Area

9,976,140 sq km

Population

34.7 million (2012 estimate) - the majority of European origin, 300,000 North American Indians, 19,000 Inuits (Eskimos)

Capital

Ottawa (population 812 000, conurbation 1.13 million)

Other towns

Toronto (city 2.5 million, metropolitan area 5.11 million), Montréal (city 1.62 million, metropolitan area 3.64 million), Calgary (city 988,000, metropolitan area 1.08 million), Edmonton (city 730,000, conurbation 1.034 million),  Winnipeg (city  633,000, conurbation 694,000), Vancouver (city 578,000, conurbation 1,603,000), Quebec (city 493,000, conurbation 715,000 - French speaking),

Currency

Canadian dollar = 100 cents

Languages

English, French (both official) - about 70% speak English, 20% French, and the rest are bilingual; there are also North American Indian languages and the Inuit Inuktikut.

Life expectancy

men 76, women 82

GDP

$51,147 per capita (2011 estimate)

Head of state

Queen Elizabeth II represented by the Governor-General

Head of government

Prime Minister (Stephen Harper since 2006)