1.58 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.4% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
73,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
Nationality:
noun: Canadian(s)
adjective: Canadian
Ethnic groups:
British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%,
Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed
background 26%
Religions:
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)
Languages:
English (official) 58.8%, French (official) 21.6%, other 19.6% (2006
Census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 17 years
male: 17 years
female: 17 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
4.9% of GDP (2007)
country comparison to the world: 75
Government ::Canada
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Canada
Government type:
a parliamentary democracy, a federation, and a constitutional
monarchy
Capital:
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
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 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December
1931 (recognized by UK)
National holiday:
Canada Day, 1 July (1867)
Constitution:
made up of unwritten and written acts, customs, judicial decisions,
and traditions; 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, which
transferred formal control over the constitution from Britain to
Canada, and added a Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well
as procedures for constitutional amendments
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:
head of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
represented by Governor General David JOHNSTON (since 1 October 2010)
head of government: Prime Minister Stephen Joseph HARPER (since 6
February 2006)
cabinet: Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister usually from
among the members of his own party sitting in Parliament
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: 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 generally designated prime minister by the governor general
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat
(105 seats; members appointed by the governor general on the advice
of the prime minister and serve until 75 years of age) and the House
of Commons or Chambre des Communes (308 seats; members elected by
direct, popular vote to serve a maximum of five-year terms)
elections: House of Commons - last held on 14 October 2008 (next to
be held no later than 15 October 2012)
election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party -
Conservative Party 37.6%, Liberal Party 26.2%, New Democratic Party
18.2%, Bloc Quebecois 10%, Greens 6.8%, other 1%; seats by party -
Conservative Party 145, Liberal Party 77, New Democratic Party 37,
Bloc Quebecois 48, other 1
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 Queen's Bench, Superior Court, Supreme Court,
and Court of Justice)
Political parties and leaders:
Bloc Quebecois [Gilles DUCEPPE]; Conservative Party of Canada
[Stephen HARPER] (a merger of the Canadian Alliance and the
Progressive Conservative Party); Green Party [Elizabeth MAY];
Liberal Party [Michael IGNATIEFF]; New Democratic Party [Jack LAYTON]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: agricultural sector; automobile industry; business groups;
chemical industry; commercial banks; communications sector; energy
industry; environmentalists; public administration groups; steel
industry; trade unions
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic
Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C,
CDB, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA,
MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OIF, OPCW,
OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SECI (observer), UN, UNAMID,
UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO,
UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Gary DOER
chancery: 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
telephone: [1] (202) 682-1740
FAX: [1] (202) 682-7701
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas,
Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix,
San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tucson
consulate(s): Anchorage, Houston, Philadelphia, Princeton (New
Jersey), Raleigh, San Jose (California), Tucson
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador David C. JACOBSON
embassy: 490 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1G8
mailing address: P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburg, NY 13669-0430; P.O. Box
866, Station B, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5T1
telephone: [1] (613) 688-5335
FAX: [1] (613) 688-3082
consulate(s) general: Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto,
Vancouver, Winnipeg
Flag description:
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;
the official colors of Canada are red and white
National anthem:
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)
Economy ::Canada
Economy - overview:
As an affluent, high-tech industrial society in the trillion-dollar
class, Canada resembles the US in its market-oriented economic
system, pattern of production, and affluent 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, its
principal trading partner. Canada enjoys a substantial trade surplus
with the US, which absorbs about three-fourths of Canadian exports
each year. Canada is the US's largest foreign supplier of energy,
including oil, gas, uranium, and electric power. Given its great
natural resources, skilled labor force, and modern capital plant,
Canada enjoyed solid economic growth from 1993 through 2007.
Buffeted by the global economic crisis, the economy dropped into a
sharp recession in the final months of 2008, and Ottawa posted its
first fiscal deficit in 2009 after 12 years of surplus. Canada's
major banks, however, emerged from the financial crisis of 2008-09
among the strongest in the world, owing to the country's tradition
of conservative lending practices and strong capitalization. During
2010, Canada's economy grew only 3%, because of weak exports.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.335 trillion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
$1.297 trillion (2009 est.)
