CANADA
CANADIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM
“O CANADA”
-
Canada consists of ten provinces and three territories; Canada has 6 different time zones.
-
The provinces consists of: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia,
Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan.
-
The three territories are Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon.
-
The major difference between a Canadian province and a territory is that provinces receive their power and authority from
the Constitution Act, 1867 (formerly called the British North America Act, 1867), whereas territorial governments have
powers delegated to them by the federal government. This means that while a change to the division of powers between the
federal government and the provinces requires a constitutional amendment, a similar change affecting the territories can be
performed unilaterally by the federal Parliament or government. Moreover, in modern Canadian constitutional theory, the
provinces are considered to be co-sovereign divisions, and each province has its own "Crown" represented by the lieutenant
governor, whereas the territories are not sovereign, but simply parts of the federal realm, and have a commissioner who
represents the federal government.
-
Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic
Ocean. Covering 9.98 million square kilometers in total, Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area and
the fourth-largest country by land area. Its common border with the United States forms the world's longest land border.
-
Canada is a developed country and one of the wealthiest in the world, with the tenth highest nominal per capita income
globally, and the eighth highest ranking in the Human Development Index. It ranks among the highest in international
measurements of government transparency, civil liberties, quality of life, economic freedom, and education. Canada is a
member of the Commonwealth of Nations, and is furthermore part of several major international and intergovernmental
institutions or groupings, including NATO, the G8, the Group of Ten, the G20, the North American Free Trade
Agreement and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
POLITICAL PARTIES AND LEADERS
-Bloc Quebecois [Daniel PAILLE]
-Conservative Party of Canada [Stephen HARPER]
-Green Party [Elizabeth MAY]
-Liberal Party [Justin TRUDEAU]
-New Democratic Party or NDP [Thomas MULCAIR]
GOVERNMENT
-Type of government: a parliamentary democracy, a federation, and a constitutional monarchy
*Executive branch*
-head of state: Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General
David Johnston (since 1 October 2010)
head of government: Prime Minister Stephen Joseph Harper (since 6 February 2006)
cabinet: Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister usually from among the members of his own
party sitting in Parliament
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of
the prime minister for a five-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority
party or the leader of the majority coalition in the House of Commons generally designated prime
minister by the governor general
GOVERNMENT CONT.
-
Legislative Branch
-bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate (105 seats; members appointed by
the governor general on the advice of the prime minister and serve until 75 years of age) and
the House of Commons or Chambre des Communes (308 seats; members elected by direct,
popular vote to serve a maximum of four-year terms)
-elections: House of Commons - last held on 2 May 2011 (next to be held no later than 19
October 2015)
-election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Conservative Party 39.6%,
NDP 30.6%, Liberal Party 18.9%, Bloc Quebecois 6%, Greens 3.9%;
- seats by party - Conservative Party 166, NDP 103, Liberal Party 34, Bloc Quebecois 4, Greens 1
GOVERNMENT CONT.
-Judicial Branch
highest court(s): Supreme Court of Canada (consists of the chief justice and 8 judges)
note - in 1949, Canada finally abolished all appeals beyond its Supreme Court to the Judicial
Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
judge selection and term of office: chief justice and judges appointed by the prime minister in
council; all judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 75
subordinate courts: federal level: Federal Court of Appeal; Federal Court; Tax Court; federal
administrative tribunals; courts martial; provincial/territorial: provincial superior, appeals, first
instance, and specialized courts; in 1999, the Nunavut Court - a circuit court with the power of
a superior court and the territorial courts - was established to serve isolated settlements
CANADIAN CONSTITUTION

The Canadian Constitution

In many countries formed by revolution or an act of independence – the United States is the
best example – most constitutional law is contained in a single document. In a democracy with a
written constitution, legislators cannot make just any laws they wish. A country’s constitution,
among other things, defines the powers and limits of powers that can be exercised by the
different levels and branches of government.

Canada, in contrast, became a country by an act of the Parliament of Great Britain.
Consequently, the closest thing to a constitutional document would be the British North
America Act of 1867 (the BNA Act, now known as the Constitution Act, 1867), by which the
British colonies of Upper and Lower Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick were united in a
confederation called the Dominion of Canada. (Prince Edward Island, although a member of the
team that shaped Confederation, did not join until later.)

