Geography of Canada

Geographic Coordinates: 60 00 N, 95 00W                                                                       Map References: North America                                                                                        Area: Comparative: Slightly Larger than US                                                                     Land Boundaries: Total: 8,893 km
Border Countries: US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska)                                                                                                                          
Continental Shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental                                       margin Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: varies from temperature in south to subarctic and arctic in north  Terrain mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast.                              Elevation Extremes:
Lowest Point: Atlantic Ocean 0m
Highest Point: Mount Logan 5,950 m         

 Natural Resources: nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas.                                                

Coastline:

243,791 km  Maritime Claims:

Land Use:
Arable Land: 5%
Permanent Crops: 0%
Permanent Pastures: 3%
Forests & Woodland: 54%
Other: 38% (1993 est.)

Irrigated Land: 7,100 sq. km (1993 est.)

Natural Hazards: Continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle to development, cyclonic storms form east of the Rocky Mountains, a result of the mixing of air masses from the Arctic, Pacific, and North American Interior, and produce most of the country's rain and snow.

Environment - International Agreements:
Party To: Air Pollution - Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution - Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling Signed, But not Ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation

Note: Second-largest country in world (after Russia), strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route, nearly 90% of the population is concentrated within 160 km of the US/Canada border.