$1.33 trillion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.564 trillion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
-2.5% (2009 est.)
0.5% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$39,600 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
$38,700 (2009 est.)
$40,000 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.3%
industry: 26.4%
services: 71.3% (2009 est.)
Labor force:
18.59 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 2%
manufacturing: 13%
construction: 6%
services: 76%
other: 3% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
8% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
8.3% (2009 est.)
Population below poverty line:
10.8%; note - this figure is the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO), a
calculation that results in higher figures than found in many
comparable economies; Canada does not have an official poverty line
(2005)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 24.8% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
32.1 (2005)
country comparison to the world: 100
31.5 (1994)
Investment (gross fixed):
22.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
Public debt:
82.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
82.5% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.6% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
0.3% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
0.5% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 132
1.75% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
2.4% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151
4.73% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$560.8 billion (31 December 2010 est)
country comparison to the world: 10
$470.9 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$1.469 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
$1.144 trillion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$2.963 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
$2.606 trillion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$1.681 trillion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 10
$1.002 trillion (31 December 2008)
$2.187 trillion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy products;
forest products; fish
Industries:
transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed
minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products,
petroleum and natural gas
Industrial production growth rate:
5.8% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
Electricity - production:
620.7 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7
Electricity - consumption:
536.1 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8
Electricity - exports:
55.73 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
23.5 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
3.289 million bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
Oil - consumption:
2.151 million bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
Oil - exports:
2.001 million bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
Oil - imports:
1.192 million bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
Oil - proved reserves:
175.2 billion bbl
country comparison to the world: 2
note: includes oil sands (1 January 2010 est.)
Natural gas - production:
161.3 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5
Natural gas - consumption:
94.62 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7
Natural gas - exports:
94.67 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
Natural gas - imports:
16.59 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
Natural gas - proved reserves:
1.754 trillion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21
Current account balance:
-$40.21 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184
-$38.08 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$406.8 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
$323.3 billion (2009 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 75.02%, UK 3.37%, China 3.09% (2009)
Imports:
$406.4 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
$327.3 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil,
chemicals, electricity, durable consumer goods
Imports - partners:
US 51.1%, China 10.88%, Mexico 4.56% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$NA (31 December 2010 est.)
$54.36 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.009 trillion (30 June 2010)
country comparison to the world: 15
$781.1 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$528.7 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
$494.6 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$602.5 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
$576.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
Canadian dollars (CAD) per US dollar - 1.0346 (2010), 1.1431 (2009),
1.0364 (2008), 1.0724 (2007), 1.1334 (2006)
Communications ::Canada
Telephones - main lines in use:
18.251 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 16
Telephones - mobile cellular:
23.081 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 38
Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent service provided by modern technology
domestic: domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stations
international: country code - 1; submarine cables provide 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) (2007)
Broadcast media:
2 public television broadcasting networks each with a large number
of network affilates; 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 2,000 licensed radio
stations in Canada (2008)
Internet country code:
.ca
Internet hosts:
7.77 million (2010)
country comparison to the world: 13
Internet users:
26.96 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 16
Transportation ::Canada
Airports:
1,404 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 4
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 514
over 3,047 m: 18
2,438 to 3,047 m: 20
1,524 to 2,437 m: 148
914 to 1,523 m: 249
under 914 m: 79 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 890
1,524 to 2,437 m: 73
914 to 1,523 m: 377
under 914 m: 440 (2010)
Heliports:
12 (2010)
Pipelines:
crude and refined oil 23,564 km; liquid petroleum gas 74,980 km
