ARCHIVE // CA // 2021
Canada
2021 Edition — sovereign
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Communications
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
[time series]
total: 15,776,602 (2020) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 41.8 (2020 est.)
Broadcast media
[time series]
2 public TV broadcasting networks, 1 in English and 1 in French, 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 1,119 licensed radio stations (2016)
Internet country code
[time series]
.ca
Internet users
[time series]
total: 35.63 million (2021 est.) percent of population: 91% (2019 est.)
Telecommunication systems
[time series]
general assessment: Canada has highly developed, technologically advanced telecom services; LTE and broadband are nearly universal; competition between the DSL and cable platforms with investment in fiber networks; regulatory efforts ensure operators have spectrum available to develop 5G services; policy to improve service speeds and enable digital economy and e-services; operator s 5G network facilitates smart-city vehicle and pedestrian traffic; high value in e-commerce transactions; international connections through submarine, terrestrial, and satellite systems; importer of broadcasting equipment from China (2020) domestic: 35 per 100 fixed-line; 93 per 100 mobile-cellular; comparatively low mobile penetration provides further room for growth; domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stations (2019) international: country code - 1; landing points for the Nunavut Undersea Fiber Optic Network System, Greenland Connect, Persona, GTT Atlantic, and Express, KetchCan 1 Submarine Fiber Cable system, St Pierre and Miquelon Cable submarine cables providing 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) (2019) note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments
Telephones - fixed lines
[time series]
total subscriptions: 13.926 million (2020) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 36.9 (2020 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
[time series]
total subscriptions: 36,093,021 (2020) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 95.63 (2020 est.)
Economy
Agricultural products
[time series]
wheat, rapeseed, maize, barley, milk, soybeans, potatoes, oats, peas, pork
Budget
[time series]
revenues: 649.6 billion (2017 est.) expenditures: 665.7 billion (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)
[time series]
-1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Credit ratings
[time series]
Fitch rating: AA+ (2020) Moody's rating: Aaa (2002) Standard & Poors rating: AAA (2002)
Current account balance
[time series]
-$35.425 billion (2019 est.) -$42.862 billion (2018 est.)
Debt - external
[time series]
$2,124,887,000,000 (2019 est.) $1,949,796,000,000 (2018 est.)
Economic overview
[time series]
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. Canada has a large oil and natural gas sector with the majority of crude oil production derived from oil sands in the western provinces, especially Alberta. Canada now ranks third in the world in proved oil reserves behind Venezuela and Saudi Arabia and is the world’s seventh-largest oil producer. TThe 1989 Canada-US Free Trade Agreement and the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (which includes Mexico) dramatically increased trade and economic integration between the US and Canada. Canada and the US enjoy the world’s most comprehensive bilateral trade and investment relationship, with goods and services trade totaling more than $680 billion in 2017, and two-way investment stocks of more than $800 billion. Over three-fourths of Canada’s merchandise exports are destined for the US each year. Canada is the largest foreign supplier of energy to the US, including oil, natural gas, and electric power, and a top source of US uranium imports. Given its abundant natural resources, highly skilled labor force, and modern capital stock, Canada enjoyed solid economic growth from 1993 through 2007. The global economic crisis of 2007-08 moved the Canadian economy into sharp recession by late 2008, and Ottawa posted its first fiscal deficit in 2009 after 12 years of surplus. Canada's major banks 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’s economy posted strong growth in 2017 at 3%, but most analysts are projecting Canada’s economic growth will drop back closer to 2% in 2018.
Exchange rates
[time series]
Canadian dollars (CAD) per US dollar - 1.28035 (2020 est.) 1.3228 (2019 est.) 1.32925 (2018 est.) 1.2788 (2014 est.) 1.0298 (2013 est.)
Exports
[time series]
$477.31 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.) $555.83 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.) $556.89 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Exports - commodities
[time series]
crude petroleum, cars and vehicle parts, gold, refined petroleum, natural gas (2019)
Exports - partners
[time series]
US 73% (2019)
Fiscal year
[time series]
1 April - 31 March
GDP (official exchange rate)
[time series]
$1,741,865,000,000 (2019 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
[time series]
household consumption: 57.8% (2017 est.) government consumption: 20.8% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 23% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 0.7% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 30.9% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -33.2% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
[time series]
agriculture: 1.6% (2017 est.) industry: 28.2% (2017 est.) services: 70.2% (2017 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
[time series]
33.3 (2017 est.) 31.5 (1994)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
[time series]
lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 24.8% (2000)
Imports
[time series]
$510.29 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.) $583.6 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.) $589.55 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Imports - commodities
[time series]
cars and vehicle parts, delivery trucks, crude petroleum, refined petroleum (2019)
Imports - partners
[time series]
US 57%, China 11%, Mexico 5% (2019)
Industrial production growth rate
[time series]
4.9% (2017 est.)
