ion, and high living standards. Since World War II,
the impressive growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service
sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy into
one primarily industrial and urban. Canada started the 1990s in
recession, and real rates of growth have averaged only 1.1% so far
this decade. Because of slower growth, Canada still faces high
unemployment-especially in Quebec and the Maritime Provinces-and a
large public sector debt. With its great natural resources, skilled
labor force, and modern capital plant, however, Canada will enjoy
better economic prospects in the future. The continuing constitutional
impasse between English- and French-speaking areas is raising the
possibility of a split in the federation, making foreign investors
somewhat edgy.

GDP: purchasing power parity-$658 billion (1997 est.)

GDP-real growth rate: 3.5% (1997 est.)

GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$21,700 (1997 est.)

GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 3%
industry: 31%
services: 66% (1997)

Inflation rate-consumer price index: 1.8% (1997)

Labor force:
total: 15.3 million (1997)
by occupation: services 75%, manufacturing 16%, agriculture 3%,
construction 5%, other 1% (1997)

Unemployment rate: 8.6% (December 1997)

Budget:
revenues: $106.5 billion
expenditures: $117.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.7
billion (1996)

Industries: processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood
and paper products, transportation equipment, chemicals, fish
products, petroleum and natural gas

Industrial production growth rate: 1.7% (1997 est.)

Electricity-capacity: 113.645 million kW (1995)

Electricity-production: 532.64 billion kWh (1995)

Electricity-consumption per capita: 17,448 kWh (1995)

Agriculture-products: wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits,
vegetables; dairy products; forest products; commercial fisheries
provide annual catch of 1.5 million metric tons, of which 75% is
exported

Exports:
total value: $208.6 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
commodities: newsprint, wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, machinery,
natural gas, aluminum, motor vehicles and parts; telecommunications
equipment
partners: US, Japan, UK, Germany, South Korea, Netherlands, China

Imports:
total value: $194.4 billion (c.i.f., 1997)
commodities: crude oil, chemicals, motor vehicles and parts, durable
consumer goods, computers; telecommunications equipment and parts
partners: US, Jap