Country Profile: Canada

The Canadian motto, A Mari Usque Ad Mare (From Sea to Sea), covers a vast territory. Canada is the world’s second largest country and the largest on the North American continent with 9,980,000 square kilometres.  All this land is hard to fill, and with a population of just over 33 million, the population density of 3.5 inhabitants per square kilometre is among the lowest in the world. Ancient rock known as the Canadian shield, rugged western mountains and an arctic north result in a near empty north and an amalgamation of the population in the south. An estimated 75 per cent of Canadians live within 161 kilometres of the United States border. The population is highly urban, with most people living in southern Ontario, Montreal, Vancouver and the Edmonton-Calgary corridor.

Canada was formed as a federal dominion under Britain in 1867 with four provinces. This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increased autonomy from the United Kingdom, which culminated in an act of parliament passed by the British Parliament in 1982. This act amended the constitution and made Canada into a dominion within the British Empire. The country is run on a parliamentary government comprised of the Crown, House of Commons and a Senate. The Conservative party is currently in power under Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Known for its “patchwork quilt” approach to immigration, Canada is a multicultural society that looks to new citizens for growth. Canada has the second biggest population of many nationalities outside of their native country. Some of the biggest minority groups include Italians, Ukrainians and Chinese.

The Canadian economy is the tenth biggest in the world, and has received global adulation in recent months for the manner in which its bank reacted to the global recession. Canada’s well-regulated and managed banks came through the meltdown of the global banking system not only without having to be bought out, but in some cases, having made profits. In 2008 the GDP of Canada was approximately $1.3 trillion.

Canada enjoys a market- oriented economic system, and places high importance on its primary sector. Three of its most important industries are logging and oil, and the fishery. Most important are the large oil and gas resources centered in Alberta and the Northern Territories, but also present in neighbouring British Columbia and Saskatchewan. In fact, western Canada is one of the world's richest sources of energy. Eastern Canada also drills offshore oil, and the production platform Hibernia, off the coast of Newfoundland, is the world’s largest.  Of all of the world's producers of natural gas, copper, zinc, nickel, aluminum, and gold, Canada is in the top five. International trade of natural resources is a significant part of the economy, with the United States being Canada’s biggest trading partner.

An ever-hearty bunch, Canadians don’t let their cold winters prevent them from keeping active. Near arctic temperatures in some parts don’t prevent locals from playing ice hockey on frozen ponds or skiing in the Rockies. The 2010 winter Olympics will be held in British Columbia, Canada, and the beautiful backdrop of western Canada will be showcased to the world.