Canada, federated country of North America, a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean; on the north-east by Baffin Bay and Davis Strait, which separate it from Greenland; on the east by the Atlantic Ocean; on the south by the United States; and on the west by the Pacific Ocean and the US state of Alaska. It was formerly known as the Dominion of Canada. Occupying all of North America north of the conterminous United States, except Alaska, Greenland, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon Islands, Canada is the world's second-largest country, surpassed in size only by Russia.
It includes many islands, notably the Canadian Arctic Islands (Arctic Archipelago) in the Arctic Ocean. Among the larger members of this group, which in aggregate area is about 1,424,500 sq km (550,000 sq mi), are (in descending order) Baffin, Victoria, Ellesmere, Banks, Devon, Axel Heiberg, and Melville islands. Cape Columbia, a promontory of Ellesmere Island at latitude 83°06¢ north, is the northernmost point of Canada; its southernmost point is Middle Island in Lake Erie, at latitude 41°41¢ north. The easternmost and westernmost limits are delineated, respectively, by longitude 52°37¢ west, which lies along Cape Spear, Newfoundland, and longitude 141° west, which coincides with part of the Alaska-Yukon border. Canada has a total area of 9,970,610 km (3,849,652 sq mi), of which 755,180 sq km (291,575 sq mi) is covered by bodies of freshwater such as rivers and lakes, including those portions of the Great Lakes under Canadian jurisdiction.
Population
30,286,000
(1997 official estimate)
Population Density
3 people/sq km
(8 people/sq mi)
(1997 estimate)
Urban/Rural Breakdown
77% Urban
23% Rural
Largest Cities
Montreal1,017,666
Calgary710,677
Toronto635,395
(1991 census)
Largest Metropolitan Areas
Toronto4,444,700
Montreal3,359,000
Vancouver1,891,400
(1996 estimate)
Ethnic Groups
34% British and Irish
27% French
21% Other European
16% Asian
2% Native American
Language
Official Languages
English
French
Religions
45% Roman Catholicism
36% Protestantism
19% Other
including Eastern Orthodoxy, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism
Time and Date in Ottawa
Countries Currency Unit
CAD/Unit
Units/CAD
DZD
Algeria Dinars
0.0206059
48.5298
USD
United States Dollars
1.59516
0.626895
ARS
Argentina Pesos
0.541652
1.84620
AUD
Australia Dollars
0.851043
1.17503
ATS
Austria Schillings **
0.100972
9.90374
BSD
Bahamas Dollars
1.59516
0.626895
BBD
Barbados Dollars
0.801590
1.24752
BEF
Belgium Francs **
0.0344424
29.0340
BMD
Bermuda Dollars
1.59516
0.626895
BRL
Brazil Reals
0.686092
1.45753
GBP
United Kingdom Pounds
2.27448
0.439660
BGL
Bulgaria Leva
0.713506
1.40153
CAD
Canada Dollars
1.00000
1.00000
CLP
Chile Pesos
0.00242999
411.525
CNY
China Yuan Renminbi
0.192713
5.18906
CYP
Cyprus Pounds
2.42795
0.411870
CZK
Czech Republic Koruny
0.0449989
22.2228
DKK
Denmark Kroner
0.187027
5.34682
XCD
East Caribbean Dollars
0.590802
1.69262
EGP
Egypt Pounds
0.344342
2.90409
EUR
Euro
1.38940
0.719733
FJD
Fiji Dollars
0.713720
1.40111
FIM
Finland Markkaa **
0.233681
4.27934
FRF
France Francs **
0.211813
4.72114
DEM
Germany Deutsche Marks **
0.710391
1.40768
XAU
Gold Ounces
482.131
0.00207412
GRD
Greece Drachmae **
0.00407749
245.249
HKD
Hong Kong Dollars
0.204519
4.88953
HUF
Hungary Forint
0.00571384
