Canada

Table of Contents

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
  - The Canadian Shield
  - The interior plains
  - The Great Lakes–St. Lawrence lowlands
  - The Appalachian region
  - The Western Cordillera
  - The Arctic Archipelago
- Drainage
- Climate
  - Temperatures
  - Rainfall
  - Snowfall
- Soils and plant and animal life
  - Tundra
  - Forest regions
  - Grasslands
People
- Principal ethnic groups
- U.S. immigration
- Indigenous peoples
- Languages
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
  - Agriculture
  - Forestry
  - Fishing
- Resources and power
  - Minerals
  - Energy
- Manufacturing
- Finance
- Trade
- Services
- Labour and taxation
- Transportation and telecommunications
  - Roads and highways
  - Railways
  - Waterways
  - Airways
  - Pipelines
  - Telecommunications
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Provincial government
- Local government
- Justice
- Political process
  - Suffrage and elections
  - Political parties
  - The Quebec question
- Security
  - Police
  - Defense
- Health and welfare
- Education
Cultural life
- Daily life and social customs
- The arts
  - Literature
  - Visual arts
  - The performing arts
  - Filmmaking
- Cultural institutions
- Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
  - Press
  - Broadcasting
History
- Prehistory to early European contact
  - Precontact aboriginal history
  - European contact and early exploration
- The settlement of New France
  - Jacques Cartier
  - Samuel de Champlain
  - The Company of New France
  - The character of French settlement
  - Royal control
  - The growth of Anglo-French rivalry
  - The French and Indian (Seven Years’) War
- Early British rule, 1763–91
  - The Quebec Act
  - The influence of the American Revolution
  - The Constitutional Act of 1791
- National growth in the early 19th century
  - Population trends
  - The Montreal fur traders
  - The War of 1812
  - The rebellions of 1837–38
  - The union of Canada
- From confederation through World War I
  - The first Riel rebellion
  - The transcontinental railway
  - Reaction of Quebec
  - The Klondike gold rush
  - The land rush in the west
  - The Laurier era
  - Foreign relations
  - World War I
- The interwar wars
  - Turmoil at home
  - Commonwealth relations
  - The Great Depression
  - Growing international tension
- World War II
- Early postwar developments
  - Domestic affairs
    - Postwar prosperity
    - Ethnic minorities
    - Internal politics
  - Foreign affairs
    - Multilateral commitments
    - U.S.-Canadian relations
    - Canada and the Commonwealth
    - Franco-Canadian affairs
  - Quebec separatism
- The Trudeau years, 1968–84
  - First premiership
    - Domestic policies
    - Foreign affairs
    - Indigenous affairs
  - The interregnum: Progressive Conservative government, 1979–80
  - Second premiership
- The late 20th and early 21st centuries
  - The administration of Brian Mulroney, 1984–93
  - The administrations of Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin, 1993–2006
  - The administration of Stephen Harper, 2006–15
    - First premiership
    - Second premiership
    - Third premiership
  - The administration of Justin Trudeau
    - First Nations suicide epidemic
    - Legalization of marijuana, environmental protection, and Quebec mosque attack
    - Response to the U.S. presidency of Donald Trump
    - SNC-Lavalin affair
    - Diplomatic dispute with China
    - The 2019 Canadian federal elections
    - The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the 2021 snap elections
    - The “Freedom Convoy” and the NDP-Liberal confidence-and-supply agreement
    - Residential schools apologies
Prime ministers of Canada

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

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Canada: Facts & Stats

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Head Of Government	Prime Minister: Justin Trudeau
Capital	Ottawa
Population	(2024 est.) 42,069,000
Currency Exchange Rate	1 USD equals 1.377 Canadian dollar
Head Of State	King of Canada (British Monarch): Charles III, represented by Governor-General: Mary May Simon
Form Of Government	federal multiparty parliamentary state with two legislative houses (Senate [105^{1, 2}]; House of Commons [338])
Official Languages	English; French
Official Religion	none
Official Name	Canada
Total Area (Sq Km)	9,984,670
Total Area (Sq Mi)	3,855,081
Monetary Unit	Canadian dollar (Can$)
Population Rank	(2023) 37
Population Projection 2030	41,364,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2024) 10.9
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2024) 4.2
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2018) 81.4% • Rural: (2018) 18.6%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2020–2022) 79.3 years • Female: (2020–2022) 83.8 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate	Male: (2006) 100% • Female: (2006) 100%
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2023) 2,162,633
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2023) 53,930
¹Statutory number.²All seats are nonelected.

Photos and Videos

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Moraine Lake in Banff National Park

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Topics

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North America

North America

continent

Quebec

province, Canada

Ontario

province, Canada

Newfoundland and Labrador flag

Newfoundland and Labrador

province, Canada

British Columbia flag

British Columbia

province, Canada

Saskatchewan provincial flag

Saskatchewan

province, Canada

Montreal

Montreal

Quebec, Canada

Alberta

province, Canada

New Brunswick flag

New Brunswick

province, Canada

Manitoba provincial flag

Manitoba

province, Canada

Prince Edward Island flag

Prince Edward Island

province, Canada

Yukon

territory, Canada

Northwest Territories flag

Northwest Territories

territory, Canada

Nova Scotia flag

Nova Scotia

province, Canada

Toronto skyline

Toronto

Ontario, Canada

Quiz

Quick Quiz: Canada

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Countries of the World

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The Geography of Canada

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Spot the Canadian Quiz

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Actual continental drift of plates. Thematic map.

Geography Fun Facts

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