Canada - World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe
Canada - World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe
Canada - World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe
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2<br />
<strong>Health</strong> systems in transition <strong>Canada</strong><br />
1.1 Geography and sociodemography<br />
<strong>Canada</strong> is a large country with a land mass of 9 093 507 km 2 (or 9 984 670 km 2<br />
including inland water). The mainland spans a distance of 5514 km from east<br />
to west, and 4634 km from north to south. The country is bounded by the<br />
United States to the south and the north-west (Alaska), the Pacific Ocean in<br />
the west, the Atlantic Ocean in the east, and the Arctic Ocean in the far north.<br />
The terrain of the country ranges from extensive mountain ranges to large<br />
continental plains, from huge inland lakes and boreal <strong>for</strong>ests to the vast tundra<br />
of the Arctic. The climate is northern in nature with a long and cold winter<br />
season experienced in almost all parts of the country (Fig. 1.1).<br />
Fig. 1.1<br />
Map of <strong>Canada</strong><br />
Whitehorse<br />
<br />
Victoria<br />
<br />
Yukon<br />
British<br />
Columbia<br />
0 250 500<br />
Northern<br />
Territories<br />
Yellowknife<br />
<br />
Alberta<br />
Source: Author’s own compilation.<br />
Beau<strong>for</strong>t Sea Baffin Bay<br />
<br />
Nunavut<br />
Saskatchewan<br />
Edmonton<br />
<br />
Manitoba<br />
Regina<br />
kilometers<br />
1,000<br />
<br />
Winnipeg<br />
Hudson Bay<br />
Ontario<br />
Lake Superior<br />
The United States, a country with almost 10 times the population of<br />
<strong>Canada</strong> and a higher level of per capita income, exerts considerable cultural<br />
and economic influence on the daily life of Canadians. Although there are<br />
major, even fundamental, differences in how public health care is funded and<br />
<br />
Iqaluit<br />
<br />
Quebec<br />
Newfoundland<br />
and Labrador<br />
<br />
Fredericton Prince Edward Island<br />
Charlottetown<br />
Québec <br />
<br />
Halifax<br />
Ottawa<br />
✪<br />
Nova Scotia<br />
New Brunswick<br />
Toronto<br />
N<br />
St. John’s