Vancouver

Vancouver is one of Canada's most scenic cities. It is located in the western province of British Columbia. Here are some images of Vancouver's architecture, people and landscape. 

source: http://tvtowersvancouver.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Library-Square-Vancouver-Building-Architecture.jpg

source: http://www.bustler.net/images/news2/2011_aia_institute_honor_awards_interior_architecture_10.jpg

source: https://postmediavancouversun.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/homeless.jpg

source: http://www.koocanusapublications.com/rvwest_test/images/uploads/seatour630.jpg

source: http://www.via-architecture.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/WalkableVancouverSEFC-1024x624.jpg

source: https://designkultur.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/bloedel-conservatory-vancouver-4.jpg

source: https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQUinhzYGnWlkQO5cp5bAtjFLQ2PGggKVY_n0VNibMRPQ7-wBfFRQ

source: https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTwmqn1DQEK9RUh3EV4EfOLlsoewaZhbvO_3nTQxEvbAMSrM8Ym4w

source: http://www.flightcentre.co.nz/cms_images/web_images/flights/international/large/canada/science-world-at-night.jpg

Economics

Canada is unusual among developed countries in the importance of the primary sector, with the logging and oil industries being two of Canada's most important. Canada also has a sizable manufacturing sector, based in Central Canada, with the automobile industry and aircraft industry being especially important.

Source: http://www.calgaryherald.com/cms/binary/9719038.jpg

Manufacturing is Canada's single most important economic activity. The leading products are transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, processed foods, wood and paper products, fish, petroleum, natural gas, electrical and electronic products, printed materials, machinery, and clothing. Industries are centered in Ontario, Quebec, and, to a lesser extent, British Columbia and Alberta. Canada's industries depend on the country's rich energy resources, which include hydroelectric power, petroleum (including extensive oil sands), natural gas, coal, and uranium.

Source: http://people.emich.edu/vgrier/MappingChallenge_files/Economic%20Activity%20Map.jpg

A major problem for Canada is that large segments of its economy—notably in manufacturing, petroleum, and mining—are controlled by foreign, especially U.S. interests. This deprives the nation of much of the profits of its industries and makes the economy vulnerable to developments outside Canada. This situation is mitigated somewhat by the fact that Canada itself is a large foreign investor. Since the free trade agreement with the United States (effective 1989), and the North American Free Trade Agreement (effective 1994), trade and economic integration between the two countries has increased dramatically.

The United States is by far Canada's leading trade partner, followed by China and Mexico. Machinery and equipment, chemicals, and consumer goods comprise the bulk of imports; crude petroleum and motor vehicles and parts rank high among both the nation's largest imports and exports. Other important exports are industrial machinery, aircraft, telecommunications equipment, chemicals, plastics, fertilizers, forest products, natural gas, hydroelectric power, and aluminum.

Sources: http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/world/canada-economy.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Canada

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Agriculture

Canada is part of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). NAFTA is an agreement signed by Canada, the United States and Mexico that created rules for trading between the countries. The agreement, signed into effect on January 1, 1994, brought the immediate elimination of tariffs on more than one-half of Mexico's exports to the U.S. and more than one-third of U.S. exports to Mexico. Most U.S.-Canada trade was already duty-free. NAFTA also seeks to eliminate non-tariff trade barriers and to protect the intellectual property right of the products.

Source: http://www5.agr.gc.ca/resources/prod/Internet-Internet/MISB-DGSIM/ATS-SEA/images/5489001-eng.gif

This graphic shows the different products associated with each province and territory of Canada. Dairy products and grains are the most commonly cultivated crops in Canada.

Source: http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/images/ressources/quotidien/agriculture-eng.jpg

The 2011 Census of Agriculture found fewer than 1% of Canadians are farm operators. Yet, all Canadians participate in the agri-food sector when they go grocery shopping and make food choices.

