- Welcome to Canada
- In the Commonwealth
- Facts and Figures
- Canada was a founder member of the Commonwealth in 1931 when its independence was recognised under the Statute of Westminster
- Canada has been competing in the Commonwealth Games since 1930, and has won an impressive 1318 medals
- Jean Chrétien, Prime Minister of Canada 1993-2003, delivered the 7th Annual Commonwealth Lecture, on ‘Making Progress through Multilateralism’, in 2004
- Three Canadians have won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize: Mordecai Richler, in 1990; Rohinton Mistry (born in Bombay, India), in 1992 and 1996; and Lawrence Hill, in 2008
- Angela Chalmers of Canada took the Commonwealth Games Women’s 3,000 Metres record at the Games in Victoria, Canada, in 1994
- Scholarships and fellowships are awarded by Canada to citizens of other Commonwealth countries under the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan
- The Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management has its HQ in Ottawa, the Commonwealth of Learning in Vancouver and the Commonwealth Journalists Association in Toronto
- Arnold Smith, the first Commonwealth Secretary-General 1965-75
- Sir John Daniel, President and Chief Executive Officer, Commonwealth of Learning 2004
- David Waung, Executive Director of the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management 2008
- Eduardo del Buey, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Commonwealth Secretariat 2007
- 1964 Third Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers in Ottawa
- 1973 CHOGM in Ottawa, resulting in the Statement on Nuclear Weapon Tests
- 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton
- 1987 CHOGM in Vancouver
- 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Vancouver Island
- 1998 Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting in Ottawa
- 2000 Fourteenth Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers in Halifax
The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, PC, MP
Prime Minister of Canada
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the Canada portal of the Commonwealth of Nations website.
From our world class cities to our picturesque mountains and plains to our lush forests and farmland, Canada is truly a country of great physical beauty. We take immense pride in our multicultural roots, healthy economy, high quality of life and our commitment to democracy and good governance. Canada is a great place to live, to visit and to invest.
On behalf of my colleagues, my wife Laureen and all Canadians from coast to coast, I invite you to explore all that Canada has to offer.
The above message was provided by the previous Prime Minister, Stephen Harper.
Canada in the Commonwealth
did you know?
Senior Commonwealth officers
Commonwealth meetings hosted
Population
Total area: 9,976,000 sq. km
Population in thousands (2010): 34,017
Population density (2010): 3 per sq. km
Proportion of population under 18 (2010): 20.3%
Proportion of population over 60 (2010): 20.2%
Proportion of population living in urban areas (2010): 81%
Economy
GNI in thousands (2010): US$1,475,864,609
GNI per capita (2010): US$43,270
GDP average annual growth (2006-10): 1.2%
Inflation, average annual (2006-10): 1.7%
Education
Proportion of pupils completing primary school (1999): 98.6%
Adult literacy rate: 99.0%
Public spending on education (2007-10): 4.8%
Health
Proportion of people living with HIV/AIDS aged 15-49 (2009): 0.3%
Under 5 mortality per 1,000 live births (2010): 6
Population with access to adequate sanitation facilities (2008): 100%
Population with access to an improved water source (2008): 100%
Life expectancy (2010): 81
Environment
CO2 emissions per capita (2008): 16.4 tonnes
Overall change in annual CO2 emissions (1990-2008): 20.9%
Forest area as a proportion total land area: 34.1%
Overall deforestation since 1990 (2008): 0.0%
Energy use per capita (2007-09): 8,169kg of oil equivalent
Electric power consumption per capita (2006-09): 15,467 kilowatt-hours
ICTs
Landline telephones per 1,000 people (2010): 499
Cumulative growth/decline in landline telephones (2005-10): -6.3%
PCs per 1,000 people (2009): 944
Mobile subscribers per 1,000 people (2010): 704
Overall growth in mobile subscribers (2005-10): 41.3%
Internet users per 1,000 (2010): 816
Canada
in the Commonwealth Yearbook
The flagship publication of the Commonwealth Secretariat and the essential reference on the modern Commonwealth for
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