Basic Facts

Official name

Canada

Capital

Ottawa

Area

9,970,610 sq km

3,849,674 sq mi

People

Population

32,207,113 (2003 estimate)

Population growth

Population growth rate

0.94 percent (2003 estimate)

Projected population in 2025

38,164,606 (2025 estimate)

Projected population in 2050

41,429,579 (2050 estimate)

Population density

3.2 persons per sq km (2003 estimate)

8.4 persons per sq mi (2003 estimate)

Urban/rural distribution

Share urban

79 percent (2001 estimate)

Share rural

21 percent (2001 estimate)

Largest cities, with population

Montréal

1,039,534 (2001)

Calgary

878,866 (2001)

Toronto

2,481,494 (2001)

Winnipeg

619,544 (2001)

Edmonton

666,104 (2001)

Ethnic groups

British Isles origin

35.0 percent

French origin

25.0 percent

Other European origin

20.0 percent

Indigenous peoples (designated in the census as "Aboriginal")

3.0 percent

Other

17.0 percent

Languages

English (official), French (official), Chinese, Italian, Punjabi, Spanish, indigenous languages

Religious affiliations*

Roman Catholic

45.2 percent

United Church

11.5 percent

Anglican

8.1 percent

Other Protestant

7.9 percent

Other or nonreligious

27.3 percent

*Percentages based on census respondents claiming only one ethnic origin

Health and Education

Life expectancy

Total

79.8 years (2003 estimate)

Female

83.4 years (2003 estimate)

Male

76.4 years (2003 estimate)

Infant mortality rate

5 deaths per 1,000 live births (2003 estimate)

Population per physician

476 people (1999)

Population per hospital bed

244 people (1998)

Literacy rate

Total

96.6 percent (1995)

Female

Not available

Male

Not available

Education expenditure as a share of gross national product (GNP)

5.7 percent (1999-2000)

Number of years of compulsory schooling

11 years (2000)

Number of students per teacher, primary school

15 students per teacher (1999-2000)

Government

Form of government

Federal parliamentary democracy

Head of state

Governor-general, representing the British monarch

Head of government

Prime minister

Legislature

Bicameral legislature

House of Commons: 301 members

Senate: 105 senators

Voting qualifications

Universal at age 18

Constitution

Amended British North America Act 1867; obtained the right to amend the constitution 17 April 1982

Highest court

Supreme Court of Canada

Armed forces

Canada's land force, maritime, air, communication, and headquarters northern area commands are integrated

Total number of military personnel

52,300 (2001)

Military expenditures as a share of gross domestic product (GDP)

1.1 percent (2001)

First-level political divisions

Ten provinces and three territories

Economy

Gross domestic product (GDP, in U.S.$)

$694 billion (2001)

GDP per capita (U.S.$)

$22,340 (2001)

GDP by economic sector

Agriculture, forestry, fishing

2.5 percent (1999)

Industry

30.6 percent (1998)

Services

66.8 percent (1998)

Employment

Number of workers

16,689,400 (2002 estimate)

Workforce share of economic sector

Agriculture, forestry, fishing

2 percent (2002)

Industry

23 percent (2000)

Services

74 percent (2000)

Unemployment rate

7.7 percent (2002 estimate)

National budget (U.S.$)

Total revenue

$153,941 million (2000)

Total expenditure

$143,748 million (2000)

Monetary unit

1 Canadian dollar (C$), consisting of 100 cents

Agriculture

Wheat, canola, vegetables, barley, maize, potatoes, fruits, tobacco, soybeans, livestock

Mining

Crude petroleum, natural gas, natural gas by-products, uranium, zinc, potash, nickel

Manufacturing

Transportation equipment, food products, paper and allied products, chemicals and chemical products, primary metals, refined petroleum and coal products, electrical and electronic products, fabricated metal products, wood products

Major exports

Automobiles, trucks, motor vehicle parts, mineral fuels, machinery, wood products, paper, electrical equipment, wood pulp, aluminum products, cereals

Major imports

Motor vehicle parts, automobiles, heavy machinery, communication equipment, computers, industrial machinery

Major trade partners for exports

United States, Japan, United Kingdom, China, and Germany

Major trade partners for imports

United States, Japan, United Kingdom, Mexico, and China

Energy, Communications, and Transportation

Electricity production

Electricity from thermal sources

27.98 percent (2001 estimate)

Electricity from hydroelectric sources

57.89 percent (2001 estimate)

Electricity from nuclear sources

12.87 percent (2001 estimate)

Electricity from geothermal, solar, and wind sources

1.27 percent (2001 estimate)

Number of radios per 1,000 people

1,067 (1997)

Number of telephones per 1,000 people

676 (2001)

Number of televisions per 1,000 people

710 (1997 estimate)

Number of Internet hosts per 10,000 people

963 (2001)

Daily newspaper circulation per 1,000 people

159 (1996)

Number of motor vehicles per 1,000 people

581 (1998)

Paved road as a share of total roads

35 percent (1998)

Sources

Basic Facts and People sections

Area data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Population, population growth rate, and population projections are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International Data Base (IDB) (www.census.gov). Urban and rural population data are from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), FAOSTAT database (www.fao.org). Largest cities population data and political divisions data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Ethnic divisions and religion data are largely from the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook and from various country censuses and reports. Language data are largely from the Ethnologue, Languages of the World, Summer Institute of Linguistics International (www.sil.org).

Health and Education section

Life expectancy and infant mortality data are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International database (IDB) (www.census.gov). Population per physician and population per hospital bed data are from the World Health Organization (WHO) (www.who.int). Education data are from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org).

Government section

Government, independence, legislature, constitution, highest court, and voting qualifications data are largely from various government Web sites, the latest Europa World Yearbook, and the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook. The armed forces data is from Military Balance.

Economy section

Gross domestic product (GDP), GDP per capita, GDP by economic sectors, employment, and national budget data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org). Monetary unit, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, exports, imports, and major trade partner information is from the latest Europa World Yearbook and various International Monetary Fund (IMF) publications.

Energy, Communication, and Transportation section

Electricity information is from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) database (www.eia.doe.gov). Radio, telephone, television, and newspaper information is from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org). Internet hosts, motor vehicles, and road data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org).

Note

Figures may not total 100 percent due to rounding.