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Canada

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Last updated: 19 June 2009

Country information

Map of Canada

Canada today

Country facts

Area: 9,984,670 million sq km
Population: (estimated population) is 33.4 million (2009)
Capital city: Ottawa
People: Canada is a multicultural country with people from all over the world who have now made Canada their home. Ethnic Groups (wholly or partly): North American Origin 40%, British Origin 33%, French Origin 16%, Other European 29%, Aboriginal peoples 4%, South, East & South-East Asian 9%, Other (mostly Caribbean, Arab, African, Latin/Central/South American and West Asian) 6%. The total comes to more than 100% because many Canadians (approximately 38%) have a mixed background.
Languages: Canada has two official languages, English (59%) and French (23%). 17% of the population have another language as their ‘mother tongue’.
Religion(s): Roman Catholic 43%; Protestant 23% (including United Church 9%, Anglican 6%, Baptist 2%, Lutheran 2%), other Christian 4%, Muslim 1% other and unspecified 11%, none 16%.
Currency: Canadian Dollar. 1 Dollar is made up of 100 cents.
Major political parties: The main political parties at federal (i.e. national) level are: Conservative Party, Liberal Party, Bloc Quebecois (in Quebec Province only) and New Democratic Party (NDP). The Liberals and NDP are also represented at provincial level. There are also some notable provincial parties, e.g. the Progressive Conservative Party, the Parti Quebecois in Quebec, the Saskatchewan Party and the Yukon Party.
Government: Canada is a constitutional monarchy and a federal state with a democratic system of government.
Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Michaelle Jean (since 27 September 2005).
Head of Government: Prime Minister Stephen Harper (re-elected on 14 October 2008)
Foreign Minister: The Honourable Lawrence Cannon (October 2008)
Membership of international groupings/organisations: Member of the Commonwealth; North America Free Trade Assocation (NAFTA); North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO); Organisation of American States (OAS); G8; World Trade Organisation (WTO); La Francophonie.

Economy

Basic economic facts

Nominal GDP: C$ 1.564 trillion (2008 estimate)
GDP per head: $ 39300 (2008 estimate)
GDP growth:  -1.4% (first quarter 2009)
Inflation:  1% (January 2009 estimate)
Labour force:  18.18 million (2008 estimate)
Unemployment:  6.1% (2008 estimate)
Major industries: Automobile manufacturing, pulp and paper, iron and steel work, machinery and equipment manufacturing, mining, extraction of fossil fuels, forestry and agriculture.
Major Trading Partners: United States, UK, Japan and China.
Exports:  $461.8 billion (2008 estimate)
Exports - commodities: Automobile vehicles and parts, machinery and equipment, high-technology products, oil, natural gas, metals, and forest and farm products.
Imports:  $436.7 billion (2008 estimate)
Imports - commodities: machinery, electric machinery and equipment, industry goods, motor vehicles and parts, minerals fuels and oils, plastics.
Debt – External: £387,040 billion/C$758.6 billion (2007)
Government debt (% of GDP): 34.8% (March 2007)

Exchange rate: £1 = C$  1.789 (June 2009)

History

People migrating from Asia, probably crossing the Bering Strait, first settled the North American continent. They formed a number of tribes that can be distinguished by language. The largest group was the Algonquian, often migratory, who inhabited the eastern sub-arctic and maritime areas but by the 18th century had spread into the prairies and plains of the mid-west. The Iriquioian speaking tribes lived mostly in the St Lawrence Valley and around Lakes Ontario and Erie. The Salishan, Athabascan and other linguistic groups lived along the rivers and coastline of British Columbia. Small, isolated Inuit bands developed a unique culture in the harsh environment of the Arctic. The first Europeans to reach North America were probably from Greenland in about AD 1000. But the firm knowledge of the existence of land was not established until around 1480 to 1500 AD. John Cabot, a Venetian working in the service of the English sailed to Newfoundland in 1497. This and later explorations formed the basis of the English claim to Canada. The Frenchman Jacques Cartier undertook a series of explorations, mainly along the route of the St Lawrence River during the 1530s and 1540s and he claimed the land for France.

Hunting and trading was the principal interest of the European settlers in Canada and rival companies, including the Hudson’s Bay Company, dominated economic activity. But the rivalries in Europe spilled over into North America and a number of conflicts were fought leading up to the truce agreed in the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. The peace was short-lived however and the period from about 1745 to 1760 was one of Anglo-French conflict leading to the surrender of Montreal to the British. The 1763 Treaty of Paris brought British rule to the area known as British North America. Tensions between the French and English speaking communities continued to affect the Colony although in the War of 1812 against the Americans most Canadians sided with the British army in the defence of what was known as Upper and Lower Canada.