Industries
[time series]
transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products, petroleum, natural gas
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
[time series]
1.9% (2019 est.) 2.2% (2018 est.) 1.5% (2017 est.)
Labor force
[time series]
18.136 million (2020 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
[time series]
agriculture: 2% industry: 13% services: 6% industry and services: 76% manufacturing: 3% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line
[time series]
9.4% (2008 est.) note: this figure is the Low Income Cut-Off, a calculation that results in higher figures than found in many comparable economies; Canada does not have an official poverty line
Public debt
[time series]
89.7% of GDP (2017 est.) 91.1% of GDP (2016 est.) note: figures are for gross general government debt, as opposed to net federal debt; gross general government debt includes both intragovernmental debt and the debt of public entities at the sub-national level
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
[time series]
$1,742,790,000,000 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.) $1,842,330,000,000 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.) $1,808,660,000,000 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars
Real GDP growth rate
[time series]
1.66% (2019 est.) 2.02% (2018 est.) 3.17% (2017 est.)
Real GDP per capita
[time series]
$45,900 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.) $49,000 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.) $48,800 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
[time series]
$86.68 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $82.72 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
[time series]
39.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Unemployment rate
[time series]
5.67% (2019 est.) 5.83% (2018 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
(Unemployment, youth ages 15-24)
[time series]
total: 20.2% male: 20.9% female: 19.4% (2020 est.)
Energy
Crude oil - exports
[time series]
2.818 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil - imports
[time series]
806,700 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil - production
[time series]
4.264 million bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil - proved reserves
[time series]
170.5 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Electricity - consumption
[time series]
522.2 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - exports
[time series]
73.35 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels
[time series]
23% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants
[time series]
56% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from nuclear fuels
[time series]
9% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from other renewable sources
[time series]
12% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - imports
[time series]
2.682 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - installed generating capacity
[time series]
143.5 million kW (2016 est.)
Electricity - production
[time series]
649.6 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity access
[time series]
electrification - total population: 100% (2020)
Natural gas - consumption
[time series]
124.4 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - exports
[time series]
83.96 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - imports
[time series]
26.36 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - production
[time series]
159.1 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
[time series]
2.056 trillion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)
Refined petroleum products - consumption
[time series]
2.445 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports
[time series]
1.115 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports
[time series]
405,700 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production
[time series]
2.009 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Environment
Air pollutants
[time series]
particulate matter emissions: 6.48 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 544.89 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 101.82 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate
[time series]
varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north
Environment - current issues
[time series]
metal smelting, coal-burning utilities, and vehicle emissions impacting agricultural and forest productivity; air pollution and resulting acid rain severely affecting lakes and damaging forests; ocean waters becoming contaminated due to agricultural, industrial, mining, and forestry activities
International environmental agreements
(Environment - international agreements)
[time series]
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Marine Life Conservation
Land use
[time series]
agricultural land: 6.8% (2018 est.) arable land: 4.7% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.5% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 1.6% (2018 est.) forest: 34.1% (2018 est.) other: 59.1% (2018 est.)
Major aquifers
[time series]
Northern Great Plains Aquifer
Major lakes (area sq km)
[time series]
Fresh water lake(s): Huron* - 35,972 sq km; Great Bear Lake - 31,328 sq km; Superior* - 28,754 sq km; Great Slave Lake - 28,568 sq km; Lake Winnipeg - 24,387 sq km; Erie* - 12,776 sq km; Ontario* - 9,790 sq km; Lake Athabasca - 7,935 sq km; Reindeer Lake - 6,650 sq km; Nettilling Lake - 5,542 sq km note - Great Lakes* area shown as Canadian waters
Major rivers (by length in km)
[time series]
Mackenzie - 4, 241 km; Yukon river source (shared with the US [m]) - 3,185 km; Saint Lawrence river mouth (shared with US) - 3,058 km; Nelson - 2,570 km; Columbia river source (shared with the US [m]) - 1,953 km; Churchill - 1,600 km; Fraser - 1,368 km; Ottawa - 1,271 km; Athabasca - 1,231 km; North Saskatchewan - 1,220 km; Liard - 1,115 km note [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
[time series]
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Mississippi* (Gulf of Mexico) (3,202,185 sq km, Canada only 32,000 sq km), Nelson (Hudson Bay) (1,093,141 sq km), Saint Lawrence* (1,049,636 sq km, Canada only 839,200 sq km) Arctic Ocean drainage: Mackenzie (1,706,388 sq km) Pacific Ocean drainage: Yukon* (847,620 sq km, Canada only 823,800 sq km), Columbia* (657,501 sq km, Canada only 103,000 sq km) note - watersheds shared with the US shown with *
Revenue from coal
[time series]
coal revenues: 0.08% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from forest resources
[time series]
forest revenues: 0.08% of GDP (2018 est.)
