Canada

Canada 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 an unfortified border. Its paramount political problem continues to be the relationship of the province of Quebec, with its French-speaking residents and unique culture, to the remainder of the country.

Canada Information

• Population: 32,507,874 (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Canadian(s) adjective: Canadian
• Location:: 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
• Religions:: Roman Catholic 46%, Protestant 36%, other 18% note: based on the 1991 census
• Ethnic Groups:: British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%, Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed background 26%
• Land Boundaries:: total: 8,893 km border countries: US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska)
• Area: total: 9,984,670 sq km land: 9,093,507 sq km water: 891,163 sq km
• Coast Line: 202,080 km
• Climate: varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north
• Terrain: mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast
• Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
• Land Use: arable land: 4.96% permanent crops: 0.02% other: 95.02% (2001)
• Environmental 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, i
• Natural Resources: iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower
• Highways: total: 1,408,800 km paved: 497,306 km (including 16,900 km of expressways) unpaved: 911,494 km (2002)
• Railways: total: 48,909 km standard gauge: 48,909 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)
• Ports & Harbours: Becancour (Quebec), Churchill, Halifax, Hamilton, Montreal, New Westminster, Prince Rupert, Quebec, Saint John (New Brunswick), St. John's (Newfoundland), Sept Isles, Sydney, Trois-Rivieres, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Windsor
• Airports: 1,357 (2003 est.)