Partly arising from concern about developments in the USA (the American Civil War of 1861-1865) came a movement for the unification of the colonies of British North America. A new nation, called the Dominion of Canada, was created by the British North America Act of 1867 and proclaimed in Canada on 1 July 1867. The federation included Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario. Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland refused to join. The Province of Manitoba was created in 1870 and with the North West Territories joined the confederation. British Columbia joined the confederation in 1871. Prince Edward Island agreed to join in 1873. The District of Saskatchewan was created in 1882. The Yukon Territory joined Canada in 1898. In 1905 Saskatchewan and Alberta joined the Dominion. Newfoundland joined in 1949. In 1999 Nunavut was created.

Further information about the road to Confederation: The National Library of Canada

International relations

Relations with neighbours

Canada has particularly close relations with its immediate neighbour, the United States of America. US President Barack Obama made his first official overseas visit to Canada in February 2009. The United States is Canada’s main trading partner and with Mexico, comprise the North America Free Trade Association (NAFTA). Canada and the US are both members of NATO. The United States remains Canada's most important bilateral relationship, which includes joint Canadian and US membership of the NORAD defence alliance.

Canadian relations with the international community

Canada is a strong supporter of the World Trade Organisation and of the World Trade Organisation and of expanded free trade areas. The other strand in foreign policy includes the promotion of international peace/security through multilateral bodies and of respect for human rights/human security (e.g. on landmines, where the Canadians were instrumental, strongly supported by UK, in concluding the Landmines Treaty in 1997). Canada has made a substantial contribution to stability in Afghanistan. Canada commanded ISAF V until August 2004 and their current contribution to ISAF numbers around 2,500 troops. In April 2008, the Canadian Parliament voted to extend the Canadian deployment to Afghanistan by two years until 2011.

Canadian relations with the UK

The UK/Canada bilateral relationship is strong. Both countries work together across a wide range of bilateral and international initiatives.

Cultural relations with the UK

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for educational and cultural relations. In its support of cultural relations between the UK and Canada, the British Council works closely with British diplomatic posts and trade promotion agencies. The focus is now largely on climate change. More information is available on the British Council website.

Recent visits

The Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper visited Britain  in July 2006, May 2008 and most recently in April 2009 for the G20 London summit. Prime Minister Stephen Harper also called on Her Majesty The Queen. Canadian Defence Minister, Peter MacKay, visited the UK and met the Foreign Secretary on 16 February at the Foreign Office. Minister Peter MacKay was previously the Canadian Foreign Minister and visited London in February 2006 and Northern Ireland in May 2007 in that capacity. Prime Minister Tony Blair made his first visit to Canada (Ottawa) in February 2001.

Other high level visits to Canada within the past two years have included previous FCO Minister Dr Kim Howells to Ottawa in February 2008 and Montreal followed by Vancouver, British Columbia in July 2008.  The then Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, in June 2006, FCO Minister, Douglas Alexander, the Scottish First Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Secretary of State DEFRA, and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Baroness Scotland, Minister of State at the Home Office, in February 2007.  Lord West visited Ottawa in June 2008.

Diplomatic representation

UK Representation in Canada

Canadian High Commission, London

Geography

Location: Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and North Pacific Ocean, north of the conterminous US
Area: total - 9,984,670 sq km; land – 9,093,507 sq km; water - 891,163 sq km. Canada is the second-largest country in world (after Russia) with a strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route. It is slightly larger than the US. Approximately 85% of the population is concentrated within 300 km of the US/Canada border.
Land boundaries: total - 8,893 km; border countries - US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska).
Coastline: 243,791 km
Climate: varies from temperate in south to sub-arctic and arctic in north.
Terrain: mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in south-east.
Elevation extremes: lowest point - Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point - Mount Logan 5,959 m
Natural hazards: continuous permafrost in the north is a serious obstacle to development. Cyclonic storms form east of the Rocky Mountains, a result of the mixing of air masses from the Arctic, Pacific, and North American interior, and produce most of the country's rain and snow.

