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CANADA
Map of CANADA
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Location:
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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 |
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Geographic coordinates:
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60 00 N, 95 00 W |
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Area:
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total: 9,984,670 sq km
land: 9,093,507 sq km
water: 891,163 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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somewhat larger than the US |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 8,893 km
border countries: US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska) |
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Coastline:
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202,080 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
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Climate:
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varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north |
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Terrain:
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mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Logan 5,959 m |
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Natural resources:
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iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land: 4.57%
permanent crops: 0.65%
other: 94.78% (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
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7,850 sq km (2003) |
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Total renewable water resources:
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3,300 cu km (1985) |
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 44.72 cu km/yr (20%/69%/12%)
per capita: 1,386 cu m/yr (1996) |
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Natural hazards:
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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 |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Marine Life Conservation |
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Population:
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33,212,696 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 16.3% (male 2,780,491/female 2,644,276)
15-64 years: 68.8% (male 11,547,354/female 11,300,639)
65 years and over: 14.9% (male 2,150,991/female 2,788,945) (2008 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Canadian(s)
adjective: Canadian |
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Ethnic groups:
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British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%, Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed background 26% |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 42.6%, Protestant 23.3% (including United Church 9.5%, Anglican 6.8%, Baptist 2.4%, Lutheran 2%), other Christian 4.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other and unspecified 11.8%, none 16% (2001 census) |
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Languages:
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English (official) 59.3%, French (official) 23.2%, other 17.5% |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.) |
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
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total: 17 years
male: 17 years
female: 17 years (2004) |
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Education expenditures - percent of GDP:
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5.2% (2002) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Canada |
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Government type:
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constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary democracy and a federation |
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Capital:
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name: Ottawa
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
note: Canada is divided into six time zones |
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Administrative divisions:
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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* |
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Independence:
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1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December 1931 (recognized by UK) |
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National holiday:
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Canada Day, 1 July (1867)
Source: http://cia.gov
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