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Canada

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Languages: English 59.3%, French 23.2% (both official); other 17.5%

Ethnicity/race: British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%, indigenous Indian and Inuit 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed background 26%

National Holiday: Canada Day, July 1

Religions: Roman Catholic 43%, Protestant 23% (including United Church 10%, Anglican 7%, Baptist 2%, Lutheran 2%), other Christian 4%, Muslim 2%, none 16% (2001)

Literacy rate: 99% (2011 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2011 est.): $1.389 trillion; per capita $40,300. Real growth rate: —2.2%. Inflation: 2.8%. Unemployment: 7.5%. Arable land: 5%. Agriculture: wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy products; forest products; fish. Labor force: 18.67 million (2011); agriculture 2%, manufacturing 14%, construction 5%, services 75%, other 3% (2004). Industries: transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products, petroleum and natural gas. Natural resources: iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower. Exports: $450.6 billion f.o.b. (2011 est.): motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft, telecommunications equipment; chemicals, plastics, fertilizers; wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity, aluminum. Imports: $459.6 billion f.o.b. (2011 est.): machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil, chemicals, electricity, durable consumer goods. Major trading partners: U.S., Japan, UK, China, Mexico (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 17,021,000 (2011); mobile cellular: 24,037,000 (2011). Radio broadcast stations: AM 245, FM 582, shortwave 6 (2004). Television broadcast stations: 80 (plus many repeaters) (1997). Internet hosts: 8,515,000 (2011). Internet users: 26.96 million (2011).

Transportation: Railways: total: 46,552 km (2011). Highways: total: 1.0423 million (2011). Waterways: 631 km; note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with United States (2003). Ports and harbors: Fraser River Port, Goderich, Montreal, Port Cartier, Quebec, Saint John's (Newfoundland), Sept Isles, Vancouver. Airports: 1,404 (2011 est.).

International disputes: managed maritime boundary disputes with the US at Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and around the disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; working toward greater cooperation with US in monitoring people and commodities crossing the border; uncontested sovereignty dispute with Denmark over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland.

Major sources and definitions

Population by Provinces and Territories

Canadian Prime Ministers Since 1867

Canadian Governors-General Since 1867