Trade and investment

Trade and investment with the UK

Canada is an important trade and investment partner for British companies of all sizes and across the spectrum of business activity. Canada is one of the world’s richest and most developed countries, ranks among the top ten industrial powers and is recognised as having one of the highest standards of living in the world. With low inflation and steady economic growth, Canada offers good trade and investment opportunities for British companies in many sectors e.g. energy, food and drink, aerospace and biotechnology. A recent study comparing business costs in Canada, Europe and the USA placed Canada ahead of other G7 countries across a broad range of business operating costs. Canada’s market economy has maintained a varied structure with both small companies and multinational giants playing important parts. Natural resources remain a major factor, but the growth of hi-tech industries often involving small dynamic enterprises, is of ever increasing significance. The Canadian Government announced plans in 2002 to invest $108m into the Canadian digital content industry. Service industries too have increased greatly in recent years and along with the possible expansion of the privatisation programme by Federal and Provincial governments, opportunities are expected to continue to present themselves over a number of sectors. The proximity of the huge US market to much of Canada’s industrial activity (based largely in Ontario and Quebec), Canada’s close relationship with the UK, its well-educated and skilled labour force help create a good business environment with opportunities for British companies in most sectors including services. There are also good opportunities for strategic business partnerships and technology transfers between UK and Canadian companies. The market remains very receptive to British products and Canadian businesspeople are familiar with UK business practices. Neglecting business opportunities in Canada by failing to recognise its strategic role in tackling the wider NAFTA region - could prove costly for UK companies.

Trade In goods

The value of UK goods exported to Canada totalled more than £5.8 billion in 2007, up from £5 billion in 2006. With the top three gold, uranium and other radioactive elements and nickel matters. UK imports is Canada’s second largest export market, and the second largest destination for Canadian investment (after the US). The UK is Canada's 6th largest supplier of goods (after US, China Japan, Mexico and Germany) with a market share of 2.7%. The UK was Canada's 2nd largest export market in 2006 (exports of goods) with a 2.0% share of worldwide Canadian exports of £185.7 billion.

Trade in services

The UK is Canada’s primary European trading partner. Canada is the UK’s 11th largest market, with exports reaching £3.3bn in 2007. The UK is the second largest foreign direct investor in Canada after the US.

UK Trade & Investment Country Profile: Canada

Travel

Travel advice: Canada

Politics

Canada is divided into 308 electoral districts (or ridings). Voters in each district elect one member of parliament (MP) to send to the House of Commons. There are two chambers in the Canadian Parliament (Bicameral) which consists of the House of Commons (308 seats) and the Senate (normally limited to 105 senators). The House of Commons is elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms. The Senate members are appointed to serve until reaching 75 years of age by the governor general and selected on the advice of the Prime Minister.  

Recent political developments

The federal elections were held on 14 October 2008. Stephen Harper was re-elected Prime Minister. The previous election was held  on 23 January 2006. The Conservative party have again only won with sufficient votes to form a minority government and dependent on others' support in Parliament. The Conservatives now hold 143 (up from 124) seats in the House of Commons, the Liberals 76 (down from 103), the Bloc Quebecois (representing constituencies in Quebec Province only) 50, and the New Democratic Party (NDP) 37 with two independents seats. The Conservatives received 37 percent of the votes cast whilst the Liberals received 26 per cent.

The Governor General of Canada, Michaelle Jean, officially opened Parliament on 19 November 2008. The Government of Canada will follow a five-pronged plan to protect Canadian economic security by: Reforming global finance; Ensure sound budgeting; Secure jobs for families and communities; Expand investment and trade; Make government more effective.

The Canadian Parliament re-opened on 26 January after a prorogation of more than seven weeks.

The decision was made to prorogue Parliament until January 26 after the Liberals, New Democrats and Bloc Québécois sent her petitions signed by 161 opposition MPs. The petitions informed the governor general that the MPs planned to vote in favour of a motion of nonconfidence in the Conservative government in December 2008.

The Conservative Government proposed a C$40 billion of stimulus spending over the next two years.The focus is on expenditure aimed at enouraging consumers and business to spend now. The largest amount of the budget will be for infrastructure spending. Funds for green recovery for property owners to receive a grant to make energy-efficiency improvements. Training will be given to the unemployed and tax cuts.

Human rights

Core Human Rights Treaties Canada is a signatory to:

  • International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
  • International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
  • Optional Protocol (allowing individual complaints)
  • Second Optional Protocol (aiming at abolishing the death penalty)
  • Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
  • Optional Protocol (permitting individual complaints) Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
  • Convention Against Torture
  • Convention on the Rights of the Child
  • Optional Protocol (Children in armed conflict)
  • Amendment to Article 43(2)
  • Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide

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