Profile
Background and figures as recorded in the CIA World Factbook.
A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867, while retaining ties to the British crown. Canada gained legislative independence from Britain in 1931 and formalized its constitutional independence from the UK when it passed the Canada Act in 1982. Economically and technologically, the nation has developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across the world's longest international border.
- Capital
- Ottawa
- Government
- federal parliamentary democracy (Parliament of Canada) under a constitutional monarchy;
- Population
- 39,187,155
- Area
- 9,984,670 sq km
- Location
- Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of t…
- Climate
- varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north
- Natural resources
- bauxite; iron ore; nickel; zinc; copper; gold…
- Languages
- English (official) 87.1%; French (official) 29.1%; Chinese languages 4.2%; Spanish 3.2%…
- Religions
- Christian 53.3%; Muslim 4.9%; Hindu 2.3%; Sikh 2.1%…
- Independence
- 1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies);
- Administrative divisions
- 10 provinces and 3 territories*; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwes…
- Currency
- Canadian dollars (CAD)
- Export partners
- USA 71%; China 5%; UK 3%; Japan 2%…
- Import partners
- USA 51%; China 11%; Mexico 6%; Germany 3%…
Source: CIA World Factbook — a work of the US government, in the public domain