Editing Canada (section)

==Demographics==
{{Historical populations
|type =
|footnote = Source: [[Statistics Canada]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Estimated population of Canada, 1605 to present|url=http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/98-187-x/4151287-eng.htm|publisher=Statistics Canada|year=2009|accessdate=2011-05-23}}</ref>
|[[Population of Canada by year|1851]] | 2415000
|[[Population of Canada by year|1861]] | 3174000
|[[Population of Canada by year|1871]] | 3689000
|[[Population of Canada by year|1881]] | 4325000
|[[Population of Canada by year|1891]] | 4833000
|[[Population of Canada by year|1901]] | 5371000
|[[Population of Canada by year|1911]] | 7207000
|[[Population of Canada by year|1921]] | 8788000
|[[Population of Canada by year|1931]] | 10377000
|[[Population of Canada by year|1941]] | 11507000
|[[Population of Canada by year|1951]] | 14009000
|[[Population of Canada by year|1961]] | 18238000
|[[Population of Canada by year|1971]] | 21962000
|[[Population of Canada by year|1981]] | 24820000
|[[Population of Canada by year|1991]] | 28031000
|[[Population of Canada by year|2001]] | 31021000
|[[Population of Canada by year|2011]] est. | {{canpop}}
}}

The [[Canada 2006 Census]] counted a [[Population of Canada by year|total population]] of 31,612,897, an increase of 5.4 percent since 2001.<ref>{{cite news |author= Beauchesne, Eric |newspaper=National Post |url=http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/story.html?id=73b94aac-08f0-477f-a72a-b8b640f6658f&k=90795 |title=We are 31,612,897|date=March 13, 2007|accessdate=2011-05-23}}</ref> Population in Canada increased from 1990 to 2008 with 5.6 million and 20.4 % growth in population compared to 21,7 % growth in the [[United States|USA]] and 31.2 % growth in [[Mexico]]. According to the OECD/World Bank population statistics between 1990–2008 the [[world population]] growth was 27 % and 1,423 million persons.<ref name=IEApop2011>[http://www.iea.org/co2highlights/co2Highlights.XLS CO2 Emissions from Fuel Combustion] Population 1971–2008 ([http://iea.org/co2highlights/co2highlights.pdf pdf] pages 83–85) IEA (OECD/ World Bank) <small>original population ref e.g. in IEA Key World Energy Statistics 2010 page 57</small>)</ref> Population growth is from [[Immigration to Canada|immigration]] and, to a lesser extent, natural growth. About four-fifths of Canada's population lives within {{convert|150|km|mi}} of the United States border.<ref>{{cite book|last=Custred|first=Glynn|title=Immigration policy and the terrorist threat in Canada and the United States|editor=Moens, Alexander|publisher=Fraser Institute|year=2008|page=96|chapter=Security Threats on America's Borders|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=HmiqBgnkAXYC&pg=PA96|isbn=0889752354}}</ref> The majority of Canadians (approximately 80%) live in urban areas concentrated in the Quebec City&nbsp;– Windsor Corridor, the BC [[Lower Mainland]], and the [[Calgary–Edmonton Corridor]] in Alberta.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-221-x/00503/t/th/4062283-eng.htm | title = Urban-rural population as a proportion of total population, Canada, provinces, territories and health regions | year = 2001 | publisher = Statistics Canada | accessdate=2011-05-23}}</ref> In common with many other developed countries, Canada is experiencing a demographic shift towards an older population, with more retirees and fewer people of working age. In 2006, the average age of the population was 39.5 years.<ref>{{cite web | last = Martel | first = Laurent | coauthors = Malenfant, Éric Caron | title = 2006 Census: Portrait of the Canadian Population in 2006, by Age and Sex | publisher = Statistics Canada | date = September 22, 2009 | url = http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/as-sa/97-551/index-eng.cfm?CFID=3347169&CFTOKEN=19485112 | accessdate=2009-10-18 }}</ref>