Total renewable water resources
[time series]
2.902 trillion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total water withdrawal
[time series]
municipal: 4.888 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) industrial: 28.07 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) agricultural: 2.639 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 81.7% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 0.95% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
[time series]
municipal solid waste generated annually: 25,103,034 tons (2014 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 5,168,715 tons (2008 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 20.6% (2008 est.)
Geography
Area
[time series]
total: 9,984,670 sq km land: 9,093,507 sq km water: 891,163 sq km
Area - comparative
[time series]
slightly larger than the US
Climate
[time series]
varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north
Coastline
[time series]
202,080 km note: the Canadian Arctic Archipelago - consisting of 36,563 islands, several of them some of the world's largest - contributes to Canada easily having the longest coastline in the world
Elevation
[time series]
highest point: Mount Logan 5,959 m lowest point: Atlantic/Pacific/Arctic Oceans 0 m mean elevation: 487 m
Geographic coordinates
[time series]
60 00 N, 95 00 W
Geography - note
[time series]
note 1: 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 note 2: 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
Irrigated land
[time series]
8,700 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries
[time series]
total: 8,891 km border countries (3): US 8,891 km (includes 2,475 km with Alaska) note: Canada is the world's largest country that borders only one country
Land use
[time series]
agricultural land: 6.8% (2018 est.) arable land: 4.7% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.5% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 1.6% (2018 est.) forest: 34.1% (2018 est.) other: 59.1% (2018 est.)
Location
[time series]
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
Major aquifers
[time series]
Northern Great Plains Aquifer
Major lakes (area sq km)
[time series]
Fresh water lake(s): Huron* - 35,972 sq km; Great Bear Lake - 31,328 sq km; Superior* - 28,754 sq km; Great Slave Lake - 28,568 sq km; Lake Winnipeg - 24,387 sq km; Erie* - 12,776 sq km; Ontario* - 9,790 sq km; Lake Athabasca - 7,935 sq km; Reindeer Lake - 6,650 sq km; Nettilling Lake - 5,542 sq km note - Great Lakes* area shown as Canadian waters
Major rivers (by length in km)
[time series]
Mackenzie - 4, 241 km; Yukon river source (shared with the US [m]) - 3,185 km; Saint Lawrence river mouth (shared with US) - 3,058 km; Nelson - 2,570 km; Columbia river source (shared with the US [m]) - 1,953 km; Churchill - 1,600 km; Fraser - 1,368 km; Ottawa - 1,271 km; Athabasca - 1,231 km; North Saskatchewan - 1,220 km; Liard - 1,115 km note [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
[time series]
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Mississippi* (Gulf of Mexico) (3,202,185 sq km, Canada only 32,000 sq km), Nelson (Hudson Bay) (1,093,141 sq km), Saint Lawrence* (1,049,636 sq km, Canada only 839,200 sq km) Arctic Ocean drainage: Mackenzie (1,706,388 sq km) Pacific Ocean drainage: Yukon* (847,620 sq km, Canada only 823,800 sq km), Columbia* (657,501 sq km, Canada only 103,000 sq km) note - watersheds shared with the US shown with *
Map references
[time series]
North America
Maritime claims
[time series]
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
Natural hazards
[time series]
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
Natural resources
[time series]
bauxite, iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, uranium, rare earth elements, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower
Population distribution
[time series]
vast majority of Canadians are positioned in a discontinuous band within approximately 300 km of the southern border with the United States; the most populated province is Ontario, followed by Quebec and British Columbia
Terrain
[time series]
mostly plains with mountains in west, lowlands in southeast
Government
Administrative divisions
[time series]
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*
Capital
[time series]
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 time zone note: Canada has six time zones etymology: the city lies on the south bank of the Ottawa River, from which it derives its name; the river name comes from the Algonquin word "adawe" meaning "to trade" and refers to the indigenous peoples who used the river as a trade highway
Citizenship
[time series]
citizenship by birth: yes citizenship by descent only: yes dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: minimum of 3 of last 5 years resident in Canada
Constitution
[time series]
history: consists 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 amendments: proposed by either house of Parliament or by the provincial legislative assemblies; there are 5 methods for passage though most require approval by both houses of Parliament, approval of at least two thirds of the provincial legislative assemblies and assent and formalization as a proclamation by the governor general in council; the most restrictive method is reserved for amendments affecting fundamental sections of the constitution, such as the office of the monarch or the governor general, and the constitutional amendment procedures, which require unanimous approval by both houses and by all the provincial assemblies, and assent of the governor general in council; amended 11 times, last in 2011 (Fair Representation Act, 2011)
Country name
[time series]