(2009)
Railways:
total: 46,688 km
country comparison to the world: 5
standard gauge: 46,688 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 1,042,300 km
country comparison to the world: 6
paved: 415,600 km (includes 17,000 km of expressways)
unpaved: 626,700 km (2008)
Waterways:
636 km
country comparison to the world: 78
note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint
Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with United States (2008)
Merchant marine:
total: 184
country comparison to the world: 36
by type: bulk carrier 66, cargo 12, carrier 1, chemical tanker 14,
combination ore/oil 1, container 2, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 64,
petroleum tanker 12, roll on/roll off 6
foreign-owned: 15 (France 1, Netherlands 1, Norway 4, US 9)
registered in other countries: 223 (Australia 7, Bahamas 102,
Barbados 13, Cambodia 2, Cyprus 2, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 70, Liberia
4, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 4, Norway 1, Panama 5, Spain 5, US 1,
Vanuatu 5) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Fraser River Port, Halifax, Hamilton, Montreal, Port-Cartier, Quebec
City, Saint John (New Brunswick), Sept-Isles, Vancouver
Military ::Canada
Military branches:
Canadian Forces: Land Forces Command (LFC), Maritime Command
(MARCOM), Air Command (AIRCOM), Canada Command (homeland security)
(2010)
Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for male and female voluntary 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
(2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 8,051,656
females age 16-49: 7,780,644 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 6,642,190
females age 16-49: 6,402,896 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 220,538
female: 208,033 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.1% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
Transnational Issues ::Canada
Disputes - international:
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,
the US, and other countries dispute the status of the Northwest
Passage; 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 nautical miles from its declared
baselines in the Arctic, as stipulated in Article 76, paragraph 8,
of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic drug market and export
to US; use of hydroponics technology permits growers to plant large
quantities of high-quality marijuana indoors; increasing ecstasy
production, some of which is destined for the US; vulnerable to
narcotics money laundering because of its mature financial services
sector
page last updated on January 20, 2011
======================================================================
@Cape Verde (Africa)
Introduction ::Cape Verde
Background:
The uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the
Portuguese in the 15th century; Cape Verde subsequently became a
trading center for African slaves and later an important coaling and
resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. Following
independence in 1975, and a tentative interest in unification with
Guinea-Bissau, a one-party system was established and maintained
until multi-party elections were held in 1990. Cape Verde continues
to exhibit one of Africa's most stable democratic governments.
Repeated droughts during the second half of the 20th century caused
significant hardship and prompted heavy emigration. As a result,
Cape Verde's expatriate population is greater than its domestic one.
Most Cape Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents.
Geography ::Cape Verde
Location:
Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west
of Senegal
Geographic coordinates:
16 00 N, 24 00 W
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 4,033 sq km
country comparison to the world: 175
land: 4,033 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Rhode Island
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
965 km
Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and erratic
Terrain:
steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mt. Fogo 2,829 m (a volcano on Fogo Island)
Natural resources:
salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish, clay, gypsum
Land use:
arable land: 11.41%
permanent crops: 0.74%
other: 87.85% (2005)
Irrigated land:
30 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
0.3 cu km (1990)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.02 cu km/yr (7%/2%/91%)
per capita: 39 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust;
volcanically and seismically active
volcanism: Fogo (elev. 2,829 m, 9,281 ft), which last erupted in
1995, is Cape Verde's only active volcano
Environment - current issues:
soil erosion; deforestation due to demand for wood used as fuel;
water shortages; desertification; environmental damage has
threatened several species of birds and reptiles; illegal beach sand
extraction; overfishing
Environment - international agreements:
party to: 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, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major
north-south sea routes; important communications station; important
sea and air refueling site
People ::Cape Verde
Population:
508,659 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
Age structure:
0-14 years: 35.2% (male 76,012/female 74,993)
15-64 years: 58.5% (male 123,376/female 127,653)
65 years and over: 6.4% (male 10,040/female 17,400) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 22.3 years
male: 21.4 years
female: 23.1 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.459% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
Birth rate:
21.67 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
Death rate:
6.41 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153
Net migration rate:
-0.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148
Urbanization:
urban population: 60% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 3.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 27.89 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 78
male: 31.86 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 23.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)