Source: http://www.nongmoproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Bilingual-300x145.jpg

Much like in the USA, genetically modified foods are an area of controversy in Canada. Canada regulates products derived from biotechnology processes as part of its existing regulatory framework for “novel products.”  The focus is on the traits expressed in the products and not on the method used to introduce those traits. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is responsible for regulating genetically modified (GM) plants and approving GM feed for animals.  Health Canada is mandated to assess the safety of foods for human consumption, including genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in foodstuff, and for authorizing them to be sold in Canada. Advertising or labeling the presence of GMOs in particular food is voluntary unless there is a health or safety concern.

sources: http://www.loc.gov/law/help/restrictions-on-gmos/canada.php, http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/96-325-x/96-325-x2014001-eng.htm, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Free_Trade_Agreement

Human Development

What is human development? Human development is about bettering the lives of society, allowing people to live long, flourishing lives. Different countries value different characteristics of human development. Some were countries depend more on economic factors to determine the well being of their societies. However, human development is about more than just economic advances and faults. Here is a video that explains this in more detail.

Canada is a country with very high human development. As mentioned above, human development is measured in many different categories. Here are three important characteristics in the human development of Canada.

1. Precent of population over 65
2. Prison population rate
3. Adolescent birth rate

Canada and the United States of America are often compared because of their proximity to each other and their cultural similarities. However, in these three aforementioned human developmental statistics, the two North American countries are vastly different. 

Population of Elderly

In Canada, as of 2013, the elderly (65 and older) make up only 5.3% of the population, while in the United States, the elderly make up almost 45% of the population. This is a troubling factor for the United States for economic, healthcare and societal reasons. 

Prison Population Rate



In Canada, as of 2013, per 100,000 people, there are 118 inmates. The United States is very much an outlier in this category. In the US there are 716 inmates per 100,000 people. This is another troubling factor for the US, which has been in the news for it's issues with its Justice and Law Enforcement departments. 

Adolescent Birth Rate



As you can see from the graph, teen pregnancy is a problem in many countries throughout the world, but most countries do not have a life expectancy as high as Canada and the United States. This means that in lesser developed countries, people are having babies at an earlier age not only because maybe their relationships move at a faster pace than in counties where you will probably live until you are 80, but also because in developing countries, preventing pregnancy is not as easy. 

Infographic Demographics

In my last post, I discussed population statistics about Canada from the CIA's World Factbook. For this post, I decided to share some more statistics, but these ones are not as heavy. These statistics are shown in the form of infographics. Infographics are visual representations of data. Infographics are used to display sometimes complicated information in a quick and clear way. Infographics have been used as early as the 1600's when Christoph Scheiner published the Rosa Ursina sive Sol, a book that revealed his research about the rotation of the sun. He created infographics in the form of illustrations demonstrating the Sun’s rotation patterns. With the age of technology in the late 20th and early 21st century, infographics became popular. Computer programs, like Adobe has made them easy to make and available for everyone who has access to a computer to make. Infographics can be made with any set of data. 

For example, here are some statistics about Canadians and social media.

Source: http://blabitcanada.com/2013/04/15/who-uses-social-media-a-demographic-breakdown/

Here is another infographic about Canadians and the way they watch television from June 2014.

Source:http://mediaincanada.com/2014/06/17/definition-of-a-canadian-tv-viewer-is-changing-infographic/

Sometimes, demographics can be used in marketing campaigns. This infographic was used to compare Toronto Blue Jays fans and drinkers of craft beers after the Blue Jays terminated their contract with the only craft beer provider in their stadium. 

Source: http://sportsbusinesscanada.com/swing-and-a-miss-blue-jays-and-craft-beer/

Infographics of demographics do not always have to be about population growth or birth and death rate. They are a great tool to demonstrate most information in a creative and unique way. 

source

Population Stats for Canada

Some interesting facts from the CIA World Factbook

Although Canada is the second largest country in the world, it is the 38th most populated country in the world with a total of 34,834,841 people as of July 2014.

Source: http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/6113937.jpg

Population Growth Rate: 0.76%

Unemployment Rate: 14.3%

Birth Rate: 10.29 births/1,000 population

Death Rate: 8.31 deaths/1,000 population

Source: http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/canada-people-924638.jpg

The median age for Canadians is 41.7 years. For men it is 40.4 years and for women it is 42.9 years. 