Although there is no single constitution in Canadian law, the Constitution Act – a part of
the Canada Act of 1982 – finally “patriated” or brought home from Great Britain Canada’s
constitution as created by the BNA Act. The Constitution Act declares the Constitution of
Canada to be the supreme law of Canada and includes some 30 acts and orders that are part of
it. It reaffirms Canada’s dual legal system by stating provinces have exclusive jurisdiction over
property and civil rights. It also includes Aboriginal rights, those related to the historical
occupancy and use of the land by Aboriginal peoples, treaty rights, agreements between the
Crown and particular groups of Aboriginal people.
Economy
GDP (purchasing power)
- $1.518 trillion (2013 est.)
$1.494 trillion (2012 est.)
$1.469 trillion (2011 est.)
note: data are in 2013 US dollars
GDP ( real growth rate)
1.6% (2013 est.)
1.7% (2012 est.)
2.5% (2011 est.)
GDP (per capita)
$43,100 (2013 est.)
$42,900 (2012 est.)
$42,700 (2011 est.)
note: data are in 2013 US dollars
Population below poverty
9.4%
U.S.
$16.72 trillion (2013 est.)
$16.47 trillion (2012 est.)
$16.02 trillion (2011 est.)
1.6% (2013 est.)
2.8% (2012 est.)
1.8% (2011 est.)
$52,800 (2013 est.)
$52,400 (2012 est.)
$51,400 (2011 est.)
15.1% (2010 est.)
note: this figure is the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO), a calculation that results in higher figures than found in many comparable economies;
Canada does not have an official poverty line (2008)
Labor Force

19.08 million (2013 est.)

Labor force by occupation
agriculture: 2%
manufacturing: 13%
construction: 6%
services: 76%
other: 3% (2006 est.)
U.S.

155.4 million
note: includes unemployed(2013)
farming, forestry, and fishing: 0.7%
manufacturing, extraction, transportation, and
crafts: 20.3%
managerial, professional, and technical: 37.3%
sales and office: 24.2%
other services: 17.6%
note: figures exclude the unemployed
(2009)
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
7.1% (2013 EST.)
7.3% (2012 EST.)
7.3% (2013 est.)
8.1% (2012 est.)
Budget


revenues: $687.8 billion
U.S.


expenditures: $740.8 billion (2013 est.)

revenues: $2.849 trillion
expenditures: $3.517 trillion
note: for the US, revenues exclude social
contributions of approximately $1.0
trillion; expenditures exclude social
benefits of approximately $2.3 trillion
(2013 est.)
Industries

transportation equipment, chemicals,
processed and unprocessed minerals,
food products, wood and paper products,
fish products, petroleum, natural gas

Industrial growth rate
1.4% (2013 est.)
U.S.

highly diversified, world leading,
high-technology innovator, second
largest industrial output in world;
petroleum, steel, motor vehicles,

aerospace, telecommunications,
chemicals, electronics, food
processing, consumer goods, lumber,
mining
2.5% (2013 est.)
Agriculture/Products

wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits,
vegetables; dairy products; fish; forest products

Exports
$458.7 billion (2013 est.)
$462.9 billion (2012 est.)
motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery,
aircraft, telecommunications equipment;
chemicals, plastics, fertilizers; wood pulp, timber,
crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity, aluminum
U.S.

wheat, corn, other grains, fruits, vegetables,
cotton; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish;
forest products

$1.575 trillion (2013 est.)
$1.561 trillion (2012 est.)

agricultural products (soybeans, fruit, corn)
9.2%, industrial supplies (organic chemicals)
26.8%, capital goods (transistors, aircraft, motor
vehicle parts, computers, telecommunications
equipment) 49.0%, consumer goods
(automobiles, medicines) 15.0%
EXPORT PARTNERS
US 74.5%, CHINA 4.3%, UK 4.1% (2012)
(2012)
CANADA 18.9%, MEXICO 14%, CHINA 7.2%, JAPAN4.5%
Imports
U.S.

$471 billion (2013 est.)
$474.9 billion (2012 est.)

$2.273 trillion (2013 est.)
$2.303 trillion (2012 est.)

machinery and equipment, motor vehicles
and parts, crude oil, chemicals, electricity,
durable consumer goods


Import partners
agricultural products 4.9%, industrial
supplies 32.9% (crude oil 8.2%), capital
goods 30.4% (computers,
telecommunications equipment, motor
vehicle parts, office machines, electric
power machinery), consumer goods 31.8%
(automobiles, clothing, medicines, furniture,
toys)

US 50.6%, China 11%, Mexico 5.5% (2012)

China 19%, Canada 14.1%, Mexico 12%,
Japan 6.4%, Germany 4.7% (2012)
Unemployment, youth
ages 15-24

total: 14.3%
male: 15.9%
female: 12.6% (2012)
U.S.

total: 17.3%
male: 18.7%
female: 15.7% (2011)
Demographics






Population: 34,834,841 (July 2014
est.)
0-14 years: 15.5% (male
2,764,691/female 2,628,413)
15-24 years: 12.7% (male
2,267,210/female2,142,085)
25-54 years: 41% (male
7,244,109/female 7,052,512)
55-64 years: 13.5% (male
2,336,202/female 2,380,703)
65 years and over: 17.3% (male
2,670,482/female 3,348,434) (2014
est.)
U.S.

