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.

Canada faces the political challenges of meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care and education services, as well as responding to separatist concerns in predominantly francophone Quebec.

Canada also aims to develop its diverse energy resources while maintaining its commitment to the environment.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 33,487,208 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 39

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 16.1% (male 2,761,711/female 2,626,836) 15-64 years: 68.7% (male 11,633,950/female 11,381,735) 65 years and over: 15.2% (male 2,220,189/female 2,862,787) (2009 est.)

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Median age: total: 40.4 years male: 39.3 years female: 41.5 years (2009 est.)

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Population growth rate: 0.817% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 138

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Birth rate: 10.28 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 192

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Death rate: 7.61 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 117

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Net migration rate: 5.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 18

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Urbanization: urban population: 80% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 5.04 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 189 male: 5.37 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 81.23 years country comparison to the world: 8 male: 78.69 years female: 83.91 years (2009 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 1.58 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 181

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.4% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 80

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 73,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 55

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 83

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Nationality: noun: Canadian(s) adjective: Canadian

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Ethnic groups: British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%, Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed background 26%

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Religions: Roman Catholic 42.6%, Protestant 23.3% (including United Church 9.5%, Anglican 6.8%, Baptist 2.4%, Lutheran 2%), other Christian 4.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other and unspecified 11.8%, none 16% (2001 census)

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

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Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)

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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 17 years male: 17 years female: 17 years (2004)

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Education expenditures: 5.2% of GDP (2002) country comparison to the world: 63

As an affluent, high-tech industrial society in the trillion-dollar class, Canada resembles the US in its market-oriented economic system, pattern of production, and affluent living standards. Since World War II, the impressive growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy into one primarily industrial and urban.

The 1989 US-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (which includes Mexico) touched off a dramatic increase in trade and economic integration with the US, its principle trading partner. Canada enjoys a substantial trade surplus with the US, which absorbs nearly 80% of Canadian exports each year.

Canada is the US's largest foreign supplier of energy, including oil, gas, uranium, and electric power. Given its great natural resources, skilled labor force, and modern capital plant, Canada has enjoyed solid economic growth, and prudent fiscal management has produced consecutive balanced budgets from 1997 to 2007.

In 2008, growth slowed sharply as a result of the global economic downturn, US housing slump, plunging auto sector demand, and a drop in world commodity prices. Public finances, too, are set to deteriorate for the first time in a decade.

Tight global credit conditions have further restrained business and housing investment, despite the conservative lending practices and strong capitalization that made Canada's major banks among the most stable in the world.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.307 trillion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 14 $1.299 trillion (2007) $1.265 trillion (2006) note: data are in 2008 US dollars

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GDP (official exchange rate): $1.564 trillion (2008 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 0.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 198 2.7% (2007 est.) 3.1% (2006 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $39,300 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 21 $39,400 (2007 est.) $38,700 (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2% industry: 28.4% services: 69.6% (2008 est.)

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Labor force: 18.18 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 32

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 2%, manufacturing 13%, construction 6%, services 76%, other 3% (2006)

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Unemployment rate: 6.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 69

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 24.8% (2000)

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Distribution of family income - Gini index: 32.1 (2005) country comparison to the world: 100

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Investment (gross fixed): 22.6% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 76

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Budget: revenues: $608.3 billion expenditures: $606 billion (2008 est.)

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Public debt: 62.3% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 21

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1% (January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 7

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Central bank discount rate: 3.5% (January 2009) country comparison to the world: 120

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Commercial bank prime lending rate: 6.1% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 144

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Stock of money: $391.6 billion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 6

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Stock of quasi money: $1.381 trillion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 5

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Stock of domestic credit: $2.382 trillion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 10

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Market value of publicly traded shares: $2.187 trillion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 7

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Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy products; forest products; fish

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Industries: transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products, petroleum and natural gas

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Industrial production growth rate: -1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 157

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Electricity - production: 612.6 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 7

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Electricity - consumption: 530 billion kWh (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 7

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Electricity - exports: 50.12 billion kWh (2007 est.)

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Electricity - imports: 19.66 billion kWh (2007 est.)

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Oil - production: 3.425 million bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 7

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Oil - consumption: 2.371 million bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 9

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Oil - exports: 2.225 million bbl/day (2005) country comparison to the world: 8

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Oil - imports: 1.229 million bbl/day (2005) country comparison to the world: 14

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Oil - proved reserves: 178.6 billion bbl country comparison to the world: 2 note: includes oil sands (1 January 2008 est.)

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Natural gas - production: 187 billion cu m (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 4

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Natural gas - consumption: 92.9 billion cu m (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 7

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Natural gas - exports: 107.3 billion cu m (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 2

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Natural gas - imports: 13.2 billion cu m (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 15

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Natural gas - proved reserves: 1.648 trillion cu m (1 January 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 20

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Current account balance: $12.82 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 25

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Exports: $461.8 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 11

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Exports - commodities: motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft, telecommunications equipment; chemicals, plastics, fertilizers; wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity, aluminum

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Exports - partners: US 78.9%, UK 2.8%, China 2.1% (2007)

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Imports: $436.7 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 11

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Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil, chemicals, electricity, durable consumer goods

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Imports - partners: US 54.1%, China 9.4%, Mexico 4.2% (2007)

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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $41.08 billion (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 31

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Debt - external: $758.6 billion (30 June 2007) country comparison to the world: 13

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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: $586.6 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 10

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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: $547.2 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 12

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Exchange rates: Canadian dollars (CAD) per US dollar - 1.0364 (2008 est.), 1.0724 (2007), 1.1334 (2006), 1.2118 (2005), 1.301 (2004)