Canada Population: 33 437 208 Life Expectancy: 81.23 Years Fertility
Content
Canada
Population: 33 437 208 Life expectancy: 81.23 years Fertility rate: 1.58 children/woman School life expectancy: 17 years Religion: Roman Catholic (42.6%), Protestant (23.3%), Non-religious (16%), Islam (1.9%), Other (11.8%) Persistent problems in Canada include marijuana tolerlance, imminent secession of the Québécois, suicide amongst the Inuit people, unrestricted abortion, possible changes in the health care system.
Concerns
Suicide The Inuit (Eskimos) in the Arctic have been devastatingly affected by the impact of Western culture. Their suicide rate is four times the national average. Bilingualism The future unity of Canada is threatened by an undercurrent of feeling in the French-speaking province of Quebec, in favour of being independent from the rest of the country. In 1995 Canada came within a few thousand votes of breaking up, but the country’s Prime Minister has attempted to resolve the issue by giving Quebec special status as a ‘distinct society.’ There is a very strong division and sense of pride between those who speak French and those who speak English. This aspect of the divided nation causes the government an excessive amount of extra money every year. Illicit Drugs For years, the government has been considering the decriminalization of marijuana use. The Marijuana Party of Canada specifically advocates this cause. The general attitude amongst the citizens is one of tolerance. Abortion There is no legal restriction on abortion in Canada. In 2005, 23% of all pregnancies ended in abortion.
Suggested prayer topics •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Pray for a sense of unity among all Canadians Pray for those trapped in the systems that promote harmful drugs Pray for the numerous immigrants who have serious difficulty acquiring jobs Pray for the Inuit as they continue to find their place in the 21st century world Pray for continued provision of health care for all of the Canadian citizens Pray for the Canadian view of human life in regard to the policies on abortion Pray for a desire for truth-seeking as Canada strives to be inclusive of all religions Pray for wisdom for the leaders of the government as they hold the philosophies underlying the nations policies
Head of Government: Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II
Economist Stephen Harper was elected in 2006 as a member of the conservative party.
Queen Elizabeth Mary is in the 58th year of her reign. This is unusually long for a British monarch. She is also the queen of the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and several other nations.
Harper became the first Prime Minister to visit his troops on the front lines. This occurred in Afghanistan in 2007. Harper is a strong proponent of Israel. He often speaks against Antisemitism and has supported Israel’s right to defend itself as unrest continues in the Middle East. Harper proposed and supported the Québécois Nation Motion, which recognized Frenchspeaking Canadians as an individually distinct nation. This motion continues to cause division today.
Queen Elizabeth has enjoyed great health throughout her reign, and does not plan on abdicating the throne before she dies. The Queen has often been characterized as a distant figure due to her political absence. Nevertheless, she has extremely strong support from her subjects. The Queen serves as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and supports interfaith efforts, as she meets regularly with leaders of other religious backgrounds.
Population: 33 437 208 Life expectancy: 81.23 years Fertility rate: 1.58 children/woman School life expectancy: 17 years Religion: Roman Catholic (42.6%), Protestant (23.3%), Non-religious (16%), Islam (1.9%), Other (11.8%) Persistent problems in Canada include marijuana tolerlance, imminent secession of the Québécois, suicide amongst the Inuit people, unrestricted abortion, possible changes in the health care system.
Concerns
Suicide The Inuit (Eskimos) in the Arctic have been devastatingly affected by the impact of Western culture. Their suicide rate is four times the national average. Bilingualism The future unity of Canada is threatened by an undercurrent of feeling in the French-speaking province of Quebec, in favour of being independent from the rest of the country. In 1995 Canada came within a few thousand votes of breaking up, but the country’s Prime Minister has attempted to resolve the issue by giving Quebec special status as a ‘distinct society.’ There is a very strong division and sense of pride between those who speak French and those who speak English. This aspect of the divided nation causes the government an excessive amount of extra money every year. Illicit Drugs For years, the government has been considering the decriminalization of marijuana use. The Marijuana Party of Canada specifically advocates this cause. The general attitude amongst the citizens is one of tolerance. Abortion There is no legal restriction on abortion in Canada. In 2005, 23% of all pregnancies ended in abortion.
Suggested prayer topics •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Pray for a sense of unity among all Canadians Pray for those trapped in the systems that promote harmful drugs Pray for the numerous immigrants who have serious difficulty acquiring jobs Pray for the Inuit as they continue to find their place in the 21st century world Pray for continued provision of health care for all of the Canadian citizens Pray for the Canadian view of human life in regard to the policies on abortion Pray for a desire for truth-seeking as Canada strives to be inclusive of all religions Pray for wisdom for the leaders of the government as they hold the philosophies underlying the nations policies
Head of Government: Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II
Economist Stephen Harper was elected in 2006 as a member of the conservative party.
Queen Elizabeth Mary is in the 58th year of her reign. This is unusually long for a British monarch. She is also the queen of the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and several other nations.
Harper became the first Prime Minister to visit his troops on the front lines. This occurred in Afghanistan in 2007. Harper is a strong proponent of Israel. He often speaks against Antisemitism and has supported Israel’s right to defend itself as unrest continues in the Middle East. Harper proposed and supported the Québécois Nation Motion, which recognized Frenchspeaking Canadians as an individually distinct nation. This motion continues to cause division today.
Queen Elizabeth has enjoyed great health throughout her reign, and does not plan on abdicating the throne before she dies. The Queen has often been characterized as a distant figure due to her political absence. Nevertheless, she has extremely strong support from her subjects. The Queen serves as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and supports interfaith efforts, as she meets regularly with leaders of other religious backgrounds.