175.014
ISK
Iceland Kronur
0.0159526
62.6856
INR
India Rupees
0.0326851
30.5949
IDR
Indonesia Rupiahs
0.000162367
6,158.88
IEP
Ireland Pounds **
1.76418
0.566836
ILS
Israel New Shekels
0.336324
2.97333
ITL
Italy Lire **
0.000717567
1,393.60
JMD
Jamaica Dollars
0.0335048
29.8465
JPY
Japan Yen
0.0120254
83.1576
JOD
Jordan Dinars
2.24988
0.444468
LBP
Lebanon Pounds
0.00105361
949.119
LUF
Luxembourg Francs **
0.0344424
29.0340
MYR
Malaysia Ringgits
0.419891
2.38157
MXN
Mexico Pesos
0.177037
5.64853
NZD
New Zealand Dollars
0.702643
1.42320
NOK
Norway Kroner
0.180170
5.55031
NLG
Netherlands Guilders **
0.630484
1.58608
PKR
Pakistan Rupees
0.0265639
37.6450
PHP
Philippines Pesos
0.0312655
31.9842
XPT
Platinum Ounces
827.855
0.00120794
PLN
Poland Zlotych
0.387952
2.57764
PTE
Portugal Escudos **
0.00693032
144.294
ROL
Romania Lei
0.0000484337
20,646.78
RUR
Russia Rubles
0.0512585
19.5090
SAR
Saudi Arabia Riyals
0.425370
2.35089
XAG
Silver Ounces
7.38536
0.135403
SGD
Singapore Dollars
0.865901
1.15487
SKK
Slovakia Koruny
0.0332672
30.0597
ZAR
South Africa Rand
0.140447
7.12012
KRW
South Korea Won
0.00120772
828.006
ESP
Spain Pesetas **
0.00835049
119.754
XDR
IMF Special Drawing Rights
1.98888
0.502797
SDD
Sudan Dinars
0.00613525
162.993
SEK
Sweden Kronor
0.153960
6.49521
CHF
Switzerland Francs
0.948787
1.05398
TWD
Taiwan New Dollars
0.0456413
21.9100
THB
Thailand Baht
0.0366269
27.3024
TTD
Trinidad and Tobago Dollars
0.260648
3.83660
TRL
Turkey Liras
0.00000118679
842,607.73
VEB
Venezuela Bolivares
0.00173239
577.238
ZMK
Zambia Kwacha
0.000356860
2,802.22
Canada :
Geographic coordinates
60 00 N, 95 00 W
Canada :
Population growth rate
0.99%
Canada :
Birth rate
11.21 births/1,000 population
Canada :
Death rate
7.47 deaths/1,000 population
Canada :
People living with HIV/AIDS
49,000
Canada :
Independence
1 July 1867
Canada :
National holiday
1 July 1867 Independence Day
Canada :
Constitution
17 April 1982
Canada :
GDP
purchasing power parity - $774.7 billion
Canada :
GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $24,800
Canada :
Electricity - consumption
497.532 billion kWh
Canada :
Exports
$272.3 billion motor vehicles and parts, newsprint, wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, machinery, natural gas, aluminum, telecommunications equipment, electricity
Canada :
Imports
$238.2 billion machinery and equipment, crude oil, chemicals, motor vehicles and parts, durable consumer goods
Canada :
Telephones
18.5 million
Canada :
Mobile cellular
4.207 million
Canada :
Radio broadcast stations
AM 535, FM 53, shortwave 6
Canada :
Radios
32.3 million
Canada :
Television broadcast stations
80
Canada :
Televisions
21.5 million
Canada :
Internet country code
.ca
Canada :
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
760
Canada :
Internet users
13.28 million
Canada :
Railways
36,114 km
Canada :
Highways
901,902 km
Canada :
Waterways
3,000 km
Canada :
Pipelines
crude and refined oil 23,564 km; natural gas 74,980 km
Canada :
Ports and harbors
Becancour (Quebec), Churchill, Halifax, Hamilton, Montreal, New Westminster, Prince Rupert, Quebec, Saint John etc.
Canada :
Merchant marine
121 ships
Canada :
Airports
1,417
Canada :
Heliports
18
Canada :
Military branches
Land Forces Command or LC, Maritime Command or MC, Air Command or AC, Communications Command or CC, Training Command or TC