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 the world's longest unfortified 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.

Geographic coordinates: 60 00 N 95 00 W

Area
Rank: 2
Land: 9,093,507 km²
Water: 891,163 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than the US

Land boundaries
Border countries: (1) US 8,893 km; (includes 2,477 km

Coastline: 202,080 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate: varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north

Terrain: mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast

Elevation
Extremes highest point: Mount Logan 5,959 m

Natural resources: iron ore nickel zinc copper gold lead rare earth elements molybdenum potash diamonds silver fish timber wildlife coal petroleum natural gas hydropower

Land use
Permanent crops: 0.49%
Other: 95.2% (2011)

Irrigated land: 8,699 km² (2004)

Total renewable water resources: 2,902 km³ (2011)

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 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: 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; 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

Population: 34,834,841 (July 2014 est.)
Rank: 38
Growth rate: 0.76% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 144
Below poverty line: 9.4%

Nationality
Adjective: Canadian

Ethnic groups: Canadian 32.2% English 19.8% French 15.5% Scottish 14.4% Irish 13.8% German 9.8% Italian 4.5% Chinese 4.5% North American Indian 4.2% other 50.9%

Languages: 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: Catholic 40.6% (includes Roman Catholic 38.8% Orthodox 1.6% 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%) 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.)

Age structure
15-24 years: 12.7% (male 2,267,210/female 2,142,085)
25-54 years: 41% (male 7,244,109/female 7,052,512)
55-64 years: 13.5% (male 2,336,202/female 2,380,703)
65 years and over: 17.3% (male 2,670,482/female 3,348,434) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 24.2 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 22.9 %
Potential support ratio: 4.4 (2014 est.)

Median age
Male: 40.4 years
Female: 42.9 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.76% (2014 est.)
Rank: 144

Birth rate: 10.29 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 188

Death rate: 8.31 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 89

Net migration rate: 5.66 migrant(s)/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 24

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 1.06% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: Toronto 5.573 million; Montreal 3.856 million; Vancouver 2.267 million; Calgary 1.216 million; OTTAWA (capital) 1.208 million; Edmonton 1.142 million (2011)

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
International agreements signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds Marine Life Conservation

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 28.1 (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 182
Male: 5.04 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4.37 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 14
Male: 79.07 years
Female: 84.42 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.59 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 181

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 74%

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 2.07 physicians/1000 population (2010)

Hospital bed density: 3.2 beds/1000 population (2010)

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 91
People living with hivaids: 68,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 55
Deaths: fewer than 1000 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 72

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 26.2% (2008)
Rank: 48

Education expenditures: 5.4% of GDP (2011)
Rank: 62

Literacy
Total population: 99%
Male: 99%
Female: 99% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 15 years
Female: 16 years (2000)

Country name
Conventional short form: Canada

Government type: a parliamentary democracy a federation and a constitutional monarchy

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 45 25 N 75 42 W
Time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November

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*

Independence: 1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December 1931 (recognized by UK per Statute of Westminster)

National holiday: Canada Day 1 July (1867)

Constitution: made up 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; several amendments to Constitution Act 1982 last in 2011 (2011)

Legal system: common law system except in Quebec where civil law based on the French civil code prevails

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Head of government: Prime Minister Stephen Joseph HARPER (since 6 February 2006)
Cabinet: Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister usually from among the members of his own party sitting in Parliament
Elections: 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 generally designated prime minister by the governor general

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (105 seats; members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister and serve until 75 years of age) and the House of Commons or Chambre des Communes (308 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve a maximum of four-year terms)
Elections: House of Commons - last held on 2 May 2011 (next to be held no later than 19 October 2015)
Election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Conservative Party 39.6% NDP 30.6% Liberal Party 18.9% Bloc Quebecois 6% Greens 3.9%; seats by party - Conservative Party 166 NDP 103 Liberal Party 34 Bloc Quebecois 4 Greens 1

