Canada (2002) | Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2004) | |
Administrative divisions | 10 provinces and 3 territories*; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories*, Nova Scotia, Nunavut*, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory* | none (territory of Australia) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 18.7% (male 3,059,023; female 2,910,203)
15-64 years: 68.4% (male 10,975,701; female 10,857,869) 65 years and over: 12.9% (male 1,743,654; female 2,355,818) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy products; forest products; fish | vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts |
Airports | 1,419 (2001) | 1 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 507
over 3,047 m: 18 2,438 to 3,047 m: 15 1,524 to 2,437 m: 149 914 to 1,523 m: 245 under 914 m: 80 (2002) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 882
1,524 to 2,437 m: 73 914 to 1,523 m: 363 under 914 m: 446 (2002) |
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Area | total: 9,976,140 sq km
land: 9,220,970 sq km water: 755,170 sq km |
total: 14 sq km
land: 14 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island |
Area - comparative | somewhat larger than the US | about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
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. | There are 27 coral islands in the group. Captain William KEELING discovered the islands in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until the 19th century. Annexed by the UK in 1857, they were transferred to the Australian Government in 1955. The population on the two inhabited islands generally is split between the ethnic Europeans on West Island and the ethnic Malays on Home Island. |
Birth rate | 11.09 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | NA births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $178.6 billion
expenditures: $161.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est. ) |
revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA |
Capital | Ottawa | West Island |
Climate | varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north | tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year |
Coastline | 202,080 km | 26 km |
Constitution | 17 April 1982 (Constitution Act); originally, the machinery of the government was set up in the British North America Act of 1867; charter of rights and unwritten customs | Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Canada |
conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
Currency | Canadian dollar (CAD) | Australian dollar (AUD) |
Death rate | 7.54 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | NA deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | $1.9 billion (2000) (2000) | NA |
Dependency status | - | territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Paul CELLUCCI
embassy: 490 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1G8 mailing address: P. O. Box 866, Station B, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5T1 telephone: [1] (613) 238-5335, 4470 FAX: [1] (613) 688-3082 consulate(s) general: Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, and Vancouver |
none (territory of Australia) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Michael F. KERGIN
chancery: 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001 telephone: [1] (202) 682-1740 FAX: [1] (202) 682-7726 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, and Seattle consulate(s): Miami, Princeton, San Francisco, and San Jose |
none (territory of Australia) |
Disputes - international | maritime boundary disputes with the US (Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Machias Seal Island) | none |
Economic aid - donor | ODA, $1.3 billion (1999) (1999) | - |
Economic aid - recipient | - | NA |
Economy - overview | As an affluent, high-tech industrial society, Canada today closely resembles the US in its market-oriented economic system, pattern of production, and high 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. As a result of the close cross-border relationship, the economic sluggishness in the United States in 2001-02 had a negative impact on the Canadian economy. Real growth averaged nearly 3% during 1993-2000, but declined in 2001, with moderate recovery in 2002. Unemployment is up, with contraction in the manufacturing and natural resource sectors. Nevertheless, given its great natural resources, skilled labor force, and modern capital plant Canada enjoys solid economic prospects. Two shadows loom, the first being the continuing constitutional impasse between English- and French-speaking areas, which has been raising the spectre of a split in the federation. Another long-term concern is the flow south to the US of professionals lured by higher pay, lower taxes, and the immense high-tech infrastructure. A key strength in the economy is the substantial trade surplus. | Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop. Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but additional food and most other necessities must be imported from Australia. There is a small tourist industry. |
Electricity - consumption | 499.77 billion kWh (2000) | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | 48.802 billion kWh (2000) | - |
Electricity - imports | 12.685 billion kWh (2000) | - |
Electricity - production | 576.22 billion kWh (2000) | NA kWh |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 25%
hydro: 61% nuclear: 12% other: 2% (2000) |
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Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Logan 5,959 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
Environment - current issues | air pollution and resulting acid rain severely affecting lakes and damaging forests; metal smelting, coal-burning utilities, and vehicle emissions impacting on agricultural and forest productivity; ocean waters becoming contaminated due to agricultural, industrial, mining, and forestry activities | fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs |
