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ABOUT CANADA  Government
Government type: confederation with parliamentary democracy
National capital: Ottawa Administrative divisions: 10 provinces and 3 territories; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories*, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon & Nunavut & Northwest Territories
Independence: 1 July 1867 (from UK)
National holiday: Canada Day, 1 July (1867)
Constitution: 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
Legal system: based on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil law system based on French law prevails; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Adrienne CLARKSON (since 7 October 1999) Head of government: Prime Minister Paul MARTIN (since 12 December 2003) Cabinet : Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister from among the members of his own party sitting in Parliament Elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general appointed by the queen on the advice of the prime minister; 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
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (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 (301 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) Election results: percent of votes by party - Liberal Party 41%, Reform Party 19%, Tories 16%, Bloc Quebecois 14%, New Democratic Party 7%, other 3%; seats by party - Liberal Party 177, Bloc Quebecois 53, Reform Party 52, New Democratic Party 9, Progressive Conservative Party 2, independents 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the prime minister through the Governor General
Political parties and leaders: Liberal Party [Paul MARTIN]; Bloc Quebecois; Reform Party [Preston MANNING]; New Democratic Party [Alexa MCDONOUGH]; Conservative Party of Canada
International organization participation: ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE (observer), EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, ESA (cooperating state), FAO, G- 7, G- 8, 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, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: Chancery: 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001 Telephone: [1] (202) 682-1740 FAX: [1] (202) 682-7726 Consulate(s) general : Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, and Seattle Consulate(s): Cincinnati, Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Princeton, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose
Diplomatic representation from the US: Embassy: 100 Wellington Street, K1P 5T1, Ottawa Mailing address: P. O. Box 866, Ogdensburg, NY 13669-0430 Telephone: [1] (613) 238-5335, 4470 FAX: [1] (613) 238-5720 Consulate(s) general: Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, and Vancouver
Flag description: 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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