NAVIGATION
|
HOME
• FLAG FINDER
• MAP FINDER
• SOURCES
• ADD YOURSELF TO THE ATLAS! COUNTRIES A-D • COUNTRIES E-K • COUNTRIES L-R • COUNTRIES S-Z |
NAVIGATION
Canada
GOVERNMENT
|
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 Jean CHRETIEN (since 4 November 1993); Deputy Prime Minister John MANLEY (since NA January 2002) 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 (301 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Commons - last held 27 November 2000 (next to be held by 2005) election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Liberal Party 41%, Canadian Alliance 26%, Bloc Quebecois 11%, New Democratic Party 9%, Progressive Conservative Party 12%; seats by party - Liberal Party 172, Canadian Alliance 66, Bloc Quebecois 38, New Democratic Party 13, Progressive Conservative Party 12; note - percent of vote by party as of January 2002 - Liberal Party 51%, Canadian Alliance 10%, Bloc Quebecois 10%, New Democratic Party 9%, Progressive Conservative Party 18%; seats by party - Liberal Party 172, Canadian Alliance 66, Bloc Quebecois 38, New Democratic Party 13, Progressive Conservative Party 12 |
|
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]; Canadian Alliance [Stephen HARPER]; Liberal Party [Jean CHRETIEN]; New Democratic Party [Jack LAYTON]; Progressive Conservative Party [Joe CLARK] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
NA |
|
International organization participation:
|
ACCT, AfDB, APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CDB, CE (observer), EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, ESA (cooperating state), FAO, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURCA, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOVIC, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, 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, Minneapolis, New York, and Seattle consulate(s): Miami, Princeton, San Francisco, and San Jose |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
chief of mission: Ambassador Paul CELLUCCI
embassy: 490 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1G8 mailing address: P. O. Box 866, Station B, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5T1 telephone: [1] (613) 238-5335, 4470 FAX: [1] (613) 688-3082 consulate(s) general: Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, and Vancouver |
|
Flag description:
|
three vertical bands of red (hoist side), white (double width, square), and red with a red maple leaf centered in the white band |
ECONOMY
|
Economy - overview:
|
As an affluent, high-tech industrial society, Canada today closely 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. As a result of the close cross-border relationship, the economic sluggishness in the United States in 2001-02 had a negative impact on the Canadian economy. Real growth averaged nearly 3% during 1993-2000, but declined in 2001, with moderate recovery in 2002. Unemployment is up, with contraction in the manufacturing and natural resource sectors. Nevertheless, given its great natural resources, skilled labor force, and modern capital plant Canada enjoys solid economic prospects. Two shadows loom, the first being the continuing constitutional impasse between English- and French-speaking areas, which has been raising the spectre of a split in the federation. Another long-term concern is the flow south to the US of professionals lured by higher pay, lower taxes, and the immense high-tech infrastructure. A key strength in the economy is the substantial trade surplus. |
|
GDP:
|
purchasing power parity - $923 billion (2002 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
3.4% (2002 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $29,400 (2002 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 2%
industry: 27% services: 71% (2001 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
NA% |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 24% (1994) (1994) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
32 (1994) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
2.2% (2002 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
16.4 million (2001 est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
services 74%, manufacturing 15%, construction 5%, agriculture 3%, other 3% (2000) (2000) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
7.6% (2002 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $178.6 billion
expenditures: $161.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est. ) |
|
Industries:
|
transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products; wood and paper products; fish products, petroleum and natural gas |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
2.2% (2002 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
576.22 billion kWh (2000) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 25%
hydro: 61% other: 2% (2000) nuclear: 12% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
499.77 billion kWh (2000) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
48.802 billion kWh (2000) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
12.685 billion kWh (2000) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy products; forest products; fish |
|
Exports:
|
$260.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft, telecommunications equipment; chemicals, plastics, fertilizers; wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity, aluminum |
|
Exports - partners:
|
US 84.6%, Japan 2.2%, UK 1.6%, other EU 2.2% (2000) |
|
Imports:
|
$229 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil, chemicals, electricity, durable consumer goods |
|
Imports - partners:
|
US 72.7%, UK 3.4%, other EU 3.2%, Japan 3.0% (2001) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$1.9 billion (2000) (2000) |
|
Economic aid - donor:
|
ODA, $1.3 billion (1999) (1999) |
|
Currency:
|
Canadian dollar (CAD) |
|
Currency code:
|
CAD |
|
Exchange rates:
|
Canadian dollars per US dollar - 1.6003 (January 2002), 1.5488 (2001), 1.4851 (2000), 1.4857 (1999), 1.4835 (1998), 1.3846 (1997) |
|
Fiscal year:
|
1 April - 31 March |