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 |
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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% | Europeans, Cocos Malays |
Exchange rates | Canadian dollars per US dollar - 1.6003 (January 2002), 1.5488 (2001), 1.4851 (2000), 1.4857 (1999), 1.4835 (1998), 1.3846 (1997) | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.5419 (2003), 1.9354 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Adrienne CLARKSON (since 7 October 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Jean CHRETIEN (since 4 November 1993); Deputy Prime Minister John MANLEY (since NA January 2002) cabinet: Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister from among the members of his own party sitting in Parliament elections: none; 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 is automatically designated prime minister by the governor general |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator (nonresident) Evan WILLIAMS (since 1 November 2003) cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
Exports | $260.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) | NA |
Exports - commodities | motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft, telecommunications equipment; chemicals, plastics, fertilizers; wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity, aluminum | copra |
Exports - partners | US 84.6%, Japan 2.2%, UK 1.6%, other EU 2.2% (2000) | Australia |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | three vertical bands of red (hoist side), white (double width, square), and red with a red maple leaf centered in the white band | the flag of Australia is used |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $923 billion (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - NA |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 2%
industry: 27% services: 71% (2001 est.) |
agriculture: NA
industry: NA services: NA (2001 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $29,400 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - NA |
GDP - real growth rate | 3.4% (2002 est.) | NA |
Geographic coordinates | 60 00 N, 95 00 W | 12 30 S, 96 50 E |
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/Canada border | islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation |
Heliports | 12 (2002) | - |
Highways | total: 901,902 km
paved: 318,371 km (including 16,571 km of expressways) unpaved: 583,531 km (1999) |
total: 15 km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (2003) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 24% (1994) (1994) |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Illicit drugs | illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic drug market; use of hydroponics technology permits growers to plant large quantities of high-quality marijuana indoors; transit point for heroin and cocaine entering the US market; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering because of its mature financial services sector | - |
Imports | $229 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) | NA |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil, chemicals, electricity, durable consumer goods | foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | US 72.7%, UK 3.4%, other EU 3.2%, Japan 3.0% (2001) | Australia |
Independence | 1 July 1867 (from UK) | none (territory of Australia) |
Industrial production growth rate | 2.2% (2002 est.) | NA |
Industries | transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products; wood and paper products; fish products, petroleum and natural gas | copra products and tourism |
Infant mortality rate | 4.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | total: NA
male: NA female: NA (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.2% (2002 est.) | NA |
International organization participation | ACCT, AfDB, APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CDB, CE (observer), EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, ESA (cooperating state), FAO, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURCA, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOVIC, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC | none |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 760 (2000 est.) | - |
Irrigated land | 7,200 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court of Canada (judges are appointed by the prime minister through the governor general); Federal Court of Canada; Federal Court of Appeal; Provincial Courts (these are named variously Court of Appeal, Court of Queens Bench, Superior Court, Supreme Court, and Court of Justice) | Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court |
Labor force | 16.4 million (2001 est.) | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | services 74%, manufacturing 15%, construction 5%, agriculture 3%, other 3% (2000) (2000) | the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others |
Land boundaries | total: 8,893 km
border countries: US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska) |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 4.94%
permanent crops: 0.02% other: 95.04% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
Languages | English 59.3% (official), French 23.2% (official), other 17.5% | Malay (Cocos dialect), English |
Legal system | based on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil law system based on French law prevails; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations | based upon the laws of Australia and local laws |
