CANADA GEOGRAPHY Total area: 9,976,140 km2; land area: 9,220,970 km2 Comparative area: slightly larger than US Land boundaries: 8,893 km with US (includes 2,477 km with Alaska) Coastline: 243,791 km Maritime claims: Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation; Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm Disputes: maritime boundary disputes with France (Saint Pierre and Miquelon) and US 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, crude oil, natural gas Land use: arable land 5%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and woodland 35%; other 57%; includes NEGL% irrigated Environment: 80% of population concentrated within 160 km of US border; continuous permafrost in north a serious obstacle to development Note: second-largest country in world (after USSR); strategic location between USSR and US via north polar route PEOPLE Population: 26,835,036 (July 1991), growth rate 1.1% (1991) Birth rate: 14 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: 5 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 81 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--Canadian(s); adjective--Canadian Ethnic divisions: British Isles origin 40%, French origin 27%, other European 20%, indigenous Indian and Eskimo 1.5% Religion: Roman Catholic 46%, United Church 16%, Anglican 10% Language: English and French (both official) Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981 est.) Labor force: 13,380,000; services 75%, manufacturing 14%, agriculture 4%, construction 3%, other 4% (1988) Organized labor: 30.6% of labor force; 39.6% of nonagricultural paid workers GOVERNMENT Long-form name: none 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) 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 National holiday: Canada Day, 1 July (1867) Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Parlement) consists of an upper house or Senate (Senat) and a lower house or House of Commons (Chambre des Communes) Judicial branch: Supreme Court Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Raymond John HNATSHYN (since 29 January 1990); Head of Government--Prime Minister (Martin) Brian MULRONEY (since 4 September 1984); Deputy Prime Minister Donald Frank MAZANKOWSKI (since NA June 1986) Political parties and leaders: Progressive Conservative, Brian MULRONEY; Liberal, Jean CHRETIEN; New Democratic, Audrey McLAUGHLIN Suffrage: universal at age 18 Elections: House of Commons--last held 21 November 1988 (next to be held by November 1993); results--Progressive Conservative 43.0%, Liberal 32%, New Democratic Party 20%, other 5%; seats--(295 total) Progressive Conservative 159, Liberal 80, New Democratic Party 44, independent 12 Communists: 3,000 Member of: ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), APEC, AsDB, BIS, C, CCC, CDB, COCOM, CP, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, FAO, G-7, G-8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NATO, NEA, OAS, OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Derek BURNEY; Chancery at 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 785-1400; there are Canadian Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle; US--Ambassador Edward N. NEY; Embassy at 100 Wellington Street, K1P 5T1, Ottawa (mailing address is P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburg, NY 13669-0430); telephone (613) 248-25256, 25106, 25271, and 25170; there are US Consulates General in 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. In mid-1990, however, the long-simmering problems between English- and French-speaking areas became so acute that observers spoke openly of a possible split in the confederation; foreign investors were becoming edgy. GDP: $516.7 billion, per capita $19,500; real growth rate 0.9% (1990) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.8% (1990) Unemployment rate: 8.1% (1990) Budget: revenues $105.8 billion; expenditures $131.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY90 est.) Exports: $126.7 billion (f.o.b., 1990); commodities--newsprint, wood pulp, timber, grain, crude petroleum, machinery, natural gas, ferrous and nonferrous ores, motor vehicles and parts; partners--US, Japan, UK, FRG, other EC, USSR Imports: $116.3 billion (c.i.f., 1990); commodities--processed foods, beverages, crude petroleum, chemicals, industrial machinery, motor vehicles and parts, durable consumer goods, electronic computers; partners--US, Japan, UK, FRG, other EC, Taiwan, South Korea, Mexico External debt: $247 billion (1987) Industrial production: growth rate - 2.7% (1990); accounts for 34% of GDP Electricity: 105,000,000 kW capacity; 500,000 million kWh produced, 18,840 kWh per capita (1990) 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 Economic aid: donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $7.2 billion Currency: Canadian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Canadian dollar (Can$) = 100 cents Exchange rates: Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$1--1.1559 (January 1991), 1.1668 (1990), 1.1840 (1989), 1.2307 (1988), 1.3260 (1987), 1.3895 (1986), 1.3655 (1985) Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March COMMUNICATIONS Railroads: 93,544 km total; two major transcontinental freight railway systems--Canadian National (government owned) and Canadian Pacific Railway; passenger service--VIA (government operated) Highways: 884,272 km total; 712,936 km surfaced (250,023 km paved), 171,336 km earth Inland waterways: 3,000 km, including Saint Lawrence Seaway Pipelines: oil, 23,564 km total crude and refined; natural gas, 74,980 km Ports: Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Saint John (New Brunswick), Saint John's (Newfoundland), Toronto, Vancouver Merchant marine: 75 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 532,062 GRT/727,118 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 5 short-sea passenger, 2 passenger-cargo, 13 cargo, 2 railcar carrier, 1 refrigerated cargo, 8 roll-on/roll-off, 1 container, 27 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 6 chemical tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 8 bulk; note--does not include ships used exclusively in the Great Lakes Civil air: 636 major transport aircraft; Air Canada is the major carrier Airports: 1,397 total, 1,154 usable; 443 with permanent-surface runways; 4 with runways over 3,659 m; 30 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 328 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: excellent service provided by modern media; 18.0 million telephones; stations--900 AM, 29 FM, 53 (1,400 repeaters) TV; 5 coaxial submarine cables; over 300 earth stations operating in INTELSAT (including 4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) and domestic systems DEFENSE FORCES Branches: Canadian Armed Forces (including Mobile Command, Maritime Command, Air Command, Communications Command, Canadian Forces Europe, Training Commands), Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Manpower availability: males 15-49, 7,243,909; 6,297,520 fit for military service; 188,996 reach military age (17) annually Defense expenditures: $11.3 billion, 2% of GDP (FY90)