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Canada Factbook · Introduction
Background
Background · 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. Canada faces the political challenges of meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care, education, social services, and economic competitiveness, as well as responding to the particular concerns of predominantly francophone Quebec. Canada also aims to develop its diverse energy resources while maintaining its commitment to the environment.
Canada Factbook · Geography
Location
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 the conterminous US
Canada Factbook · Geography
Geographic coordinates
Geographic coordinates · 60 00 N, 95 00 W
Canada Factbook · Geography
Map references
Map references · North America
Canada Factbook · Geography
total:
total: · 9,984,670 sq km
Canada Factbook · Geography
land:
land: · 9,093,507 sq km
Canada Factbook · Geography
water:
water: · 891,163 sq km
Canada Factbook · Geography
Area - comparative
Area - comparative · slightly larger than the US
Canada Factbook · Geography
total:
total: · 8,892 km
Canada Factbook · Geography
border countries (2):
border countries (2): · US 8,891 km (includes 2,475 km with Alaska); Denmark (Greenland) 1.3 km
Canada Factbook · Geography
Coastline
Coastline · 202,080 km
Canada Factbook · Geography
note:
note: · the Canadian Arctic Archipelago -- consisting of 36,563 islands, several of them among the world's largest -- gives Canada the longest coastline in the world
Canada Factbook · Geography
territorial sea:
territorial sea: · 12 nm
Canada Factbook · Geography
contiguous zone:
contiguous zone: · 24 nm
Canada Factbook · Geography
exclusive economic zone:
exclusive economic zone: · 200 nm
Canada Factbook · Geography
continental shelf:
continental shelf: · 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Canada Factbook · Geography
Climate
Climate · varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north
Canada Factbook · Geography
Terrain
Terrain · mostly plains with mountains in west, lowlands in southeast
Canada Factbook · Geography
highest point:
highest point: · Mount Logan 5,959 m
Canada Factbook · Geography
lowest point:
lowest point: · Atlantic/Pacific/Arctic Oceans 0 m
Canada Factbook · Geography
mean elevation:
mean elevation: · 487 m
Canada Factbook · Geography
Natural resources
Natural resources · bauxite, iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, uranium, rare earth elements, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower
Canada Factbook · Geography
agricultural land:
agricultural land: · 6.5% (2023 est.)
Canada Factbook · Geography
arable land:
arable land: · 4.3% (2023 est.)
Canada Factbook · Geography
permanent crops:
permanent crops: · 0% (2023 est.)
Canada Factbook · Geography
permanent pasture:
permanent pasture: · 2.1% (2023 est.)
Canada Factbook · Geography
forest:
forest: · 42% (2023 est.)
Canada Factbook · Geography
other:
other: · 51.4% (2023 est.)
Canada Factbook · Geography
Irrigated land
Irrigated land · 9,045 sq km (2015)
Canada Factbook · Geography
fresh water lake(s):
fresh water lake(s): · Huron* - 35,972 sq km; Great Bear Lake - 31,328 sq km; Superior* - 28,754 sq km; Great Slave Lake - 28,568 sq km; Lake Winnipeg - 24,387 sq km; Erie* - 12,776 sq km; Ontario* - 9,790 sq km; Lake Athabasca - 7,935 sq km; Reindeer Lake - 6,650 sq km; Nettilling Lake - 5,542 sq km
Canada Factbook · Geography
fresh water lake(s):
fresh water lake(s): · note - Great Lakes* area shown as Canadian waters
Canada Factbook · Geography
Major rivers (by length in km)
Major rivers (by length in km) · Mackenzie - 4,241 km; Yukon river source (shared with the US [m]) - 3,185 km; Saint Lawrence river mouth (shared with US) - 3,058 km; Nelson - 2,570 km; Columbia river source (shared with the US [m]) - 1,953 km; Churchill - 1,600 km; Fraser - 1,368 km; Ottawa - 1,271 km; Athabasca - 1,231 km; North Saskatchewan - 1,220 km; Liard - 1,115 km
Canada Factbook · Geography
note:
note: · [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Canada Factbook · Geography
Arctic Ocean drainage:
Arctic Ocean drainage: · Mackenzie (1,706,388 sq km)
Canada Factbook · Geography
Atlantic Ocean drainage:
Atlantic Ocean drainage: · Mississippi* (Gulf of America) (3,202,185 sq km, Canada only 32,000 sq km), Nelson (Hudson Bay) (1,093,141 sq km), Saint Lawrence* (1,049,636 sq km, Canada only 839,200 sq km)
Canada Factbook · Geography
Pacific Ocean drainage:
Pacific Ocean drainage: · Yukon* (847,620 sq km, Canada only 823,800 sq km), Columbia* (657,501 sq km, Canada only 103,000 sq km)
Canada Factbook · Geography
note:
note: · watersheds shared with the US shown with *
Canada Factbook · Geography
Major aquifers
Major aquifers · Northern Great Plains Aquifer
Canada Factbook · Geography
Population distribution
Population distribution · vast majority of the population lives in a discontinuous band within approximately 300 km (186 mi) of the southern border with the United States; the most populated province is Ontario, followed by Quebec and British Columbia
Canada Factbook · Geography
Natural hazards
Natural hazards · continuous permafrost in 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 east of the mountains
Canada Factbook · Geography
volcanism:
volcanism: · the vast majority of volcanoes in Western Canada's Coast Mountains remain dormant
Canada Factbook · Geography
note 1:
note 1: · second-largest country in the world (after Russia) and largest in the Americas; strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately 90% of the population is concentrated within 160 km (100 mi) of the US border
Canada Factbook · Geography
note 2:
note 2: · Canada has more fresh water than any other country, and almost 9% of Canadian territory is water; Canada has at least 2 million and possibly over 3 million lakes, more than all other countries combined
Canada Factbook · People and Society
Population
Population · 41651653
Canada Factbook · People and Society
total:
total: · 38,794,813 (2024 est.)
Canada Factbook · People and Society
male:
male: · 19,234,729
Canada Factbook · People and Society
female:
female: · 19,560,084
Canada Factbook · People and Society
noun:
noun: · Canadian(s)
Canada Factbook · People and Society
adjective:
adjective: · Canadian
Canada Factbook · People and Society
Ethnic groups
Ethnic groups · Canadian 15.6%, English 14.7%, Scottish 12.1%, French 11%, Irish 12.1%, German 8.1%, Chinese 4.7%, Italian 4.3%, First Nations 1.7%, Indian 3.7%, Ukrainian 3.5%, Metis 1.5% (2021 est.)

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