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Canada etymology: the country name likely derives from the St. Lawrence Iroquoian word "kanata" meaning village or settlement
Diplomatic representation from the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador David COHEN (since December 2021) embassy: 490 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1G8 mailing address: 5480 Ottawa Place, Washington DC 20521-5480 telephone: [1] (613) 238-5335 FAX: [1] (613) 241-7845 email address and website: OttawaNIV@state.gov https://ca.usembassy.gov/ consulate(s) general: Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Vancouver consulate(s): Winnipeg
Diplomatic representation in the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Kirsten HILLMAN (since 17 July 2020) chancery: 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001 telephone: [1] (844) 880-6519 FAX: [1] (202) 682-7738 email address and website: ccs.scc@international.gc.ca https://www.international.gc.ca/country-pays/us-eu/washington.aspx?lang=eng consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco/Silicon Valley, Seattle trade office(s): Houston, Palo Alto (CA), San Diego; note - there are trade offices in the Consulates General
Executive branch
[time series]
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Mary SIMON (since 6 July 2021) head of government: Prime Minister Justin Pierre James TRUDEAU (Liberal Party) (since 4 November 2015) cabinet: Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister usually from among members of his/her own party sitting in Parliament elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister for a 5-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the House of Commons generally designated prime minister by the governor general note: the governor general position is largely ceremonial
Flag
(Flag description)
[time series]
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
Government type
[time series]
federal parliamentary democracy (Parliament of Canada) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm; federal and state authorities and responsibilities regulated in constitution
Independence
[time series]
1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December 1931 (recognized by UK per Statute of Westminster)
International law organization participation
[time series]
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International organization participation
[time series]
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-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, 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, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Judicial branch
[time series]
highest courts: Supreme Court of Canada (consists of the chief justice and 8 judges); note - in 1949, Canada abolished all appeals beyond its Supreme Court, which prior to that time, were heard by 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 level: provincial superior, appeals, first instance, and specialized courts; note - in 1999, the Nunavut Court - a circuit court with the power of a provincial superior court, as well as a territorial court - was established to serve isolated settlements
Legal system
[time series]
common law system except in Quebec, where civil law based on the French civil code prevails
Legislative branch
[time series]
description: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of: Senate or Senat (105 seats; members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister and can serve until age 75) House of Commons or Chambre des Communes (338 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote with terms up to 4 years) elections: Senate - appointed; latest appointments in December 2018 House of Commons - last held on 20 September 2021 (next to be held NA) election results: Senate - composition as of December 2018 - men 51, women 54, percent of women 51.4% House of Commons - percent of vote by party - CPC 33.7%, Liberal Party 32.6%, NDP 17.8%, Bloc Quebecois 7.7%, Greens 2.3%, other 5.9%; seats by party - Liberal Party 159, CPC 119, NDP 25, Bloc Quebecois 32, Greens 2, independent 1; composition - men 236, women 102, percent of women 29%; note - total Parliament percent of women 30.2%
National anthem(s)
(National anthem)
[time series]
name: O Canada lyrics/music: Adolphe-Basile ROUTHIER [French], Robert Stanley WEIR [English]/Calixa LAVALLEE note: adopted 1980; originally written in 1880, "O Canada" served as an unofficial anthem many years before its official adoption; the anthem has French and English versions whose lyrics differ; as a Commonwealth realm, in addition to the national anthem, "God Save the Queen" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)
National holiday
[time series]
Canada Day, 1 July (1867)
National symbol(s)
[time series]
maple leaf, beaver; national colors: red, white
Political parties
(Political parties and leaders)
[time series]
Bloc Quebecois [Yves-Francois BLANCHET] Conservative Party of Canada or CPC [Erin O'TOOLE] Green Party [vacant] Liberal Party [Justin TRUDEAU] New Democratic Party or NDP [Jagmeet SINGH] People's Party of Canada [Maxime BERNIER]
Suffrage
[time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background
[time series]
A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867, while retaining ties to the British crown. Canada gained legislative independence from Britain in 1931 and formalized its constitutional independence from the UK in 1982 when it passed the Canada Act in 1982. Economically and technologically, the nation has developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across the world's longest international 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.
