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

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Canada: Facts & Stats

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

News •

Canada is talking to the US about joining its ‘Golden Dome’ missile defense system, Carney says • May 21, 2025, 9:16 PM ET (AP)

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Facts

Head Of Government	Prime Minister: Mark Carney
Capital	Ottawa
Population	(2025 est.) 42,512,000
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$)
Population Rank	(2024) 37
Population Projection 2030	41,364,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2025) 11
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2025) 4.3
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2018) 81.4% • Rural: (2018) 18.6%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2020–2022) 79.3 years • Female: (2020–2022) 83.8 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate	Male: (2006) 100% • Female: (2006) 100%
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2023) 2,167,054
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2023) 54,040
¹Statutory number.²All seats are nonelected.

Photos and Videos

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Topics

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Quiz

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