01
Physical geography
Mostly plains with mountains in west, lowlands in southeast.
Local timeOttawa ·
North America / North America · Card 009
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its capital is Ottawa.
Find Canada
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Ottawa
- Languages
- English & French
- Currency
- Canadian dollar (CAD)
- Population
- 41.7 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 9,984,670 km²3,855,101.06 square miles
- Confederation
- 1867Legislative autonomy in 1931; constitutional patriation in 1982.
Canada in context
North America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Ottawa; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
English and French are official at the federal level. Many Indigenous languages are spoken, with additional recognition in some provinces and territories.
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Location
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.
Flag
Two vertical bands of red on each side, with a white square between them; a large 11-pointed red maple leaf is centered in the white square
History & status
First Nations, Inuit and Métis histories are central to Canada’s development. French and British colonization preceded Confederation in 1867. Sovereignty developed through constitutional change rather than a single independence war: the Statute of Westminster in 1931 and constitutional patriation in 1982 were major milestones.
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Confederation establishes the Dominion of Canada
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The Statute of Westminster recognizes legislative autonomy
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The Constitution is patriated and the Charter takes effect
Economy
Main activities
Services account for much economic activity, alongside manufacturing, energy, mining, forestry and agriculture. Trade with the United States is especially important. Production differs greatly among provinces and territories.
Industry and production
transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products, petroleum, natural gas
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people41.72025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 21,324,000 | 21.324 |
| 1980 | 24,515,667 | 24.516 |
| 1990 | 27,691,138 | 27.691 |
| 2000 | 30,685,730 | 30.686 |
| 2010 | 34,005,902 | 34.006 |
| 2020 | 38,028,638 | 38.029 |
| 2025 | 41,651,653 | 41.652 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Trillions of constant 2015 US dollars1.92025 · trillions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Trillions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 877,825,083,275 | 0.878 |
| 1991 | 859,469,276,532 | 0.859 |
| 1992 | 867,122,560,316 | 0.867 |
| 1993 | 890,168,135,899 | 0.890 |
| 1994 | 930,172,731,125 | 0.930 |
| 1995 | 955,123,017,249 | 0.955 |
| 1996 | 971,254,674,627 | 0.971 |
| 1997 | 1,012,825,994,795 | 1.013 |
| 1998 | 1,052,254,162,076 | 1.052 |
| 1999 | 1,106,350,585,214 | 1.106 |
| 2000 | 1,163,200,843,613 | 1.163 |
| 2001 | 1,185,012,000,892 | 1.185 |
| 2002 | 1,220,553,536,588 | 1.221 |
| 2003 | 1,242,601,434,049 | 1.243 |
| 2004 | 1,281,027,191,103 | 1.281 |
| 2005 | 1,322,153,985,117 | 1.322 |
| 2006 | 1,357,031,663,573 | 1.357 |
| 2007 | 1,384,849,517,992 | 1.385 |
| 2008 | 1,398,634,398,327 | 1.399 |
| 2009 | 1,357,862,999,005 | 1.358 |
| 2010 | 1,399,831,914,632 | 1.400 |
| 2011 | 1,443,747,363,549 | 1.444 |
| 2012 | 1,469,094,677,743 | 1.469 |
| 2013 | 1,503,263,081,058 | 1.503 |
| 2014 | 1,546,458,845,944 | 1.546 |
| 2015 | 1,556,510,380,200 | 1.557 |
| 2016 | 1,572,675,533,072 | 1.573 |
| 2017 | 1,620,387,912,548 | 1.620 |
| 2018 | 1,664,834,560,154 | 1.665 |
| 2019 | 1,696,606,794,630 | 1.697 |
| 2020 | 1,611,127,783,962 | 1.611 |
| 2021 | 1,706,998,394,665 | 1.707 |
| 2022 | 1,787,149,136,135 | 1.787 |
| 2023 | 1,822,053,687,170 | 1.822 |
| 2024 | 1,859,337,753,256 | 1.859 |
| 2025 | 1,891,740,160,108 | 1.892 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.939Very High human developmentRank 16 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.865
20000.894
20100.918
20200.931
20230.939
82.6 yearsLife expectancy at birth
13.9 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
A federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Parliament comprises the monarch, represented federally by the Governor-General, the elected House of Commons and the appointed Senate. A Prime Minister heads the government. Powers are divided between federal and provincial governments.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Canada.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
What is the capital of Canada?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.