Canada
Canada Fast Facts
Canada is located in Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous US. Canada’s land area is 9,984,670 sq km which makes it the world’s 2nd largest country by size; slightly larger than the United States. Canada is not densely populated in many areas. With a population of 33,759,742 (July 2010 est.), Canada is the world’s 36th largest country by population size.
Canada Economy and GDP
Canada is an affluent, high-tech industrial society with tremendous natural resources. With GDP in the trillion-dollar class, Canada resembles the US in its market-oriented economic system, pattern of production, and affluent living standards.
Canada’s economy is estimated to have a GDP of $1.285 trillion (2009 est. in US dollars) which makes it the world’s 15th largest economy.
Since World War II, the impressive growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy into one primarily industrial and urban. The 1989 US-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (which includes Mexico) touched off a dramatic increase in trade and economic integration with the US, its principal trading partner.
Canada enjoys a substantial trade surplus with the US, which absorbs nearly 80% of Canadian exports each year. Canada is the US's largest foreign supplier of energy, including oil, gas, uranium, and electric power.
Given its great natural resources, skilled labor force, and modern capital plant, Canada enjoyed solid economic growth from 1993 through 2007. Buffeted by the global economic crisis, the economy dropped into a sharp recession in the final months of 2008, and Ottawa posted its first fiscal deficit in 2009 after 12 years of surplus. Canada's major banks, however, emerged from the financial crisis of 2008-09 among the strongest in the world, owing to the country's tradition of conservative lending practices and strong capitalization.
Investing in Canada and the Canadian Economy
There are many ways to invest in Canada ranging from Canadian stocks and Canadian oil royalty trusts traded locally in Canada (and internationally in the United States), Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) specific to Canada or including Canada as part of North America, as well as ETFs on specific commodities from Canada. Investors seeking to learn more about investment opportunities in Canada should click below:
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