The 2008 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
- external:
$758.6 billion (30 June 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$527.4 billion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$514.7 billion (2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$1.481 trillion (2005)
Currency (code):
Canadian dollar (CAD)
Currency code:
CAD
Exchange rates:
Canadian dollars (CAD) per US dollar - 1.0724 (2007), 1.1334 (2006), 1.2118 (2005), 1.301 (2004), 1.4011 (2003)
Communications
Canada
Telephones - main lines in use:
21 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
18.749 million (2006)
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)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 245, FM 582, shortwave 6 (2004)
Radios:
32.3 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
80 (plus many repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:
21.5 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.ca
Internet hosts:
5.119 million (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
760 (2000 est.)
Internet users:
28 million (2007)
Transportation
Canada
Airports:
1,343 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 509 over 3,047 m: 18 2,438 to 3,047 m: 16 1,524 to 2,437 m: 149 914 to 1,523 m: 248 under 914 m: 78 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 834 1,524 to 2,437 m: 68 914 to 1,523 m: 356 under 914 m: 410 (2007)
Heliports:
11 (2007)
Pipelines:
crude and refined oil 23,564 km; liquid petroleum gas 74,980 km (2006)
Railways:
total: 48,068 km standard gauge: 48,068 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 1,042,300 km paved: 415,600 km (includes 17,000 km of expressways) unpaved: 626,700 km (2006)
Waterways:
636 km note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with United States (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 175 by type: bulk carrier 60, cargo 13, carrier 1, chemical tanker 10, combination ore/oil 1, container 2, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 64, petroleum tanker 12, roll on/roll off 6 foreign-owned: 17 (Germany 3, Netherlands 1, Norway 3, US 10) registered in other countries: 206 (Australia 9, Bahamas 84, Barbados 9, Cambodia 2, Cyprus 2, Denmark 1, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 44, Liberia 7, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 6, Norway 7, Norway 3, Panama 18, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Spain 1, Spain 3, Taiwan 2, Vanuatu 5) (2008)
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) (2008)
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: 8,072,010 females age 16–49: 7,813,462 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16–49: 6,646,281 females age 16–49: 6,417,924 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 227,435 female: 215,556 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.1% of GDP (2005 est.)
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
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Cape Verde
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