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GOVERNMENT
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Country
Name:
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conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Canada |
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Government
Type:
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federation
with parliamentary democracy |
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Capital:
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Ottawa
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Administrative
Divisions:
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10
provinces and 3 territories*; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba,
New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories*, Nova Scotia,
Nunavut*, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan,
Yukon Territory* |
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Independence:
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1
July 1867 (from UK) |
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National
Holiday:
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Canada
Day, 1 July (1867) |
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Constitution:
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17
April 1982 (Constitution Act); originally, the machinery of the
government was set up in the British North America Act of 1867;
charter of rights and unwritten customs |
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Legal
System :
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based
on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil law system
based on French law prevails; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations |
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Suffrage:
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18
years of age; universal |
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Executive
Branch:
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chief
of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented
by Governor General Romeo Le BLANC (since 8 February 1995)
head of government: Prime Minister Jean CHRETIEN (since
4 November 1993)
cabinet: Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister
from among the members of his own party sitting in Parliament
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister for
a five-year term; following legislative elections, the leader
of the majority party in the House of Commons is automatically
designated by the governor general to become prime minister |
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Legislative
Branch:
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bicameral
Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (a body
whose members are appointed to serve until reaching 75 years of
age by the governor general and selected on the advice of the
prime minister; its normal limit is 104 senators) and the House
of Commons or Chambre des Communes (301 seats; members elected
by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Commonslast held 2 June 1997 (next
to be held by NA June 2002)
election results: percent of vote by partyLiberal Party
38%, Reform Party 19%, Tories 19%, Bloc Quebecois 11%, New Democratic
Party 11%, other 2%; seats by partyLiberal Party 155, Reform
Party 60, Bloc Quebecois 44, New Democratic Party 21, Progressive
Conservative Party 20, independents 1 |
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Judicial
Branch:
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Supreme
Court, judges are appointed by the prime minister through the
governor general |
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Political
Parties and Leaders:
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Liberal
Party [Jean CHRETIEN]; Bloc Quebecois [Gilles DUCEPPE]; Reform
Party [Preston MANNING]; New Democratic Party [Alexa MCDONOUGH];
Progressive Conservative Party [Joe CLARK] |
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International
Organization Participation:
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ACCT,
AfDB, APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CDB (non-regional),
CE (observer), CP, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, ESA (cooperating state),
FAO, G- 7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURCA, MIPONUH, MTCR, NAM (guest),
NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF,
UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNPREDEP,
UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC |
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Flag
Description:
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three
vertical bands of red (hoist side), white (double width, square),
and red with a red maple leaf centered in the white band |
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