Judicial branch: note - in 1949 Canada finally abolished all appeals beyond its Supreme Court to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
Judge selection and term of office: chief justice and judges appointed by the prime minister in council; all judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 75
Subordinate courts: federal level: Federal Court of Appeal; Federal Court; Tax Court; federal administrative tribunals; courts martial; provincial/territorial: provincial superior appeals first instance and specialized courts; in 1999 the Nunavut Court - a circuit court with the power of a superior court and the territorial courts - was established to serve isolated settlements

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ADB (nonregional member) AfDB (nonregional member) APEC Arctic Council ARF ASEAN (dialogue partner) Australia Group BIS C CD CDB CE (observer) EAPC EBRD EITI (implementing country) FAO FATF G-20 G-7 G-8 G-10 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS IGAD (partners) IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA MINUSTAH MONUSCO NAFTA NATO NEA NSG OAS OECD OIF OPCW OSCE Pacific Alliance (observer) Paris Club PCA PIF (partner) UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNFICYP UNHCR UNMISS UNRWA UNTSO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chancery: 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington DC 20,001
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 682-1740
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 682-7,726
In the us consulate general: Atlanta Boston Buffalo Chicago Dallas Denver Detroit Los Angeles Miami Minneapolis New York San Francisco/Silicon Valley Seattle
In the us consulate: Anchorage (AK) Houston Palo Alto (CA) Philadelphia Phoenix Raleigh (NC) Salt Lake City San Diego Tucson
From the us embassy: 490 Sussex Drive Ottawa Ontario K1N 1G8
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 5,000 Ogdensburg NY 13,669-0430; P.O. Box 866 Station B Ottawa Ontario K1P 5T1
From the us telephone: [1] (613) 688-5,335
From the us FAX: [1] (613) 688-3,082
From the us consulate general: Calgary Halifax Montreal Quebec City 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 maple leaf has long been a Canadian symbol; the official colors of Canada are red and white

National symbols: maple leaf

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Adolphe-Basile ROUTHIER [French] Robert Stanley WEIR [English]/Calixa LAVALLEE

Economy overview: As a high-tech industrial society in the trillion-dollar class 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. The 1989 US-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (which includes Mexico) touched off a dramatic increase in trade and economic integration with the US its principal trading partner. Canada enjoys a substantial trade surplus with the US which absorbs about three-fourths of Canadian merchandise exports each year. Canada is the US's largest foreign supplier of energy including oil gas uranium and electric power. Given its abundant natural resources highly skilled labor force and modern capital plant Canada enjoyed solid economic growth from 1993 through 2007. Buffeted by the global economic crisis the economy dropped into a sharp recession in the final months of 2008 and Ottawa posted its first fiscal deficit in 2009 after 12 years of surplus. Canada's major banks however 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 achieved marginal growth in 2010-13 and plans to balance the budget by 2015. In addition the country's petroleum sector is rapidly expanding because Alberta's oil sands significantly boosted Canada's proven oil reserves. Canada now ranks third in the world in proved oil reserves behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 14

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 154

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 19

Gross national saving:
Rank: 72

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 21.6%
Investment in fixed capital: 24.6%
Investment in inventories: 0.2%
Exports of goods and services: 30.1%
Imports of goods and services: -32.3%: (2013 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 28.4%
Services: 69.9% (2013 est.)

Agriculture products: wheat barley oilseed tobacco fruits vegetables; dairy products; fish; forest products

Industries: transportation equipment chemicals processed and unprocessed minerals food products wood and paper products fish products petroleum natural gas

Industrial production growth rate: 1.4% (2013 est.)
Rank: 139

Labor force: 19.08 million (2013 est.)
Rank: 32
By occupation manufacturing: 13%
By occupation construction: 6%
By occupation services: 76%
By occupation other: 3% (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate: 7.3% (2012 est.)
Rank: 75

Population below poverty line: 9.4%

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: 24.8% (2000)

Distribution of family income gini index: 31.5 (1994)
Rank: 105

Budget
Expenditures: $740.8 billion (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -2.9% of GDP (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 120

Taxes and other revenues: 37.7% of GDP (2013 est.)
Rank: 52

Public debt: 85.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 23

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.5% (2012 est.)
Rank: 22

Central bank discount rate: 0.25% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 140

