"
},
"National symbol(s)":{
"text":"maple leaf, beaver; national colors: red, white"
},
"National anthem":{
"name":{
"text":"O Canada"
},
"lyrics/music":{
"text":"Adolphe-Basile ROUTHIER [French], Robert Stanley WEIR [English]/Calixa LAVALLEE"
"note":"<p><strong>note:</strong> 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)</p>"
"text":"<p>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 service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy into one primarily industrial and urban. Canada has a large oil and natural gas sector with the majority of crude oil production derived from oil sands in the western provinces, especially Alberta. Canada now ranks third in the world in proved oil reserves behind Venezuela and Saudi Arabia and is the world’s seventh-largest oil producer.</p><p></p><p>TThe 1989 Canada-US Free Trade Agreement and the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (which includes Mexico) dramatically increased trade and economic integration between the US and Canada. Canada and the US enjoy the world’s most comprehensive bilateral trade and investment relationship, with goods and services trade totaling more than $680 billion in 2017, and two-way investment stocks of more than $800 billion. Over three-fourths of Canada’s merchandise exports are destined for the US each year. Canada is the largest foreign supplier of energy to the US, including oil, natural gas, and electric power, and a top source of US uranium imports.</p><p></p><p>Given its abundant natural resources, highly skilled labor force, and modern capital stock, Canada enjoyed solid economic growth from 1993 through 2007. The global economic crisis of 2007-08 moved the Canadian economy into sharp recession by late 2008, and Ottawa posted its first fiscal deficit in 2009 after 12 years of surplus. Canada's major banks emerged from the financial crisis of 2008-09 among the strongest in the world, owing to the financial sector's tradition of conservative lending practices and strong capitalization. Canada’s economy posted strong growth in 2017 at 3%, but most analysts are projecting Canada’s economic growth will drop back closer to 2% in 2018.</p>"
"text":"transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products, petroleum, natural gas"
"note":"<p><strong>note:</strong> 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</p>"
},
"Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income":{
"Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017":{
"text":"33.3 (2017 est.)"
},
"Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 1994":{
"note":"<p><strong>note:</strong> 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</p>"
"text":"excellent service provided by first-rate technology; offers 99% coverage with LTE; consumer demand for mobile data services have prompted telecom companies to invest and advance LTE infrastructure, and further investment in 5G; govt. policy has aided the extension of broadband to rural and regional areas, with the result that services are almost universally accessible; govt. sets up $400 million public-private partnership to exploit benefits of 5G (2020)"
"text":"35 per 100 fixed-line; 93 per 100 mobile-cellular; comparatively low mobile penetration provides further room for growth; domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stations (2019)"
},
"international":{
"text":"country code - 1; landing points for the Nunavut Undersea Fiber Optic Network System, Greenland Connect, Persona, GTT Atlantic, and Express, KetchCan 1 Submarine Fiber Cable system, St Pierre and Miquelon Cable submarine cables providing 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) (2019)"
"note":"<br><br><strong>note:</strong> the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated"
"text":"2 public TV broadcasting networks, 1 in English and 1 in French, 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 range of stations including US stations; mix of public and commercial radio broadcasters with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the public radio broadcaster, operating 4 radio networks, Radio Canada International, and radio services to indigenous populations in the north; roughly 1,119 licensed radio stations (2016)"
"text":"Canadian Forces: Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force, Canadian Joint Operations Command, Canadian Special Operations Forces Command; Primary Reserve (army, air, naval reserves); Coast Guard (Department of Fisheries and Oceans) (2019)",
"note":"<br><br>note: the Army reserves include the Canadian Rangers, which provides a limited presence in Canada's northern, coastal, and isolated areas for sovereignty, public safety, and surveillance roles"
"Military and security service personnel strengths":{
"text":"the Canadian Armed (CAF) Forces have approximately 66,000 total active personnel (23,000 Army; 8,300 Navy; 12,000 Air Force; 23,000 other uniformed personnel) (2019 est.)"
},
"Military equipment inventories and acquisitions":{
"text":"the CAF's inventory is a mix of domestically-produced equipment and imported weapons systems from Australia, Europe, Israel, and the US; since 2010, the leading supplier is the US; Canada's defense industry develops, maintains, and produces a range of equipment, including aircraft, combat vehicles, naval vessels, and associated components (2019 est.)"
"text":"540 Latvia (NATO); up to 200 Ukraine; up to 850 Middle East (multiple missions, including support to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and NATO assistance mission Iraq; reduced considerably in 2020 because of COVID 19) (2020)"
"text":"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)"
}
},
"Terrorism":{
"Terrorist group(s)":{
"text":"Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) (2019)",
"note":"<br><br><strong>note:</strong> details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in <a title=\"Appendix-T\" href=\"../appendix/appendix-t.html\">Appendix-T</a>"
"text":"<p>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</p>"
"text":"7,356 (Colombia), 6,640 (Nigeria), 6,563 (Haiti), 6,060 (China), 5,876 (Turkey), 5,498 (Pakistan) (2018); 6,751 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay) (2019)"
"text":"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"
