GOVERNMENT                                                                                          Back ......

Government Type: Federation with Parliamentary Democracy

Capital: Ottawa in Ontario province

Administrative Divisions: 10 provinces and 3 Union Territories, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory.

Independence: 1 July 1867 (from UK)

National Holiday: Canada Day, 1 July (1867)

Constitution: 17 April 1982 (Constitution Act), originally, the machinery of government was set up in the British North American 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.

Suffrage: 18 years of age: Universal

Executive Branch:-

Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II(since 1952), represented by her Governor General.

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.
Elections: None, the Monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the Monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister for five-year term.

Legislative Branch: Bicameral Parliament 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 Commons - last held 2 June 1997 (next to be held by NA June 2002)

Judicial Branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the Prime Minister through the Governor General.

Political Parties and Leaders: Liberal Party [Jean CHRETIEN], Bloc Quebecois [Gilles DUCEPPE], Reform Party [Preston MANNING], New Democratic Party [Alexa MCDONOUGH], Progressive Conservative Party [Joe CLARK].

Flag: Three vertical bands of red , white and red with a red maple leaf centered in the white band.

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