Military and Security
Military - note
[time series]
Canada is a member of NATO and was one of the original 12 countries to sign the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) in 1949 Canada is part of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD; established 1958); NORAD is a Canada-US bi-national military command responsible for monitoring and defending North American airspace; traditionally, a Canadian Armed Forces officer has served as the deputy commander of NORAD Canada s defense relationship with the US extends back to the Ogdensburg Declaration of 1940, when the two countries formally agreed on military cooperation, including the establishment of the Permanent Joint Board on Defense (PJBD), which continued to be the highest-level bilateral defense forum between Canada and the US as of 2021 British troops withdrew from Canada in 1871 as part of the UK-US Treaty of Washington; following the withdrawal, the first Canadian militia, known as the Royal Canadian Regiment, was organized in 1883 to protect Canadian territory and defend British interests abroad, which it did in the South African War (1899-1902), Canada s first overseas conflict; militia units formed the backbone of the more than 425,000 Canadian soldiers that went to Europe during World War I in what was called the Canadian Expeditionary Force; the Royal Canadian Navy was created in 1910, while the Canadian Air Force was established in 1920 and became the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1924; the Canadian Army was officially founded in 1942; a unified Canadian Armed Forces was created in 1968
Military and security forces
[time series]
Canadian Forces: Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force, Canadian Joint Operations Command, Canadian Special Operations Forces Command; Primary Reserve (army, air, naval reserves); Coast Guard (Department of Fisheries and Oceans) (2021) note - the Army reserves include the Canadian Rangers, which provides a limited presence in Canada's northern, coastal, and isolated areas for sovereignty, public safety, and surveillance roles
Military and security service personnel strengths
[time series]
approximately 70,000 total active personnel (23,000 Army; 12,000 Navy; 12,000 Air Force; 23,000 other) (2021) note - the Army also has 19,000 part-time, volunteer soldiers in the Reserve Force, including about 5,500 Rangers who serve in sparsely settled northern, coastal, and isolated areas of Canada
Military deployments
[time series]
up to 530 Latvia (NATO); up to 200 Ukraine; up to 850 Middle East (multiple missions, including support to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and NATO assistance mission Iraq) (2021)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
[time series]
the CAF's inventory is a mix of domestically-produced equipment and imported weapons systems from Australia, Europe, Israel, and the US; since 2010, the leading supplier is the US; Canada's defense industry develops, maintains, and produces a range of equipment, including aircraft, combat vehicles, naval vessels, and associated components (2021)
Military expenditures
[time series]
1.42% of GDP (2020 est.) 1.29% of GDP (2019) 1.31% of GDP (2018) 1.44% of GDP (2017) 1.16% of GDP (2016)
Military service age and obligation
[time series]
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 (2021)
People and Society
Age structure
[time series]
0-14 years: 15.99% (male 3,094,008/female 2,931,953) 15-24 years: 11.14% (male 2,167,013/female 2,032,064) 25-54 years: 39.81% (male 7,527,554/female 7,478,737) 55-64 years: 14.08% (male 2,624,474/female 2,682,858) 65 years and over: 18.98% (male 3,274,298/female 3,881,126) (2020 est.)
Birth rate
[time series]
10.21 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
[time series]
NA
Contraceptive prevalence rate
[time series]
NA
Current health expenditure
(Current Health Expenditure)
[time series]
10.8% (2018)
Death rate
[time series]
8.08 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Dependency ratios
[time series]
total dependency ratio: 51.2 youth dependency ratio: 23.9 elderly dependency ratio: 27.4 potential support ratio: 3.7 (2020 est.)