Legislative branch | bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (members appointed by the governor general with the advice of the prime minister and serve until reaching 75 years of age; its normal limit is 105 senators) and the House of Commons or Chambre des Communes (301 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Commons - last held 27 November 2000 (next to be held by 2005) election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Liberal Party 41%, Canadian Alliance 26%, Bloc Quebecois 11%, New Democratic Party 9%, Progressive Conservative Party 12%; seats by party - Liberal Party 172, Canadian Alliance 66, Bloc Quebecois 38, New Democratic Party 13, Progressive Conservative Party 12; note - percent of vote by party as of January 2002 - Liberal Party 51%, Canadian Alliance 10%, Bloc Quebecois 10%, New Democratic Party 9%, Progressive Conservative Party 18%; seats by party - Liberal Party 172, Canadian Alliance 66, Bloc Quebecois 38, New Democratic Party 13, Progressive Conservative Party 12 |
unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats)
elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held NA |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 79.69 years
male: 76.3 years female: 83.25 years (2002 est.) |
total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97% (1986 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
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Location | Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous US | Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka |
Map references | North America | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone: 24 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | total: 122 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,797,240 GRT/2,680,223 DWT
ships by type: barge carrier 1, bulk 66, cargo 13, chemical tanker 5, combination bulk 2, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 18, railcar carrier 2, roll on/roll off 8, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 3, Monaco 16, United Kingdom 1, United States 1 (2002 est.) |
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Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory does have a five-person police force |
Military branches | Canadian Armed Forces (comprising Land Forces Command, Maritime Command, Air Command, Communications Command, Training Command) | - |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $7,860.5 million (FY01/02) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.1% (FY01/02) | - |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 8,361,475 (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 7,139,068 (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - military age | 17 years of age (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 217,516 (2002 est.) | - |
National holiday | Canada Day, 1 July (1867) | Australia Day, 26 January (1788) |
Nationality | noun: Canadian(s)
adjective: Canadian |
noun: Cocos Islander(s)
adjective: Cocos Islander |
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 | cyclone season is October to April |
Natural resources | iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower | fish |
Net migration rate | 6.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Pipelines | crude and refined oil 23,564 km; natural gas 74,980 km | - |
Political parties and leaders | Bloc Quebecois [Gilles DUCEPPE]; Canadian Alliance [Stephen HARPER]; Liberal Party [Jean CHRETIEN]; New Democratic Party [Jack LAYTON]; Progressive Conservative Party [Joe CLARK] | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | none |
Population | 31,902,268 (July 2002 est.) | 629 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA |
Population growth rate | 0.96% (2002 est.) | 0.002% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Becancour (Quebec), Churchill, Halifax, Hamilton, Montreal, New Westminster, Prince Rupert, Quebec, Saint John (New Brunswick), St. John's (Newfoundland), Sept Isles, Sydney, Trois-Rivieres, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Windsor | none; lagoon anchorage only |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 535, FM 53, shortwave 6 (1998) | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2004) |
Radios | 32.3 million (1997) | - |
Railways | total: 36,114 km
standard gauge: 36,114 km 1.435-m gauge (156 km electrified) note: Canada has two major transcontinental freight railway systems: Canadian National (privatized November 1995) and Canadian Pacific Railway; passenger service is provided by the government-operated firm VIA, which has no trackage of its own (2000 est.) |
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Religions | Roman Catholic 46%, Protestant 36%, other 18%
note: based on the 1991 census |
Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 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 (2002 est.) |
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Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | NA |
Telephone system | general assessment: excellent service provided by modern technology
domestic: domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stations international: 5 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) and 2 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) |
general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication system
domestic: NA international: country code - 61-891; telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 satellite earth station of NA type (2002) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 20,802,900 (1999) | 287 (1992) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 8,751,300 (1997) | note - analog cellular service available |
Television broadcast stations | 80 (plus many repeaters) (1997) | NA |
Terrain | mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast | flat, low-lying coral atolls |
Total fertility rate | 1.6 children born/woman (2002 est.) | NA children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 7.6% (2002 est.) | 60% (2000 est.) |
Waterways | 3,000 km (including Saint Lawrence Seaway) | - |