The urban population in Canada is 80.7% of total population. The largest urban centers of Canada are Toronto 5.573 million; Montreal 3.856 million; Vancouver 2.267 million; Calgary 1.216 million; OTTAWA (capital) 1.208 million; and Edmonton 1.142 million. 

Source: http://www.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/PopulationMap.jpeg

New York-Newark (most populated area in the USA) has almost four times the population of Toronto, Canada's most populous city.

Infant mortality rate: 4.71 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: 81.67 years - ranked 14th in the world. (The USA is ranked 42nd!)

Total Fertility Rate:1.59 children born/woman - ranked 181st in the world

Source: http://sgdwebsites.com/clients/wHealth/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/The-Canadian-AIDS-Society-CAS.gif

HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate: 0.3% - ranked 91st in the world

People living with HIV/AIDS: 68,000 people - ranked 55th in the world

Deaths from HIV/AIDS: fewer than 1000 as of 2009 - ranked 72nd in the world 

Source: http://health.lilithezine.com/images/Obesity-in-Canada-01.jpg

26.2% of Canadian adults are obese. Canada's obesity rate is ranked number 48 in the world. 

Source: www.slideshare.net

99% of the Canadian population over the age of 15 can read and write. 

And here is a great infographic with some less boring facts about Canada!

Source: http://thumbnails-visually.netdna-ssl.com/25-awesome-facts-about-canada_53b56cc4c9e95.jpg

Symbols of Canada

The Maple Leaf

Source: en.wikipedia.org

The maple leaf is one of the most recognizable Canadian symbols. From as early as 1700, the image of the maple leaf has represented the country. Maple trees and leaves are a staple in the landscape of the country. At least one species of maple trees is native to each province. In 1965, the image of the red, eleven pointed maple leaf became the official national flag of Canada. The maple leaf is also seen on the Canadian penny, military emblems and badges and the Canadian coat of arms. 

Source: http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1363626184104/1363626227047

Hockey

Source: www.hockeycanada.ca

Ice Hockey is the national winter sport of Canada. Whether you are skating on the ponds or representing your country in international tournaments, hockey is engraved in the culture of the country. The Canada Men's Ice Hockey National Team has medaled in fifteen of the twenty-three Winter Olympic Games. There are numerous leagues and levels of play throughout the country including seven clubs in the National Hockey League. As of 2012, 54% of the NHL was made up of players from Canada. 

Sources: http://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/Team-Canada/Men/Olympics.aspx, https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=canadian+teams+in+nhl, http://stats.nhlnumbers.com/nationalities/2012

Niagara Falls

Source: sabujsen.blogspot.com

Niagara Falls is one of the premiere travel destinations in all of North America. The Falls are located on the border between Ontario and the United States. It is made up of three different falls, the American Falls, the Bridal Veil Falls and the Canadian (Horseshoe) Falls. The Falls attract about twelve million tourists each year. The Niagara River which runs over the falls is a result of the melting during the last Ice Age. This fresh water fall is the second largest waterfall in the world, second only to Africa's Victoria Falls. 

Source: http://www.niagarafallslive.com/Facts_about_Niagara_Falls.htm

Thematic Maps

Maps are an important tool in everyday life and can be used to display numerous bits of information. One type of map is called a thematic map. While maps can show a variety of things, thematic maps highlight a specific piece of information. There are many different types of thematic maps. 

One type of thematic map is called a proportional symbol map. These maps use a symbol, usually a circle, to show intensity or frequency. The map below shows the population distribution in Canada in 1980. You can see that the most populated areas (Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg etc.) have the largest circles around them. 

Source: georgemaps.blogspot.com

Another type of thematic map is called a choropleth map. These maps use colors and shading to show a measurement or amount of something in a certain area. The map below shows the population of children under fourteen in Canada in 2006. The more populated areas are shaded in the darkest green colors and as the shade of green decreases, the population decreases. 

Source: www.statcan.gc.ca

Another type of thematic map is called a dot distribution map. These maps use single dots to represent a certain amount in a certain area. The more dots together in an area, the more dense it appears on the map. In the map below showing population distribution in Canada, the red dots show population density. 

Source: www.travelingmark.com