Drinking water source
[time series]
improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 98.9% of population total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 1.1% of population total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
Education expenditure
(Education expenditures)
[time series]
5.3% of GDP (2011)
Ethnic groups
[time series]
Canadian 32.3%, English 18.3%, Scottish 13.9%, French 13.6%, Irish 13.4%, German 9.6%, Chinese 5.1%, Italian 4.6%, North American Indian 4.4%, East Indian 4%, other 51.6% (2016 est.) note: percentages add up to more than 100% because respondents were able to identify more than one ethnic origin
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
[time series]
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
[time series]
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
[time series]
NA
Hospital bed density
[time series]
2.5 beds/1,000 population (2019)
Infant mortality rate
[time series]
total: 4.44 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.73 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
Languages
[time series]
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.) major-language sample(s): The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. (English) The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)
Life expectancy at birth
[time series]
total population: 83.62 years male: 81.32 years female: 86.03 years (2021 est.)
Major urban areas - population
[time series]
6.255 million Toronto, 4.247 million Montreal, 2.606 million Vancouver, 1.581 million Calgary, 1.491 million Edmonton, 1.408 million OTTAWA (capital) (2021)
Maternal mortality ratio
[time series]
10 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Median age
[time series]
total: 41.8 years male: 40.6 years female: 42.9 years (2020 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
[time series]
29.4 years (2019 est.)
Nationality
[time series]
noun: Canadian(s) adjective: Canadian
Net migration rate
[time series]
5.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
[time series]
29.4% (2016)
Physician density
(Physicians density)
[time series]
2.31 physicians/1,000 population (2016)
Population
[time series]
37,943,231 (July 2021 est.)
Population distribution
[time series]
vast majority of Canadians are positioned in a discontinuous band within approximately 300 km of the southern border with the United States; the most populated province is Ontario, followed by Quebec and British Columbia
Population growth rate
[time series]
0.77% (2021 est.)
Religions
[time series]
Catholic 39% (includes Roman Catholic 38.8%, 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%), Orthodox 1.6%, 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.)
Sanitation facility access
[time series]
improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 98.7% of population total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 1.3% of population total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
[time series]
total: 16 years male: 16 years female: 17 years (2019)
Sex ratio
[time series]
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Total fertility rate
[time series]
1.57 children born/woman (2021 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
(Unemployment, youth ages 15-24)
[time series]
total: 20.2% male: 20.9% female: 19.4% (2020 est.)
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 81.7% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 0.95% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Terrorism
Terrorist group(s)
[time series]
Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
[time series]
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 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
Illicit drugs
[time series]
illicit production of fentanyl primarily for Canada's domestic drug market with at least small quantities smuggled to the US; complex laboratories setup for fentanyl production have been found and Mexican traffickers present in the country; Canada legalized marijuana in 2018
Refugees and internally displaced persons
[time series]
refugees (country of origin): 22,400 (Venezuela) (refugees and migrants), 8,082 (Nigeria), 6,387 (Turkey), 6,085 (Pakistan), 5,916 (China), 5,085 (Iran) (2020) stateless persons: 4,139 (2020)
Transportation
Airports
[time series]
total: 1,467 (2013)
Airports - with paved runways
[time series]
total: 523 over 3,047 m: 21 2,438 to 3,047 m: 19 1,524 to 2,437 m: 147 914 to 1,523 m: 257 under 914 m: 79 (2017)
Airports - with unpaved runways
[time series]
total: 944 1,524 to 2,437 m: 75 914 to 1,523 m: 385 under 914 m: 484 (2013)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
[time series]
C
Heliports
[time series]
26 (2013)
Merchant marine
[time series]
total: 679 by type: bulk carrier 22, container ship 1, general cargo 66, oil tanker 15, other 575 (2021)
National air transport system
[time series]
number of registered air carriers: 51 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 879 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 89.38 million (2018) annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 3,434,070,000 mt-km (2018)
Pipelines
[time series]
840,000 km oil and gas (2017)
Ports
(Ports and terminals)
[time series]
major seaport(s): Halifax, Saint John (New Brunswick), Vancouver oil terminal(s): Lower Lakes terminal container port(s) (TEUs): Montreal (1,745,244), Vancouver (3,398,860) (2019) LNG terminal(s) (import): Saint John river and lake port(s): Montreal, Quebec City, Sept-Isles (St. Lawrence) dry bulk cargo port(s): Port-Cartier (iron ore and grain), Fraser River Port (Fraser) Hamilton (Lake Ontario)
Railways
[time series]
total: 77,932 km note: 129 km electrified (2021) (2014) standard gauge: 77,932 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Roadways
[time series]
total: 1,042,300 km (2011) paved: 415,600 km (includes 17,000 km of expressways) (2011) unpaved: 626,700 km (2011)
Waterways
[time series]
636 km (Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with United States) (2011)