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 LIVING IN CANADA
Canada is an amazing country, with a great diversity of characteristics. Here are a few interesting facts about Canada
Facts about Canada
- Canada is the second largest country in the world, with 9,971,000 square kilometres of land.
- The baseball glove was invented in Canada in 1883.
- With only three people per square kilometer, Canada has the fourth lowest population density in the world.
- Vancouver Canada is tied with Zurich Switzerland for the highest quality of life of any city in the world.
- The world's smallest jail is believed to be in Rodney, Ontario, Canada. It is only 24.3 square meters (about 270 square feet).
- Canada has the ninth biggest economy of the world
- According to the United Nations Human Development Index, Canada has the highest quality of life in the world.
- Contrary to popular opinion, Canada does not own the North Pole. In fact, the North Pole is not owned by any country. It is believed, however, that Santa Claus is from Canada.
- Canada is the world's eighth biggest trader.
- Of all of the world's producers of natural gas, copper, zinc, nickel, aluminum, and gold, Canada is in the top five.
- Canada is the home of many great inventions, including: basketball, the electric light bulb, the electric range, the electron microscope, standard time, the television, the telephone, and the zipper.
- Canada is the fifth largest energy producer.
- Canada has the world's highest tertiary education enrolment.
Geography of Canada
Canada is a huge country with a variety of climates and geographic features. Here are some basic facts:
Area: 9.9 million sq. km. (3.8 million sq. mi.); second-largest country in the world.
Cities: Capital--Ottawa (pop. 1 million). Other major cities--Toronto (4.5 million), Montreal (3.4 million), Vancouver (2.0 million).
Terrain: Mostly plains with mountains in the west and lowlands in the southeast.
Climate: Temperate to arctic.
Government of Canada
Type: Confederation with parliamentary democracy.
Confederation: July 1, 1867.
Constitution: The amended British North America Act of 1867 patriated to Canada on April 17, 1982, Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and unwritten custom.
Branches: Executive--Queen Elizabeth II (head of state represented by a governor general), prime minister (head of government), cabinet. Legislative--bicameral parliament (House of Commons has been 301 members, and will be 308 members as of the June 28, 2004 elections; 105-seat Senate). Judicial--Supreme Court.
Federal-level political parties: Liberal Party, Bloc Quebecois, New Democratic Party, Conservative Party of Canada.
Subdivisions: 10 provinces, 3 territories.
Inside The Canadian Government
Canada is a constitutional monarchy with a federal system, a parliamentary government, and strong democratic traditions. The 1982 Charter of Rights guarantees basic rights in many areas. Queen Elizabeth II, as Queen of Canada, serves as a symbol of the nation's unity. She appoints a governor general, who serves as her representative in Canada, on the advice of the prime minister of Canada, usually for a 5-year term. The prime minister is the leader of the political party in power and is the head of the cabinet. The cabinet remains in office as long as it retains majority support in the House of Commons on major issues.
Canada's parliament consists of an elected House of Commons and an appointed Senate. Legislative power rests with the 308-member (as of the June 28, 2004 elections) Commons, which is elected for a period not to exceed 5 years. The prime minister may ask the governor general to dissolve parliament and call new elections at any time during that period. Federal elections were last held in November 2000. Vacancies in the 104-member Senate, whose members serve until the age of 75, are filled by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister. Recent constitutional initiatives have sought unsuccessfully to strengthen the Senate by making it elective and assigning it a greater regional representational role.
Criminal law, based largely on British law, is uniform throughout the nation and is under federal jurisdiction. Civil law is also based on the common law of England, except in Quebec, which has retained its own civil code patterned after that of France. Justice is administered by federal, provincial, and municipal courts.
Each province is governed by a premier and a single, elected legislative chamber. A lieutenant-governor appointed by the governor general represents the Crown in each province.
Principal Government Officials (as of July 20, 2004)
Head of State--Queen Elizabeth II
Governor General--Adrienne Clarkson
Prime Minister--Paul Martin
Minister of Foreign Affairs--Pierre Pettigrew
Ambassador to the United States--Michael Kergin
Ambassador to the United Nations--Allan Rock
Economy of Canada
Nominal GDP (2003): $869.2 billion.
Real GDP growth rate (2003): 5.3%.
Nominal per capita GDP (2003): $27,682.
Natural resources: Petroleum and natural gas, hydroelectric power, metals and minerals, fish, forests, wildlife, abundant fresh water.
Agriculture: Products--wheat, livestock and meat, feed grains, oil seeds, dairy products, tobacco, fruits, vegetables.
Industry: Types--motor vehicles and parts, machinery and equipment, aircraft and components, other diversified manufacturing, fish and forest products, processed and unprocessed minerals.
Trade: Merchandise exports (2003)--$313.8 billion: motor vehicles and spare parts, lumber, wood pulp and newsprint, crude and fabricated metals, natural gas, crude petroleum, wheat. In 2003, 83% of Canadian exports went to the United States. Merchandise imports (2003)--$289.7 billion: motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, crude petroleum, chemicals, agricultural machinery. In 2003, 70% of Canadian imports came from the United States
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