According to the 2006 census, the largest self-reported ethnic origin is [[Canadians|Canadian]] (32%), followed by [[English Canadian|English]] (21%), [[French Canadian|French]] (15.8%), [[Scottish Canadian|Scottish]] (15.1%), [[Irish Canadian|Irish]] (13.9%), [[Canadians of German ethnicity|German]] (10.2%), [[Italian Canadians|Italian]] (4.6%), [[Chinese Canadian|Chinese]] (4.3%), [[First Nations]] (4.0%), [[Ukrainian Canadian|Ukrainian]] (3.9%), and [[Canadians of Dutch descent|Dutch]] (3.3%).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/hlt/97-562/pages/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo=PR&Code=01&Data=Count&Table=2&StartRec=1&Sort=3&Display=All&CSDFilter=5000|title=Ethnocultural Portrait of Canada – Data table|date=July 28, 2009|publisher=Statistics Canada|accessdate=2011-05-23}}</ref>
There are 600 recognized [[List of First Nations peoples|First Nations governments or bands]] encompassing 1,172,790 people.<ref>{{cite web
 | title = Aboriginal Identity (8), Sex (3) and Age Groups (12) for the Population of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2006 Census&nbsp;– 20% Sample Data
 | work = 2006 Census: Topic-based tabulations
 | publisher = Statistics Canada
 | date=June 12, 2008
 | url = http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&APATH=3&DETAIL=0&DIM=0&FL=A&FREE=0&GC=0&GID=837928&GK=0&GRP=1&PID=89122&PRID=0&PTYPE=88971,97154&S=0&SHOWALL=0&SUB=0&Temporal=2006&THEME=73&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=
 | accessdate = 2009-09-18}}
</ref>

Canada's Aboriginal population is growing at almost twice the national rate, and 3.8 percent of Canada's population claimed aboriginal identity in 2006. Another 16.2 percent of the population belonged to a non-aboriginal [[visible minority]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/04/02/stats-immigration.html|title=One in 6 Canadians is a visible minority|date=April 2, 2008|publisher=CBC|accessdate=2009-10-20}}</ref> The largest visible minority groups in Canada are [[South Asia]]n (4.0%), Chinese (3.9%) and [[Black Canadians|Black]] (2.5%). Between 2001 and 2006, the visible minority population rose by 27.2 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/080402/dq080402a-eng.htm|title=2006 Census: Ethnic origin, visible minorities, place of work and mode of transportation|date=April 2, 2008|work=The Daily|publisher=Statistics Canada|accessdate=2010-01-19}}</ref> In 1961, less than two percent of Canada's population (about 300,000 people) could be classified as belonging to a visible minority group and less than 1% as aboriginal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rhdcc-hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/labour/equality/racism/racism_free_init/pendakur.shtml|title=Visible Minorities and Aboriginal Peoples in Vancouver's Labour Market|last=Pendakur|first=Krishna|publisher=Simon Fraser University|accessdate=2010-01-18}}</ref> As of 2007, almost one in five Canadians (19.8%) were foreign-born. Nearly 60 percent of new immigrants come from Asia (including the Middle East).<ref>{{cite web
 | work = The Daily|title=2006&nbsp;Census: Immigration, citizenship, language, mobility and migration
 | publisher = Statistics Canada
 | date =December 4, 2007
 | url = http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/071204/dq071204a-eng.htm
 | accessdate=2009-10-19}}
</ref> The leading emigrating countries to Canada were China, Philippines and India.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2010/11/09/16054896.html|first= Brian |last=Lilley |work=Parliamentary Bureau |title=Canadians want immigration shakeup|publisher=Canadian Online Explorer|year=2010|accessdate=2010-11-14}}</ref> By 2031, one in three Canadians could belong to a visible minority group.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/the-changing-face-of-canada-booming-minority-populations-by-2031/article1494651/ |title=The changing face of Canada: booming minority populations by 2031|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=March 9, 2010|accessdate=2010-11-13|format=Subscription required|first=Joe|last=Friesen}}</ref>

Canada has one of the [[Immigration to Canada#Immigration rate|highest per-capita immigration rates in the world]],<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=kv4nlSWLT8UC&pg=PA51|page=51|title=Canada|first=Karla |last=Zimmerman|publisher=Lonely Planet Publications|year=2008|edition=10th|isbn=9781741045710}}</ref> driven by [[Economic impact of immigration to Canada|economic policy]] and [[Immigration to Canada#Immigration categories|family reunification]], and is aiming for between 240,000 and 265,000 new permanent residents in 2011, the same number of immigrants as in recent years.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/11/02/con-immigration.html|title=Canada's 2011 immigration level unchanged|date=November 2, 2010|publisher=CBC|accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref> New immigrants settle mostly in major urban areas like Toronto and Vancouver.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thestar.com/Canada2020/article/106702|title=When immigration goes awry|date=July 14, 2006|newspaper=Toronto Star|accessdate=2010-01-08}}</ref> Canada also accepts large numbers of [[refugee]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/releases/2010/2010-11-01a.asp|title=Government of Canada Tables 2011 Immigration Plan|publisher=Canada News Centre|accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref> The country resettles over one in 10 of the world’s refugees.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/media/nr/2010/nr20101021-6-eng.aspx|title=Canada's Generous Program for Refugee Resettlement Is Undermined by Human Smugglers Who Abuse Canada's Immigration System |publisher=Public Safety Canada|accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref>

