a largely rural economy into one primarilyindustrial and urban. In the 1980s, Canada registered one of the
highest rates of real growth among the OECD nations, averaging about
3.2%. With its great natural resources, skilled labor force, and
modern capital plant, Canada has excellent economic prospects,
although the country still faces high unemployment and a growing debt.
Moreover, the continuing constitutional impasse between English- and
French-speaking areas has observers discussing a possible split in the
confederation; foreign investors have become edgy.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $617.7 billion (1993)
National product real growth rate:
2.4% (1993)
National product per capita:
$22,200 (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.9% (1993)
Unemployment rate:
11% (December 1993)
Budget:
revenues:
$92.34 billion (Federal)
expenditures:
$123.04 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY93 est.)
Exports:
$133.9 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities:
newsprint, wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, machinery, natural gas,
aluminum, motor vehicles and parts; telecommunications equipment
partners:
US, Japan, UK, Germany, South Korea, Netherlands, China
Imports:
$125.3 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
commodities:
crude oil, chemicals, motor vehicles and parts, durable consumer
goods, electronic computers; telecommunications equipment and parts
partners:
US, Japan, UK, Germany, France, Mexico, Taiwan, South Korea
External debt:
$435 billion (1993)
Industrial production:
growth rate 3.5% (1993)
Electricity:
capacity:
109,340,000 kW
production:
493 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
17,900 kWh (1992)
Industries:
processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper
products, transportation equipment, chemicals, fish products,
petroleum and natural gas
Agriculture:
accounts for about 3% of GDP; one of the world's major producers and
exporters of grain (wheat and barley); key source of US agricultural
imports; large forest resources cover 35% of total land area;
commercial fisheries provide annual catch of 1.5 million metric tons,
of which 75% is exported
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; growing role as a transit point for
heroin and cocaine entering the US market
Economic aid:
donor:
ODA and OOF commitments (1970–89), $7.2 billion
Currency:
1 Canadian dollar (Can$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$1 - 1.3174 (January 1994), 1.2901
(1993), 1.2087 (1992), 1.1457 (1991), 1.1668 (1990), 1.1840 (1989)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
@Canada, Communications
Railroads:
146,444 km total; two major transcontinental freight railway systems -
Canadian National (government owned) and Canadian Pacific Railway;
passenger service - VIA (government operated); 158 km is electrified
Highways:
total:
884,272 km
paved:
250,023 km
unpaved:
gravel 462,913 km; earth 171,336 km
Inland waterways:
3,000 km, including Saint Lawrence Seaway
Pipelines:
crude and refined oil 23,564 km; natural gas 74,980 km
Ports:
Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Saint John (New Brunswick), Saint John's
(Newfoundland), Toronto, Vancouver
Merchant marine:
59 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 448,357 GRT/639,319 DWT, bulk 9,
cargo 8, chemical tanker 4, container 1, oil tanker 22, passenger 1,
passenger-cargo 1, railcar carrier 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 6,
short-sea passenger 3, specialized
