Country name
conventional long form : none
conventional short form: Canada

Data code CA

Government type confederation with parliamentary democracy

National capital Ottawa

Administrative divisions 10 provinces and 2 territories*; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba,New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories*, Nova Scotia, Ontario,Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory*
note: the Northwest Territories will be split in two as of April 1999; theeastern section will be renamed Nunavut, the west is as yet unnamed

Independence 1 July 1867 (from UK)

National holiday Canada Day, 1 July (1867)

Constitution 17 April 1982 (Constitution Act); originally, the machinery of the governmentwas set up in the British North America Act of 1867; charter of rights andunwritten customs

Legal system based on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil law systembased on French law prevails; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented byGovernor General Romeo LeBLANC (since 8 February 1995)
head of government: Prime Minister Jean CHRETIEN (since 4 November 1993)
cabinet : Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister from among the membersof his own party sitting in Parliament
elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general appointedby the queen on the advice of the prime minister; following legislative elections,the leader of the majority party in the House of Commons is automaticallydesignated by the governor general to become prime minister

Legislative branch bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (abody whose members are appointed to serve until reaching 75 years of age bythe governor general and selected on the advice of the prime minister; itsnormal limit is 104 senators) and the House of Commons or Chambre des Communes(295 seats; note - number of seats will rise to 301 at the time of the nextelection; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Commons - last held 25 October 1993 (next to be held by 3 November1998)
election results: percent of votes by party - Liberal Party 41%, Reform Party 19%, Tories16%, Bloc Quebecois 14%, New Democratic Party 7%, other 3%; seats by party- Liberal Party 177, Bloc Quebecois 53, Reform Party 52, New Democratic Party9, Progressive Conservative Party 2, independents 2

Judicial branch Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the prime minister through thegovernor general

Political parties and leaders Liberal Party [Jean CHRETIEN]; Bloc Quebecois [Michel GAUTHIER (untilMarch 1997)]; Reform Party [Preston MANNING]; New Democratic Party [AlexaMCDONOUGH]; Progressive Conservative Party [Jean CHAREST]

International organization participation ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC,CDB (non-regional), CE (observer), 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, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM,ISO, ITU, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN,UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNPREDEP,UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission : Ambassador Raymond A. J. CHRETIEN
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): Cincinnati, Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Princeton, SanDiego, San Francisco, and San Jose

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
embassy : 100 Wellington Street, K1P 5T1, Ottawa
mailing address: P. O. Box 866, Ogdensburg, NY 13669-0430
telephone : [1] (613) 238-5335, 4470
FAX: [1] (613) 238-5720
consulate(s) general: Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, and Vancouver

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

NOTE: The information regarding Canada on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Canada Government 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Canada Government 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.