Canada: Government
Dominion of Canada

Country name:

conventional long form:  none conventional short form:  Canada

Government type:

confederation with parliamentary democracy

Capital:

Ottawa

Administrative divisions:

10 provinces and 3 territories*; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories*, Nova Scotia, Nunavut*, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory*

Independence:

1 July 1867 (from UK)

National holiday:

Independence Day/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 (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Adrienne CLARKSON (since 7 October 1999) 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 monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch 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 the House of Commons or Chambre des Communes (301 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections:  House of Commons - last held 27 November 2000 (next to be held 2005) election results:  percent of vote by party as of January 2001 - Liberal Party 42%, Canadian Alliance 22%, Bloc Quebecois 13%, New Democratic Party 4%, Progressive Conservative Party 4%; seats by party as of January 2001 - Liberal Party 172, Canadian Alliance 66, Bloc Quebecois 38, New Democratic Party 13, Progressive Conservative Party 12

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court of Canada (judges are appointed by the prime minister through the governor general); Federal Court of Canada; Federal Court of Appeal; Provincial Courts (these are named variously Court of Appeal, Court of Queens Bench, Superior Court, Supreme Court, and Court of Justice)

Political parties and leaders:

Bloc Quebecois [Gilles DUCEPPE]; Canadian Alliance [Stockwell DAY]; Liberal Party [Jean CHRETIEN]; New Democratic Party [Alexa MCDONOUGH]; Progressive Conservative Party [Joe CLARK]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

NA

International organization participation:

ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE (observer), EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, ESA (cooperating state), FAO, G- 7, 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, MINURCA, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNTAET, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission:  Ambassador Michael KERGIN 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):  Miami, Princeton, San Francisco, and San Jose

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission:  Ambassador Gordon D. GIFFIN embassy:  490 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1G8 mailing address:  P. O. Box 5000, 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

Source: CIA World Factbook 2001
(In general, information available as of 1 January 2001 was used in the preparation of this edition.)

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