Commonwealth Governance Handbook 2013/14 153 KEY FACTS Joined Commonwealth: 1931 (Statute of Westminster) Population: 34,350,000 (2011) GNI p.c.: US$45,560 (2011) UN HDI 2011: world ranking 6 Geography Area: 9,976,000 sq km Coastline: 202,100 km Capital: Ottawa The second largest country in the world, Canada comprises the northern half of the North American continent, bordering with the USA to the south and north-west (Alaska). It is bounded by three oceans: the Pacific to the west; the Arctic to the north; and the Atlantic to the east. Indented shores and numerous islands (some very large) give it the longest coastline of any country at 202,100 km. Cape Columbia on Ellesmere Island is 768 km from the North Pole. Canada is a federation of ten provinces and three territories. The provinces (and provincial capitals) are: Alberta (Edmonton), British Columbia (Victoria), Manitoba (Winnipeg), New Brunswick (Fredericton), Newfoundland and Labrador (St John’s), Nova Scotia (Halifax), Ontario (Toronto), Prince Edward Island (Charlottetown), Québec (Québec), Saskatchewan (Regina); and the territories (and capitals): Northwest Territories (Yellowknife), Nunavut (Iqaluit) and Yukon (Whitehorse). Nunavut was formed in April 1999 – from the eastern and central parts of the Northwest Territories – as a semi-autonomous region for the Inuit people. Constitution Status: Monarchy under Queen Elizabeth II Legislature: Parliament of Canada Canada is a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II (Queen of Canada) as Head of State, represented by a Governor-General appointed on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. The British North America Act of 1867 set up a machinery of government that has remained basically unchanged; however, the constitution is contained in the Constitution Act of 1982, which includes the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as procedures for amending the constitution. The federal parliament is bicameral. The House of Commons has 308 members directly elected in general elections which, if not called earlier, must be held on the third Monday in October in the fourth calendar year following the last election. The Senate has 105 members appointed on a regional basis by the Prime Minister, in consultation with the cabinet. The leader of the party with the most seats in the House of Commons becomes Prime Minister and appoints a cabinet which has executive power at the federal level. The constitution provides for devolution of powers from federal to provincial governments. General amendments to the constitution require the consent of the federal parliament and of seven provinces representing at least 50 per cent of the population. Judicial system Supreme court: Supreme Court of Canada Ministry: Department of Justice Justice is administered both at a federal and provincial level, in a four-tiered structure. The Supreme Court presides over the judicial system and is the final court of appeal in civil and criminal cases, for both federal and provincial appeal Canada
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