CANADA
A. THE COUNTRY
Canada, occupying most of northern North America, is the world’s second
largest country by total area. A federation consisting of ten provinces
and three territories, it is governed as a parliamentary democracy and a
constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state.
Canada is one of the world’s leading industrial nations, and has a low
public debt. Abundant natural resources, including minerals and water,
and claim on the potentially lucrative Arctic region, point to a strong
economic future. 70% of trade is with the U.S.A. Canada is one of a
few countries to export energy. The service industry dominates
employment.
B. THE PEOPLE
The population is ~34,000,000 and the official languages English and
French. Polarization between Francophone Quebec and the other Anglophone
provinces has waned of late but peaks at certain times.
In the past, European descent Canadians have abused indigenous peoples.
The government is continuing to restore relationship and this includes
giving large swathes of land to the First Nations peoples.
Canada deliberately has the world’s highest rate of immigration and
receives large numbers of refugees. The high degree of cultural mixing
makes classifications only approximate.
~80% are European origin (36% British, 15.8% French – majority being in
Quebec, 14.5% Mixed origins), ~13.7% Other European (representing every
nation in Europe), ~11.7% Asian, ~2.9% Indigenous, ~1.6% African
Caribbean, ~1.5% Latin American, ~1.1% African, ~1.2% Other.
C. RELIGIONS AND CHRISTIANITY/PENTECOSTALISM
There is rapid secularization and pluralization at every level and
Christianity has seen a long, sustained decline. The non-religious
population has grown the most, but other religions are also growing
rapidly through immigration and high birthrates.
~72.07% claim to be Christian, ~19.09% Non-religious, ~2.9% Muslim,
~1.1% Buddhist, ~1.1% Jewish, ~1% Hindu, ~0.9% Sikh, ~0.75% Other,
~0.59% Chinese, ~0.4% Ethnoreligionist, ~0.1% Baha’i.
In the Christian category:
~40.09% are Catholic, ~15.3% Unaffiliated, ~9.5% Protestant, ~3.03%
Orthodox, ~1.87% Anglican, ~0.64% Independent.
~1.64% (53 denominations) are given a “marginal” status.
Evangelicals represent ~7.7% of the population.
Charismatics represent ~6.4% and of those ~1.3% are Pentecostals.
Donna Siemens
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org
Operation World, Jason Mandryk. Colorado Springs: Biblica Publishing, 2010.