According to the 2001 census, 77.1 percent of Canadians identify as being Christians; of this, [[Catholicism|Catholics]] make up the largest group (43.6% of Canadians). The largest [[Protestantism|Protestant]] denomination is the [[United Church of Canada]] (9.5% of Canadians), followed by the [[Anglican Church of Canada|Anglicans]] (6.8%), [[Baptists]] (2.4%), [[Lutherans]] (2%), and other Christians (4.4%). About 16.5 percent of Canadians declare [[Irreligion|no religious affiliation]], and the remaining 6.3 percent are affiliated with non-Christian religions, the largest of which is [[Islam in Canada|Islam]] (2.0%), followed by [[Judaism]] (1.1%).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/demo30a-eng.htm|title=Population by religion, by province and territory (2001 Census)|date=January 25, 2005|publisher=Statistics Canada|accessdate=2010-01-19}}</ref>

Canadian provinces and territories are responsible for [[Education in Canada|education]]. Each system is similar, while reflecting regional history, culture and geography. The mandatory school age ranges between 5–7 to 16–18 years,<ref>{{cite web | publisher = Council of Ministers of Education, Canada | title = Overview of Education in Canada | url= http://www.educationau-incanada.ca/index.aspx?action=educationsystem-systemeeducation&lang=eng | archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/5mYLss1b9 | archivedate= 2010-01-05 | accessdate=2009-10-20 }}</ref> contributing to an adult literacy rate of 99 percent.<ref name="cia" /> In 2002, 43 percent of Canadians aged 25 to 64 possessed a post-secondary education; for those aged 25 to 34, the rate of post-secondary education reached 51 percent.<ref>{{cite web | publisher = Department of Finance Canada | title = Creating Opportunities for All Canadians | url= http://www.fin.gc.ca/ec2005/agenda/agc4-eng.asp| date = November 14, 2005 | accessdate=2006-05-22}}</ref>
{{Largest Metropolitan Areas of Canada}}
{{-}}

===Language===
[[File:Bilinguisme au Canada-fr.svg|left|thumb|alt=Map of Canada showing distribution of English-speaking, French-speaking and bilingual residents|In 2006, about 17.4% of the population were bilingual, as they were able to conduct a conversation in both official languages.'''<small>{{Legend|#FFE400|English – 57.8%}}{{Legend|#D8A820|English and French (Bilingual) – 17.4% }}{{Legend|#B07400|French – 22.1%}}{{Legend|#F5F5DC|Sparsely populated area ( '''&lt;''' 0.4 persons per km<sup>2</sup>)}}</small>''']]
Canada's two official languages are English and French. [[Official bilingualism in Canada|Official bilingualism]] is defined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the [[Official Languages Act (Canada)|Official Languages Act]], and ''Official Language Regulations''; it is applied by the [[Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages|Commissioner of Official Languages]]. English and French have equal status in federal courts, Parliament, and in all federal institutions. Citizens have the right, where there is sufficient demand, to receive federal government services in either English or French, and official-language minorities are guaranteed their own schools in all provinces and territories.<ref>{{cite web|title=Official Languages and You|publisher=Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages|date=June 16, 2009|url=http://www.ocol-clo.gc.ca/html/faq1_e.php|accessdate=2011-09-10}}</ref>

English and French are the [[first language]]s of 59.7 and 23.2 percent of the population respectively. Approximately 98 percent of Canadians speak English or French: 57.8% speak English only, 22.1% speak French only, and 17.4% speak both.<ref name="Highlights">{{cite web|url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/as-sa/97-555/p1-eng.cfm|title=2006 Census: The Evolving Linguistic Portrait, 2006 Census: Highlights|publisher=Statistics Canada|year=2006 (2010)|accessdate=2010-10-12}}</ref> English and French Official Language Communities, defined by First Official Language Spoken, constitute 73.0 and 23.6 percent of the population respectively.<ref>{{cite web |publisher= Statistics Canada |url=http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo15-eng.htm |title=Population by knowledge of official language, by province and territory|date=January 27, 2005|accessdate=2009-10-20}}</ref>

