World Country Guide

Population
31,629,700 (official estimate 2003).

Population Density
3.5 per sq km.

Capital
Ottawa. Population: 1,063,664 (2001, including Hull).

Geography
Canada is bordered to the west by the Pacific Ocean and Alaska, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the northeast by Greenland, and to the south by the ‘Lower 48’ of the USA. The polar ice cap lies to the north. The landscape is diverse, ranging from the Arctic tundra of the north to the great prairies of the central area. Westward are the Rocky Mountains, and in the southeast are the Great Lakes, the St Lawrence River and Niagara Falls. The country is divided into 10 provinces and three territories. A more detailed description of each province can be found under the separate provincial entries.

Government
Constitutional Monarchy. Head of State: HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General Adrienne Bing Chee Clarkson since 1999. Head of Government: Prime Minister Paul Martin since 2003.

Language
Bilingual: English and French. The use of the two languages reflects the mixed colonial history – Canada has been under both British and French rule.

Religion
75 per cent of the population belong to the Christian faith: Anglican, Roman Catholic and United Church of Canada. There are numerous other active denominations and religions.

Time
Canada spans six time zones. Information on which time zone applies where may be found in the regional entries following this general introduction. The time zones are:
Pacific Standard Time: GMT - 8.
Mountain Standard Time: GMT - 7.
Central Standard Time: GMT - 6.
Eastern Standard Time: GMT - 5.
Atlantic Standard Time: GMT - 4.
Newfoundland Standard Time: GMT - 3.5.

Note
From the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October, one hour is added for Daylight Saving Time (except in Saskatchewan).

Electricity
110-120 volts AC, 60Hz. American-style (flat) two-pin plugs are standard.

Communications

Telephone
Most public telephones operate using 25-cent coins. There is a reduced rate Mon-Fri 1800-0900, Sat 1200 to Mon 0900. For long-distance calls, telephone cards are available. Credit card telephones are to be found in larger centres. Full IDD is available. Country code: 1. Outgoing international code: 011.

Mobile telephone
Digital PCS (1900MHz) services area available in and around major centres, while older analogue and digital cellular networks are available in less populated areas. A ‘dual mode’ handset is required outside the digital service areas. Network operators include Bell Mobility (website: www.bellmobility.ca), Telus Mobility (website: www.telusmobility.com) and Rogers AT&T (website: www.rogers.com). GSM network operators include Microcell, operating under the Fido brand name (website: www.canadagsm.com) and Rogers AT&T. Handsets can be hired from Roadpost (tel: (905) 272 5665 or (888) 290 1616 (toll-free within North America); website: www.roadpost.com), although it may be cheaper to buy a pay-as-you-go phone.

Fax
Services are available in commercial bureaux and most hotels all day at locally agreed rates.

Internet
ISPs include Inter.net (website: www.ca.inter.net) and Sympatico (website: www.sympatico.ca). There are Internet cafes all over the country. Internet terminals are usually available at airports and in photocopy shops.

Telegram
These are handled by Telegrams Canada. Messages may be telephoned toll-free to 1-866-TEL-GRAM (1-866-835-4726; toll-free within Canada and the USA) for delivery anywhere in Canada or the USA. Billing arrangements may be made at the time the message is phoned in. Pricing and other information is available from Telegrams Canada (website: www.telegrams.ca)

Post
All mail from Canada to outside North America is by air. Stamps are available in hotels, some pharmacies and local stores, or in vending machines outside post offices and shopping centres. Poste Restante facilities are available. Intelpost is offered at main postal offices for satellite transmission of documents and photographs. Post office hours: generally Mon-Fri 0930-1700, Sat 0900-1200, but times vary according to province and location; city offices will have longer hours.

Press
The main national daily newspaper is The Globe and Mail. The National Post also has national distribution. Daily newspapers published in the larger population centres have a wide local and regional circulation. French-language dailies are published in seven cities, including Montréal, Ottawa and Québec. In Alberta, the main English-language newspapers are the Calgary Herald, The Calgary Sun, The Edmonton Journal and The Edmonton Sun; in British Columbia, the Vancouver Sun; in Manitoba, the Winnipeg Free Press and The Winnipeg Sun; in New Brunswick, the Daily Gleaner and The Times Transcript; in Newfoundland & Labrador, the Telegram and The Western Star; in Nova Scotia, The Chronicle-Herald and The Daily News; in Ontario, The Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa Sun, The Toronto Star and the The Toronto Sun; in Prince Edward Island, the Guardian and the Journal Pioneer; in Québec, The Gazette (daily); in Saskatchewan, the Daily Herald, Leader Post, Star-Phoenix and the Times-Herald ; and in Yukon, The Whitehorse Star.

Radio
BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.