Canada People - 2003

Canada People - 2003






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. Economically and technologically the
nation has developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across
an unfortified border. Its paramount political problem continues to be the
relationship of the province of Quebec, with its French-speaking residents and
unique culture, to the remainder of the country.









Population: 32,207,113 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.5% (male 3,052,005; female
2,903,007)
15-64 years: 68.6% (male 11,099,907; female 10,984,903)
65 years and over: 12.9% (male 1,774,262; female 2,393,029) (2003 est.)



Median age: total: 37.8 years
male: 36.9 years
female: 38.8 years (2002)



Population growth rate: 0.94% (2003 est.)
Birth rate: 10.99 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate: 7.61 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)


Net migration rate: 6.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)



Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)



Infant mortality rate: total: 4.88 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 5.36 deaths/1,000 live births



Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.83 years
male: 76.44 years
female: 83.38 years (2003 est.)
Nationality: noun: Canadian(s)
adjective: Canadian
Ethnic groups: British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other
European 15%, Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed
background 26%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 46%, Protestant 36%, other 18%
note: based on the 1991 census
Languages: English 59.3% (official), French 23.2% (official), other
17.5%
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97% (1986 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%





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


Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air
Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous
Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the
Sea, Marine Life Conservation



Geography - note: second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route;
approximately 85% of the population is concentrated within 300 km of the US
border