lity:
noun: Canadian(s)
adjective: Canadian
Ethnic groups: British Isles origin 40%, French origin 27%, other
European 20%, Amerindian 1.5%, other, mostly Asian 11.5%
Religions: Roman Catholic 45%, United Church 12%, Anglican 8%, other
35% (1991)
Languages: English (official), French (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97% (1986 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%
@Canada:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Canada
Data code: CA
Government type: federation 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;
the eastern section, which will be self-governing, 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 government was set up in the British North America
Act of 1867; charter of rights and unwritten customs
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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor 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
members of his own party sitting in Parliament
elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general
appointed by the queen on the advice of the prime minister for a
five-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party in the House of Commons is automatically designated by
the governor general to become prime minister
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the
Senate or Senat (a body whose members are appointed to serve until
reaching 75 years of age by the governor general and selected on the
advice of the prime minister; its normal limit is 104 senators) and
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