Canada: Facts and Figures - Facts and Figures

Official name

Canada

Capital

Ottawa

Area

9,984,670 sq km

3,855,103 sq mi

Administrative divisions (population)

Alberta

3,585,100 (2008 estimate)

British Columbia

4,381,600 (2008 estimate)

Manitoba

1,208,000 (2008 estimate)

New Brunswick

747,300 (2008 estimate)

Newfoundland and Labrador

507,900 (2008 estimate)

Northwest Territories

43,300 (2008 estimate)

Nova Scotia

938,300 (2008 estimate)

Nunavut

31,400 (2008 estimate)

Ontario

12,929,000 (2008 estimate)

Prince Edward Island

139,800 (2008 estimate)

Quebec

7,750,500 (2008 estimate)

Saskatchewan

1,016,000 (2008 estimate)

Yukon Territory

33,100 (2008 estimate)

Largest cities (population)

Toronto

2,503,281 (2006)

Montreal

1,039,534 (2001)

Calgary

988,193 (2006)

Ottawa

812,129 (2006)

Edmonton

730,372 (2006)

Winnipeg

633,451 (2006)

Mississauga

668,549 (2006)

Vancouver

578,041 (2006)

Hamilton

504,559 (2006)

Halifax

372,679 (2006)

Surrey

394,976 (2006)

Laval

368,709 (2006)

London

352,395 (2006)

Kitchener

204,668 (2006)

Quebec

169,076 (2001)

Saint Catharines

131,989 (2006)

Victoria

78,057 (2006)

Population

33,487,208 (2009 estimate)

Population growth rate

0.82 per cent (2009 estimate)

Population density

3.7 persons per sq km (2009 estimate)

9.6 persons per sq mi (2009 estimate)

Urbanization

Per cent urban

81 per cent (2005 estimate)

Per cent rural

19 per cent (2005 estimate)

Life expectancy

Total

81.2 years (2009 estimate)

Female

83.9 years (2009 estimate)

Male

78.7 years (2009 estimate)

Infant mortality rate

5 deaths per 1,000 live births (2009 estimate)

Literacy rate

Total

96.6 per cent (1995)

Female

Not available

Male

Not available

Ethnic divisions

British Isles origin

35.0 per cent

French origin

25.0 per cent

Other European origin

20.0 per cent

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

3.0 per cent

Other

17.0 per cent

Languages

English (official), French (official), Plautdietsch, Ojibwa, Woods Cree, Plains Cree, German (Hutterite and Pennsylvania), Inuktitut, and other languages including many other Native American languages

Religions

Roman Catholic, United Church, Anglican, other Protestant, other

Type of government

Federal parliamentary democracy

Independence

July 1, 1867 (from the United Kingdom)

Constitution

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

Voting rights

Universal at age 18

Gross domestic product (GDP) (US$)

1,329,885 million (2007)

GDP per capita (US$)

40,328.90 (2007)

GDP by economic sector

GDP, agriculture

2.2 per cent (2002)

GDP, industry

31.4 per cent (2002)

GDP, services

66.4 per cent (2002)

National budget (Canadian $)

Total revenue

337,811 million Canadian dollars (2008)

Total expenditure

332,424 million Canadian dollars (2008)

Monetary unit

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

Exports

Newsprint, wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, machinery, natural gas, aluminium, wheat, fish and fish products, motor vehicles and parts, telecommunications equipment

Imports

Crude oil, chemicals, motor vehicles and parts, durable consumer goods, computers, telecommunications equipment and parts

Major trading partners for exports

United States, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, Netherlands, China

Major trading partners for imports

United States, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Mexico, Taiwan, South Korea

Industries

Processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, transport equipment, chemicals, fish products, petroleum and natural gas

Agriculture

Wheat, barley, maize, oilseed, potatoes, oats, soya beans, sugar beet, fruits, vegetables; cattle, pigs, sheep, horses, fish

Natural resources

Nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, silver, fish, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, uranium, timber

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 are 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 per cent due to rounding.