{ "Introduction": { "Background": { "text": "
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.
" } }, "Geography": { "Location": { "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" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "60 00 N, 95 00 W" }, "Map references": { "text": "North America" }, "Area": { "total": { "text": "9,984,670 sq km" }, "land": { "text": "9,093,507 sq km" }, "water": { "text": "891,163 sq km" } }, "Area - comparative": { "text": "slightly larger than the US" }, "Land boundaries": { "total": { "text": "8,891 km" }, "border countries": { "text": "US 8,891 km (includes 2,475 km with Alaska)" }, "note": "note: Canada is the world's largest country that borders only one country" }, "Coastline": { "text": "202,080 kmcontinuous 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
" }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: 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
note 2: 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
" } }, "People and Society": { "Population": { "text": "37,943,231 (July 2021 est.)" }, "Nationality": { "noun": { "text": "Canadian(s)" }, "adjective": { "text": "Canadian" } }, "Ethnic groups": { "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.)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.
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.
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.
" }, "Real GDP growth rate": { "Real GDP growth rate 2019": { "text": "1.66% (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2018": { "text": "2.02% (2018 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2017": { "text": "3.17% (2017 est.)" } }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": { "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019": { "text": "1.9% (2019 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018": { "text": "2.2% (2018 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017": { "text": "1.5% (2017 est.)" } }, "Credit ratings": { "Fitch rating": { "text": "AA+ (2020)" }, "Moody's rating": { "text": "Aaa (2002)" }, "Standard & Poors rating": { "text": "AAA (2002)" } }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019": { "text": "$1,843,053,000,000 (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018": { "text": "$1,813,028,000,000 (2018 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017": { "text": "$1,777,241,000,000 (2017 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2010 dollars" }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { "text": "$1,741,865,000,000 (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita": { "Real GDP per capita 2019": { "text": "$49,031 (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2018": { "text": "$48,924 (2018 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2017": { "text": "$48,634 (2017 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2010 dollars" }, "Gross national saving": { "Gross national saving 2019": { "text": "19.9% of GDP (2019 est.)" }, "Gross national saving 2018": { "text": "19.7% of GDP (2018 est.)" }, "Gross national saving 2017": { "text": "20% of GDP (2017 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": { "agriculture": { "text": "1.6% (2017 est.)" }, "industry": { "text": "28.2% (2017 est.)" }, "services": { "text": "70.2% (2017 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by end use": { "household consumption": { "text": "57.8% (2017 est.)" }, "government consumption": { "text": "20.8% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in fixed capital": { "text": "23% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in inventories": { "text": "0.7% (2017 est.)" }, "exports of goods and services": { "text": "30.9% (2017 est.)" }, "imports of goods and services": { "text": "-33.2% (2017 est.)" } }, "Ease of Doing Business Index scores": { "Overall score": { "text": "79.6 (2020)" }, "Starting a Business score": { "text": "98.2 (2020)" }, "Trading score": { "text": "88.4 (2020)" }, "Enforcement score": { "text": "57.1 (2020)" } }, "Agricultural products": { "text": "wheat, rapeseed, maize, barley, milk, soybeans, potatoes, oats, peas, pork" }, "Industries": { "text": "transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products, petroleum, natural gas" }, "Industrial production growth rate": { "text": "4.9% (2017 est.)" }, "Labor force": { "text": "18.136 million (2020 est.)" }, "Labor force - by occupation": { "agriculture": { "text": "2%" }, "industry": { "text": "13%" }, "services": { "text": "6%" }, "industry and services": { "text": "76%" }, "manufacturing": { "text": "3% (2006 est.)" } }, "Unemployment rate": { "Unemployment rate 2019": { "text": "5.67% (2019 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2018": { "text": "5.83% (2018 est.)" } }, "Population below poverty line": { "text": "9.4% (2008 est.)Canada has highly developed, technologically advanced telecom services; LTE and broadband are nearly universal; competition between the DSL and cable platforms with investment in fiber networks; regulatory efforts ensure operators have spectrum available to develop 5G services; policy to improve service speeds and enable digital economy and e-services; operator’s 5G network facilitates smart-city vehicle and pedestrian traffic; high value in e-commerce transactions; international connections through submarine, terrestrial, and satellite systems; importer of broadcasting equipment from China (2021)
(2020)" }, "domestic": { "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": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments" }, "Broadcast media": { "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)" }, "Internet country code": { "text": ".ca" }, "Internet users": { "total": { "text": "33,743,954" }, "percent of population": { "text": "91% (July 2018 est.)" } }, "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": { "total": { "text": "15,273,496" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "40.89 (2019 est.)" } } }, "Transportation": { "National air transport system": { "number of registered air carriers": { "text": "51 (2020)" }, "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": { "text": "879" }, "annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "89.38 million (2018)" }, "annual freight traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "3,434,070,000 mt-km (2018)" } }, "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": { "text": "C" }, "Airports": { "total": { "text": "1,467 (2013)" } }, "Airports - with paved runways": { "total": { "text": "523 (2017)" }, "over 3,047 m": { "text": "21 (2017)" }, "2,438 to 3,047 m": { "text": "19 (2017)" }, "1,524 to 2,437 m": { "text": "147 (2017)" }, "914 to 1,523 m": { "text": "257 (2017)" }, "under 914 m": { "text": "79 (2017)" } }, "Airports - with unpaved runways": { "total": { "text": "944 (2013)" }, "1,524 to 2,437 m": { "text": "75 (2013)" }, "914 to 1,523 m": { "text": "385 (2013)" }, "under 914 m": { "text": "484 (2013)" } }, "Heliports": { "text": "26 (2013)" }, "Pipelines": { "text": "110000 km gas and liquid petroleum (2017)" }, "Railways": { "total": { "text": "77,932 km (2014)" }, "standard gauge": { "text": "77,932 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)" } }, "Roadways": { "total": { "text": "1,042,300 km (2011)" }, "paved": { "text": "415,600 km (includes 17,000 km of expressways) (2011)" }, "unpaved": { "text": "626,700 km (2011)" } }, "Waterways": { "text": "636 km (Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with United States) (2011)" }, "Merchant marine": { "total": { "text": "691" }, "by type": { "text": "bulk carrier 20, container ship 1, general cargo 76, oil tanker 15, other 579 (2020)" } }, "Ports and terminals": { "major seaport(s)": { "text": "Halifax, Saint John (New Brunswick), Vancouver" }, "oil terminal(s)": { "text": "Lower Lakes terminal" }, "container port(s) (TEUs)": { "text": "Montreal (1,537,669), Vancouver (3,252,225) (2017)" }, "LNG terminal(s) (import)": { "text": "Saint John" }, "river and lake port(s)": { "text": "Montreal, Quebec City, Sept-Isles (St. Lawrence)" }, "dry bulk cargo port(s)": { "text": "Port-Cartier (iron ore and grain)," }, "note": "Fraser River Port (Fraser) Hamilton (Lake Ontario)" } }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "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) (2021)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 and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { "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)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "4,139 (2020)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { "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" } } }