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 3% (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 169

Stock of narrow money: $648.8 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 9

Stock of broad money: $1.488 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 12

Stock of domestic credit: $3.091 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 9

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 6

Current account balance: -$62.27 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 189

Exports: $462.9 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 12
Commodities: motor vehicles and parts industrial machinery aircraft telecommunications equipment; chemicals plastics fertilizers; wood pulp timber crude petroleum natural gas electricity aluminum
Partners: US 74.5% China 4.3% UK 4.1% (2012)

Imports: $474.9 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 11
Commodities: machinery and equipment motor vehicles and parts crude oil chemicals electricity durable consumer goods
Partners: US 50.6% China 11% Mexico 5.5% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $65.82 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 31

Debt external: $1.191 trillion (31 December 2011)
Rank: 15

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $992.2 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 8

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $991.6 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 9

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 618.9 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 7
Consumption: 499.9 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 8
Exports: 57.97 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 3
Imports: 11.39 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 19
Installed generating capacity: 138.6 million kW (2011 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 8
Generation sources fossil fuels: 31.7% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 179
Generation sources nuclear: 9.2% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 19
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 54.7% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 37
Generation sources other renewable sources: 4.2% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 51

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 3.856 million bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 5
Crude oil exports: 1.576 million bbl/day (2011 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 10
Crude oil imports: 770,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 15
Crude oil proven reserves: 173.1 billion bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 3

Refined petroleum
Products production: 2.016 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 10
Products consumption: 2.259 million bbl/day
Products consumption rank: 11
Products exports: 1.073 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 7
Products imports: 249,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 24

Natural gas
Production: 143.1 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 5
Consumption: 82.48 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 8
Exports: 88.29 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 5
Imports: 31.31 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 18
Proven reserves: 1.93 trillion m³ (1 January 2013 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 18

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 552.6 million Mt (2011 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 18.01 million (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 16
Mobile cellular: 26.263 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 41

Telephone system
Domestic: domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stations
International: country code - 1; submarine cables provide 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) (2011)

Broadcast media: 2 public TV broadcasting networks 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 2000 licensed radio stations in Canada (2008)

Internet
Country code: .ca
Hosts: 8.743 million (2012)
Hosts rank: 14
Users: 26.96 million (2009)
Users rank: 16

Military expenditures:
Rank: 83

Military service age and obligation: 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)

Airports: 1467 (2013)
Rank: 4
With paved runways over 3047 m: 21
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 19
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 147
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 257
With paved runways under 914 m: 79 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 75
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 385
With unpaved runways: 484 (2013)

Heliports: 26 (2013)

Pipelines: gas and liguid petroleum 100,000 km (2013)

Railways
Rank: 5
Standard gauge: 46,552 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Rank: 7
Paved: 415,600 km (includes 17,000 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 626,700 km (2008)

Waterways: 636 km (Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km shared with United States) (2011)
Rank: 78

Merchant marine
Rank: 35
By type: bulk carrier 62 cargo 15 carrier 1 chemical tanker 15 combination ore/oil 1 container 2 passenger 5 passenger/cargo 63 petroleum tanker 11 roll on/roll off 6
Foreign owned: 19 (Estonia 1 France 1 Netherlands 1 Norway 4 Sweden 2 US 10)
Registered in other countries: 225 (Australia 5 Bahamas 96 Barbados 11 Cambodia 2 Cyprus 2 Honduras 1 Hong Kong 77 Liberia 2 Malta 5 Marshall Islands 8 Norway 1 Panama 6 Spain 4 Vanuatu 5) (2010)

Ports and terminals
River and lake port: Montreal Quebec City Sept-Isles (St. Lawrence); Fraser River Port (Fraser); Hamilton (Lake Ontario)
Oilgas terminal: Lower Lakes terminal
Dry bulk cargo port: Port-Cartier (iron ore and grain)
Container port: Montreal (1,362,975) Vancouver (2,507,032)(2011)
LNG terminal: Saint John

Disputes international: 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 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

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; increasing ecstasy production some of which is destined for the US; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering because of it