CANADA - GENERAL PROFILE

Canada at a Glance

Capital: Ottawa, located in the province of Ontario.

Land Mass: At 9,970,610 square kms, Canada is the world's second-largest country.

Population: Today, Canada's population is 31 million.

Provinces and Territories:
Canada has 10 provinces and 3 territories, the population of each as well as their capital cities are shown below :
Alberta: 2.7 million (Edmonton);
British Columbia: 4 million (Victoria);
Manitoba: 1.1 million (Winnipeg);
New Brunswick: 725,000 (Fredericton);
Newfoundland: 575,000 (St. John's);
Nova Scotia: 950,000 (Halifax);
Ontario: 11.5 million (Toronto);
Prince Edward Island: 130,000 (Charlottetown);
Quebec: 7.37 million (Quebec City);
Saskatchewan: 950,000 (Regina);
N.W. Territories: 15,500 (Yellowknife);
Yukon Territory: 23,000 (Whitehorse). Nunavut Territory: ( Iqualuit) Canada's latest declared territory

Main Cities:
Canada's largest cities are:
1. Toronto ( 4.7 million )
2. Montreal ( 3.4 million )
3. Vancouver ( 2 million )
4. Ottawa ( 1.17 million )
5. Edmonton ( 920,000 )
6. Calgary ( 860,000 )

Climate
There are of course many climatic variations in this huge country, ranging from the permanently frozen icecaps north of the 70th parallel to the luxuriant vegetation of British Columbia's west coast. On the whole, though, Canada has four very distinct seasons, especially in the regions lying along the U.S. border. Daytime summer temperatures (in degrees Celsius) can rise to 35 and higher, while lows of -25 are not uncommon in winter in certain regions. More moderate temperatures are the norm in spring and fall.

Time Zones
Canada has six time zones. The easternmost, in Newfoundland, is three hours and 30 minutes behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The other time zones are the Atlantic, the Eastern, the Central, the Rocky Mountain and, farthest west, the Pacific, which is eight hours behind GMT.

National Emblem
The maple leaf has been associated with Canada since the 1700s. It has become the country's most important symbol since the Canadian flag was introduced in 1965.

Currency
The Canadian dollar is divided into 100 cents.

Political System
Canada is a constitutional monarchy and a federal state with a democratic parliament. The Parliament of Canada, in Ottawa, consists of the House of Commons, whose members are elected, and the Senate, whose members are appointed. On average, members of Parliament are elected every four years.

Charter of Rights and Freedoms
The rights and freedoms of Canadians are entrenched in our Constitution. Since 1982, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which protects Canadians' fundamental rights and freedoms, has been an integral part of the Constitution.

Urban and Rural Population
77 percent of Canadians live in cities and towns, while 23 percent live in rural areas.

Family Size
According to 1991 national census, the average family size was 3.1, including 1.3 children.

Living Standards
Canada boasts one of the world's highest living standards. For example, in 1991, 83 percent of Canadian households had at least one car; 97.5 percent had colour televisions, and one of five had a computer.

Health Care and Social Security
All Canadians enjoy free access to health care, with the exception of dental services. Most people over 65 and social aid recipients receive the majority of their prescription drugs free of charge. Canada's extensive social security network include old age pension, family allowance, unemployment insurance and welfare.

Languages
The Official Languages Act makes French and English the official languages of Canada, and Canada's federal institutions must reflect the equality of its two official languages by offering bilingual services. However, many Canadians have a mother tongue other than English or French.

Aboriginal Peoples
In 1991, 533 000 Canadians were either status or non-status Indians, and over one million identified themselves as having Aboriginal descent.

Immigration Policy
Canada opened its doors to immigration from all over the world in the early 20th century. In 1971, the multicultural policy of the Government of Canada was adopted, reflecting the multicultural character of Canada.

Education
The educational system varies from province to province and includes six to eight years of elementary school, four or five years of secondary school and three or four years at the university undergraduate level.

Sports
The most popular sports in Canada include swimming, ice hockey, cross-country and alpine skiing, baseball, tennis, basketball and golf. Ice hockey, Canadian football and baseball are the favorite spectator sports. Ice hockey and lacrosse are Canada's national sports.

Main Natural Resources
Canada's principal natural resources are natural gas, oil (petroleum), gold, coal, copper, iron ore, nickel, potash, uranium and zinc, along with wood and water.

Unemployment Rate (May - July 2000)

The unemployment rate is usually a good indicator of the heath of the economy. The following unemployment rates are for major Canadian cities and for Canada as a whole.

1. St. John's (New Foundland)	9.2%	11. London (Ontario)	6.5%
2. Halifax (Nova Scotia)	5.7%	12. Windsor (Ontario)	4.8%
3. Saint John (New Brunswick)	7.8%	13. Winnipeg (Manitoba)	5.3%
4. Quebec City (Quebec)	8.5%	14. Regina (Saskatchewan)	5.0%
5. Montreal (Quebec)	8.0%	15. Saskatoon (Saskatchewan)	6.5%
6. Ottawa-Hull (Ontario)	5.5%	16. Calgary (Alberta)	5.0%
7. Toronto (Ontario)	5.0%	17. Edmonton (Alberta)	5.6%
8. Hamilton (Ontario)	4.4%	18. Vancouver (British Columbia)	5.4%
9. St. Catharines-Niagara (Ontario)	5.3%	19. Victoria (British Columbia)	6.9%
10. Kitchner-Waterloo (Ontario)	4.8%	Canada's unemployment rate	6.8%

Empress Hotel, Victoria.

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