The [[Charter of the French Language]] makes French the official language in Quebec.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Bourhis|first=Richard Y|coauthors=Montaruli, Elisa; Amiot, Catherine E|title=Language planning and French-English bilingual communication: Montreal field studies from 1977 to 1997|journal=International Journal of the Sociology of Language|date=May 2007|issue=185|pages=187–224|doi=10.1515/IJSL.2007.031}}</ref> Although more than 85 percent of French-speaking Canadians live in Quebec, there are substantial [[Francophone]] populations in [[Franco-Ontarian|Ontario]], [[Franco-Albertan|Alberta]], and southern [[Franco-Manitoban|Manitoba]]; Ontario has the largest French-speaking population outside Quebec.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statcan.gc.ca/about-apercu/diversity-franco-diversite-eng.htm|title=The Diversity of the Canadian Francophonie|last=Lachapelle|first=R|date=March 2009|publisher=Statistics Canada|accessdate=2009-09-24}}</ref> New Brunswick, the only officially bilingual province, has a French-speaking Acadian minority constituting 33 percent of the population. There are also clusters of Acadians in southwestern Nova Scotia, on Cape Breton Island, and through central and western Prince Edward Island.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hayday|first=Matthew|title=Bilingual Today, United Tomorrow: Official Languages in Education and Canadian Federalism|publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press|year=2005|page=49|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=3D6LPBGT59kC&pg=PA49|isbn=0773529608}}</ref>

Other provinces have no official languages as such, but French is used as a language of instruction, in courts, and for other government services in addition to English. Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec allow for both English and French to be spoken in the provincial legislatures, and laws are enacted in both languages. In Ontario, French has some legal status but is not fully co-official.<ref>{{cite book|last=Heller|first=Monica|title=Crosswords : language, education and ethnicity in French Ontario|year=2003|publisher=Mouton de Gruyter|isbn=9783110176872|pages=72, 74}}</ref> There are 11 [[Languages of Canada#Aboriginal languages|Aboriginal language groups]], made up of more than 65 distinct dialects.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/89-589-x/4067801-eng.htm|title=Aboriginal languages|work=Statistics Canada|accessdate=2009-10-05}}</ref> Of these, only Cree, [[Inuit language|Inuktitut]] and [[Ojibwe language|Ojibway]] have a large enough population of fluent speakers to be considered viable to survive in the long term.<ref>{{Cite book
 | last = Gordon
 | first = Raymond G Jr.
 | title = Ethnologue: Languages of the world
 | publisher = SIL International
 | year = 2005
 | edition = 15th
 | format=Web Version online by SIL International
 | url = http://www.ethnologue.com/web.asp
 | isbn=155671159X
 | accessdate=2009-10-06
 | ref = harv
}}
</ref> Several aboriginal languages have official status in the Northwest Territories.<ref>{{cite book|last=Fettes|first=Mark|coauthors= Norton, Ruth|title=Aboriginal education: fulfilling the promise|editor=Castellano, Marlene Brant; Davis, Lynne; Lahache, Louise|publisher=UBC Press|year=2001|page=39|chapter=Voices of Winter: Aboriginal Languages and Public Policy in Canada|isbn=0774807830}}</ref> Inuktitut is the majority language in Nunavut, and one of three official languages in the territory.<ref>{{cite book|last=Russell|first=Peter H|title=Unfinished constitutional business?: rethinking indigenous self-determination|editor=Hocking, Barbara|publisher=Aboriginal Studies Press|year=2005|page=180|chapter=Indigineous Self-Determination: Is Canada as Good as it Gets?|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=mxreMX_cf4EC&pg=PA180|isbn=0855754664}}</ref>

Over six million people in Canada list a non-official language as their mother tongue. Some of the most common non-official first languages include [[Chinese language|Chinese]] (mainly [[Yue Chinese|Cantonese]]; 1,012,065 first-language speakers), [[Italian language|Italian]] (455,040), [[German language|German]] (450,570), [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] (367,505) and [[Spanish language|Spanish]] (345,345).<ref>{{cite web |publisher= Statistics Canada |url=http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/demo11a-eng.htm |title=Population by mother tongue, by province and territory|date=January 27, 2005|accessdate=2010-01-19}}</ref> English and French are the languages most spoken at home by 68.3 percent and 22.3 percent of the population respectively.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/standard/themes/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?Temporal=2001&PID=55535&APATH=3&GID=431515&METH=1&PTYPE=55440&THEME=41&FOCUS=0&AID=0&PLACENAME=0&PROVINCE=0&SEARCH=0&GC=0&GK=0&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&FL=0&RL=0&FREE=0|title= First Official Language Spoken (7) and Sex (3) for Population, for Canada, Provinces, Territories and Census Metropolitan Areas 1, 2001 Census&nbsp;– 20% Sample Data| publisher=Statistics Canada| accessdate=2007-03-23}}</ref>