The 2003 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
and arctic in north
Terrain:
mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Logan 5,959 m
Natural resources:
iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash,
diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural
gas, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 4.94%
permanent crops: 0.02%
other: 95.04% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
7,200 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
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
Environment - current 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, industrial,
mining, and forestry activities
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85,
Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law
of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategic location
between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately 85% of
the population is concentrated within 300 km of the US border
People Canada
Population:
32,207,113 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 18.5% (male 3,052,005; female 2,903,007)
15–64 years: 68.6% (male 11,099,907; female 10,984,903)
65 years and over: 12.9% (male 1,774,262; female 2,393,029) (2003
est.)
Median age:
total: 37.8 years
male: 36.9 years
female: 38.8 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
0.94% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
10.99 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
7.61 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
6.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.88 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 5.36 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.83 years
male: 76.44 years
female: 83.38 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.61 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.3% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
55,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 500 (2001 est.)
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 46%, Protestant 36%, other 18%
note: based on the 1991 census
Languages:
English 59.3% (official), French 23.2% (official), other 17.5%
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97% (1986 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%
Government Canada
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Canada
Government type:
confederation with parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Ottawa
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 (from UK)
National holiday:
Canada Day, 1 July (1867)
Constitution:
17 April 1982 (Constitution Act); originally, the machinery of the
government was set up in the British North America Act of 1867;
charter of rights and unwritten customs
Legal system:
based on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil law
system based on French law prevails; accepts compulsory ICJ