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| Introduction | Canada |
| Background: | 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 an unfortified border. Canada's paramount political problem is meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care and education services after a decade of budget cuts. The issue of reconciling Quebec's francophone heritage with the majority anglophone Canadian population has moved to the back burner in recent years; support for separatism abated after the Quebec government's referendum on independence failed to pass in October of 1995. |
| People | Canada |
| Population: | 32,507,874 (July 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 18.2% (male 3,038,800; female 2,890,579) 15-64 years: 68.7% (male 11,225,686; female 11,111,941) 65 years and over: 13% (male 1,807,472; female 2,433,396) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 38.2 years male: 37.2 years female: 39.2 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0.92% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 10.91 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 7.67 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 5.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 4.82 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 5.28 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 79.96 years male: 76.59 years female: 83.5 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.61 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.3% (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 56,000 (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 1,500 (2003 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Canadian(s) adjective: Canadian |
| Ethnic groups: | British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%, Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed background 26% |
| Religions: | Roman Catholic 46%, Protestant 36%, other 18% note: based on the 1991 census |
| Languages: | English 59.3% (official), French 23.2% (official), other 17.5% |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97% (1986 est.) male: NA female: NA |
| Government | Canada |
| Country name: | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Canada |
| Government type: | confederation with parliamentary democracy |
| Capital: | Ottawa |
| Administrative divisions: | 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 Territory* |
| Independence: | 1 July 1867 (from UK) |
| National holiday: | Canada Day, 1 July (1867) |
| Constitution: | 17 April 1982 (Constitution Act); originally, the machinery of the government was set up in the British North America Act of 1867; 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 Adrienne CLARKSON (since 7 October 1999) elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister for a five-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition in the House of Commons is automatically designated prime minister by the governor general head of government: Prime Minister Paul MARTIN (since 12 December 2003); Deputy Prime Minister Anne MCLELLAN (since 12 December 2003) cabinet: Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister from among the members of his own party sitting in Parliament |
| Legislative branch: | bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (members appointed by the governor general with the advice of the prime minister and serve until reaching 75 years of age; its normal limit is 105 senators) and the House of Commons or Chambre des Communes (308 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve for up to five-year terms) elections: House of Commons - last held 28 June 2004 (next to be held by NA 2009) election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Liberal Party 36.7%, Conservative Party 29.6%, New Democratic Party 15.7%, Bloc Quebecois 12.4%, Greens 4.3%, independents 0.4%, other 0.9%; seats by party - Liberal Party 134, Conservative Party 99, Bloc Quebecois 54, New Democratic Party 19, independent 2 |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court of Canada (judges are appointed by the prime minister through the governor general); Federal Court of Canada; Federal Court of Appeal; Provincial Courts (these are named variously Court of Appeal, Court of Queens Bench, Superior Court, Supreme Court, and Court of Justice) |
| Political parties and leaders: | Bloc Quebecois [Gilles DUCEPPE]; Conservative Party of Canada (a merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party) [Stephen HARPER]; Liberal Party [Paul MARTIN]; New Democratic Party [Jack LAYTON] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| International organization participation: | ACCT, AfDB, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CDB, CE (observer), EAPC, EBRD, ESA (cooperating state), FAO, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MICAH, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Michael F. KERGIN chancery: 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001 FAX: [1] (202) 682-7726 telephone: [1] (202) 682-1740 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, and Seattle consulate(s): Anchorage, Denver, Houston, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham, San Diego, San Francisco (trade office), and San Jose (trade office) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Paul CELLUCCI embassy: 490 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1G8 mailing address: P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburgh, NY 13669-0430 telephone: [1] (613) 238-5335, 4470 FAX: [1] (613) 688-3082 consulate(s) general: Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg |
| Flag description: | 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 official colors of Canada are red and white |
| Communications | Canada |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 19,950,900 (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 13,221,800 (2003) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: excellent service provided by modern technology domestic: domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stations international: country code - 1-xxx; 5 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) and 2 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 535, FM 53, shortwave 6 (1998) |
| Radios: | 32.3 million (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 80 (plus many repeaters) (1997) |
| Televisions: | 21.5 million (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .ca |
| Internet hosts: | 3,210,081 (2003) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 760 (2000 est.) |
| Internet users: | 16.11 million (2002) |
| Transportation | Canada |
| Railways: | total: 48,909 km standard gauge: 48,909 km 1.435-m gauge (2003) |
| Highways: | total: 1,408,800 km paved: 497,306 km (including 16,900 km of expressways) unpaved: 911,494 km (2002) |
| Waterways: | 631 km note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with United States (2003) |
| Pipelines: | crude and refined oil 23,564 km; liquid petroleum gas 74,980 km (2003) |
| Ports and harbors: | Becancour (Quebec), Churchill, Halifax, Hamilton, Montreal, New Westminster, Prince Rupert, Quebec, Saint John (New Brunswick), St. John's (Newfoundland), Sept Isles, Sydney, Trois-Rivieres, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Windsor |
| Merchant marine: | total: 119 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,784,229 GRT/2,657,499 DWT foreign-owned: Germany 3, Hong Kong 2, Monaco 18, United Kingdom 3, United States 2 registered in other countries: 43 (2003 est.) by type: barge carrier 1, bulk 59, cargo 13, chemical tanker 6, combination bulk 2, combination ore/oil 1, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 18, rail car carrier 1, roll on/roll off 11, short-sea/passenger 3, specialized tanker 1 |
| Airports: | 1,357 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 503 over 3,047 m: 18 2,438 to 3,047 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 245 under 914 m: 75 (2004 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 150 |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 823 1,524 to 2,437 m: 67 914 to 1,523 m: 347 under 914 m: 409 (2004 est.) |
| Heliports: | 12 (2003 est.) |
| Military | Canada |
| Military branches: | Canadian Armed Forces: Land Forces Command, Maritime Command, Air Command |
| Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 16 years of age for voluntary military service (2001) |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 8,417,314 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 7,176,642 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 214,623 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $9,801.7 million (2003) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 1.1% (2003) |
| Transnational Issues | Canada |
| Disputes - international: | managed maritime boundary disputes with the US at Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and around the disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; uncontested dispute with Denmark over Hans Island sovereignty in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland |
| Illicit drugs: | 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; transit point for heroin and cocaine entering the US market; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering because of its mature financial services sector |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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