318,892,103 (July 2014 est.)

0-14 years: 19.4% (male
31,580,349/female 30,221,106)

15-24 years: 13.7% (male
22,436,057/female 21,321,861)

25-54 years: 39.9% (male
63,452,792/female 63,671,631)

55-64 years: 12.6% (male
19,309,019/female 20,720,284)

65 years and over: 14.5% (male
20,304,644/female 25,874,360) (2014
est.)
U.S.
Life Expectancy

total population: 81.67 years

total population: 79.56 years

male: 79.07 years

male: 77.11 years

female: 84.42 years (2014 est.)

female: 81.94 years (2014 est.)
Ethnic Groups
U.S.

Canadian 32.2%, English 19.8%, French
15.5%, Scottish 14.4%, Irish 13.8%,
German 9.8%, Italian 4.5%, Chinese 4.5%,
North American Indian 4.2%, other
50.9%

white 79.96%, black 12.85%, Asian
4.43%, Amerindian and Alaska native
0.97%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific
islander 0.18%, two or more races 1.61%
(July 2007 estimate)

note: percentages add up to more than
100% because respondents were able to
identify more than one ethnic origin (2011
est.)

note: a separate listing for Hispanic is
not included because the US Census
Bureau considers Hispanic to mean
persons of Spanish/Hispanic/Latino
origin including those of Mexican, Cuban,
Puerto Rican, Dominican Republic,
Spanish, and Central or South American
origin living in the US who may be of any
race or ethnic group (white, black, Asian,
etc.); about 15.1% of the total US
population is Hispanic
Religion
U.S.

Protestant 51.3%

Roman Catholic 23.9%

Mormon 1.7%
Anglican 5%

other Christian 1.6%

Baptist 1.9%

Jewish 1.7%

Lutheran 1.5%

Pentecostal 1.5%

Catholic 40.6% (includes Roman Catholic 38.8%

Orthodox 1.6%

other Catholic .2%)

Protestant 20.3% (includes United Church 6.1%



Presbyterian 1.4%, other Protestant 2.9%), other Christian 6.3%
Muslim 3.2%, Hindu 1.5%, Sikh 1.4%, Buddhist 1.1%, Jewish 1%,
other 0.6%, none 23.9% (2011 est.)

Buddhist 0.7%

Muslim 0.6%

other or unspecified 2.5%

unaffiliated 12.1%

none 4% (2007 est.)
Education

Education expenditures

Canada= 5.4% GDP (2011)

U.S.= 5.4% GDP (2010)
U.S.
Education

Education in Canada is for the most part provided publicly, funded and overseen
by federal, provincial, and local governments.Education is within provincial jurisdiction and the
curriculum is overseen by the province.

Education in Canada is generally divided into primary education, followed by secondary education and
post-secondary. Within the provinces under the ministry of education, there are district school
boards administering the educational programs.Education is compulsory up to the age of 16 in every
province in Canada, except for Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick, where the compulsory age is
18, or as soon as a high school diploma has been achieved.

In some provinces early leaving exemptions can be granted under certain circumstances at 14.
Canada generally has 190 (180 in Quebec) school days in the year, officially starting from September
(after Labor Day) to the end of June (usually the last Friday of the month, except in Quebec when it
is just before June 24 – the provincial holiday).
Crime

http://www.nationmaster.com/cou
ntry-info/compare/Canada/UnitedStates/Crime
U.S.
Health
U.S.

Health Expenditures

16.9% GDP (2012)

10.9% GDP(2012)

Every Canadian citizen is covered
by the national health care system


In Canada, the federal government is
committed to providing funding support
to its provincial governments for
health care expenditures as long as the
province in question abides by
accessibility guarantees as set out in
the Canada Health Act, which explicitly
prohibits billing end users for
procedures that are covered
by Medicare.
In the US, direct government funding of
health care is limited
to Medicare, Medicaid, and the State
Children's Health Insurance
Program(SCHIP), which cover eligible
senior citizens, the very poor, disabled
persons, and children. The federal
government also runs the Veterans
Administration, which provides care to
retired or disabled veterans, their
families, and survivors through medical
centers and clinics.

In the U.S., the federal government does not guarantee universal health care to all its citizens,
but publicly funded health care programs help to provide for the elderly, disabled, the poor, and
children.

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act or EMTALA also ensures public access
to emergency services. The EMTALA law forces emergency health care providers to stabilize an
emergency health crisis and cannot withhold treatment for lack of evidence of insurance coverage or
other evidence of the ability to pay. EMTALA does not absolve the person receiving emergency care
of the obligation to meet the cost of emergency health care not paid for at the time and it is still
within the right of the hospital to pursue any debtor for the cost of emergency health care provided.

In Canada, emergency room treatment for legal Canadian residents is not charged to the patient at
time of service but is met by the government.