Total Canadian population is 30 million, with 3% of Indian population; Canada's economy has a growth rate of 4.7%. The Census on May 15, 2001 counted 30 007 094 people compared with 28 846 761 on May 14, 1996. Approximately 79.4% of Canadians lived in an urban centre of 10000 people or more, compared with 78.5% in 1996. Outside the urban centers, the population of rural and small-town areas declined to 0.4%.
Almost all of Canada's population is concentrated in a narrow band along the country's southern edge. Most of Canada's population lived within 200 kilometers of the United States. In fact, the inhabitants of three biggest cities - Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver - can drive to the border in less than two hours. Thousands of kilometers to the north, our polar region - the Yukon Territory, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut - is relatively empty, embracing 41% of land mass with only 0.3% of population.
Canada is one of the world's wealthiest nations.Its economy is dominated by the service industry which employs about three quarters of Canadians. Logging and oil industries being two of Canada's most important area of economic prudence.It also has a sizeable manufacturing sector, centred in Southern Ontario, with the automobile industry especially important. Canada is a free market economy with slightly more government intervention than it southern counterpart i.e USA.Canada has traditionally had a lower per capita GDP than its southern neighbour but more than that the western countries. Canadian economy has been growing rapidly with low unemployment and large government surpluses on the federal level. Canada is by far the United States' largest trading partner, with more than $1.4 billion CAD in trade per day.
Key Industries: Transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products, petroleum and natural gas.
Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, forest products and fish.
Export Commodities: Motor vehicles, motor parts, industrial machinery, aircraft, chemicals, telecommunications equipment, plastics, fertilizers, wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity and aluminum.
Import Commodities: Machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil, chemicals, electricity and durable consumer goods.
