Einar H. Dyvik
Research expert covering Nordics and global data for society, economy, and politics
Canada - Statistics & Facts
Canada is a large country that occupies the northern section of the Americas and it is the world’s second-largest country by area. It is split into ten provinces and three territories; its capital city is Ottawa, while its largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Canada has a relatively small population for its size, but its vast resources, history, and trade networks (especially with the U.S.) has led it to have one of the largest economies in the world. Canada ranks very highly on many metrics that make it one of the most desirable places to live on the planet, including GDP per capita, life expectancy, democracy, and education.
Geography
Canada is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and shares the world’s longest international border with the United States to the south. After Russia, Canada is the world’s largest country by area. The climate ranges from polar in the north to a more continental climate in the south, with warm summers and cold winters. Its size, large coastline, and proximity to the Arctic Circle makes it more susceptible to climate change than other countries, particularly to threats such as glacial melting, rising sea levels, and forest fires. While Canada is a global leader in green energy, notably hydroelectric power, it has also been one of history’s largest fossil fuel producers.
Economy and politics
Canada’s economy ranks among the 10 largest in the world in terms of GDP, and its GDP per capita is usually among the top 20. Canada’s access to abundant natural resources makes it an outlier as a leading exporter of primary products such as fossil fuels, mining, and agricultural goods. It also has a large manufacturing sector, with transport, heavy machinery, and chemicals among the largest industries. Much of Canada’s primary and secondary exports go to the United States, although it does have a range of lucrative trade agreements with other advanced economies. The largest sector, however, is services, which employs around 80 percent of the workforce.
Canada is a parliamentary democracy with one national government and uses a federal system with governments for each state or territory. The head of government is the Prime Minister, who is generally the leader of the largest party or the coalition in the House of Commons, while its head of state is the British monarch. General elections are usually held every four years, although snap elections do occur, such as in 2021 and 2025. Canada uses a multi-party system and, despite some name changes, its largest political parties have remained consistent throughout history.
