CANADA

 Introduction
Canada is a country in North America that extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east, to the
Pacific Ocean in the west, and the Arctic Ocean to the north. Canada borders the United
States. The geography of Canada is mostly plains with mountains in the west. The
government system is a parliamentary democracy, a federation, and a constitutional
monarchy. The head of state is the queen of the United Kingdom, and the head of government
is the prime minister of Canada. Canada has a market economic system in which the prices of
goods and services are determined in a free price system. Canada is a member of the Asia-
Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA), and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Location: Northern America

Capital City: Ottawa (-5 GMT)
Chief of State: Queen Elizabeth II represented by Governor General Julie Payette
Head of Govt.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Currency: Canadian dollar (CAD)
Major Languages: English (official) 58.7%, French (official) 22%, Punjabi 1.4%, Italian
1.3%, Spanish 1.3%, German 1.3%, Cantonese 1.2%, Tagalog 1.2%, Arabic 1.1%, other
10.5% (2011 est.)
Primary Religions: Catholic 39% (includes Roman Catholic 38.8%, other Catholic .2%),
Protestant 20.3% (includes United Church 6.1%, Anglican 5%, Baptist 1.9%, Lutheran 1.5%,
Pentecostal 1.5%, Presbyterian 1.4%, other Protestant 2.9%), Orthodox 1.6%, other Christian
6.3%, Muslim 3.2%, Hindu 1.5%, Sikh 1.4%, Buddhist 1.1%, Jewish 1%, other 0.6%, none
23.9% (2011 est.)

 History

 1534 - French explorer Jacques Cartier claims the shores of the Gulf of St. Lawrence
for France.
 1583 - Newfoundland becomes England's first overseas colony.
 1600s - Fur trade becomes increasingly important and lucrative in the region,
establishing a rivalry between the French, British, and Dutch.
  1756 - The Seven Years' War begins between New France and the British colonies.
The war ends in 1763 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris, which gave
all French colonies east of the Mississippi to Britain.
 1867 - The British North America Act is passed, creating a federation between
Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, beginning the modern Canadian
government.
 1885 - The Canadian Pacific railroad is completed, thereby facilitating
communication and transportation across the nation.
 1898 - A gold rush occurs along the upper Yukon River.
 1931 - The Statute of Westminster is agreed upon, giving all British dominions
complete autonomy, including Canada.
 1949 - Canada becomes a founding member of North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO).
 1982 - The Canada Act is passed by Britain, granting complete independence to
Canada.
 2009 - Parliament approves a $30 billion stimulus package to shore up
the economy during the global financial crisis.

GDP
80.00%
70.00%
70.00%

60.00%

50.00%

40.00%

30.00%

20.00% 17.00%
10.00%
10.00%
2.00%
0.00%
1

Agriculture Services Industry Manufacturing

GDP COMPOSITION %

Agriculture 1.71%
66.75
Services %
Industry 24.81
 %
Manufacturi 10.34
ng %

M
Strengths
 Abundant and diversified energy and mineral resources
 Fifth largest oil and gas producer in the world
 Strong, well-capitalised, and well supervised banking sector
 Serious budgeting
 Close proximity to large US market
 Developing trade relations with multiple partners (CETA with the EU)

Weaknesses
 Dependent on US economy (1/2 of FDI stock, integration of the two countries’ automotive
industries) and energy prices
 Loss of competitiveness of manufacturing companies due to low labor productivity
 Insufficient R&D expenditure
 Decrease in the labor force, just slowed down by largescale selective immigration
 High household debt (170% of disposable income); house prices very high, although
stabilizing
 Energy exports weakened by inadequate supply pipelines to the coasts and the US, and by
the US’s own resources
INDIA

India is located in Southern Asia bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
Neighboring countries include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, China, Nepal, and Pakistan. India
has a diverse geology: upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the
Ganges river, deserts in west, and the Himalayas in the north. The government is a federal
republic; the chief of state is the president, and the head of government is the prime minister.
India has a market economy in which the prices of goods and services are determined in a
free price system. India is a member of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) and the
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
Location: Southern Asia
Capital City: New Delhi (+5.5 GMT) Chief of State: President Ram Nath Kovind Head of
Govt.: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi
Currency: Indian rupee (INR) Major
Languages: Hindi 43.6%, Bengali 8%, Marathi 6.9%, Telugu 6.7%, Tamil 5.7%, Gujarati
4.6%, Urdu 4.2%, Kannada 3.6%, Odia 3.1%, Malayalam 2.9%, Punjabi 2.7%, Assamese
1.3%, Maithili 1.1%, other 5.6% (2011 estimate)
Primary Religions: Hindu 79.8%, Muslim 14.2%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.7%, other and
unspecified 2% (2011 estimate)
Calling Code: 91

GDP COMPOSITION %

Agriculture 14.00%
Services 49.00%
Industry 27.00%
Manufacturing 15.00%
 GDP
80.00%
70.00%
70.00%

60.00%

50.00%

40.00%

30.00%

20.00% 17.00%
10.00%
10.00%
2.00%
0.00%
Agriculture Services Industry Manufacturing
Strengths

 Diversified growth drivers

 High levels of savings and investment
 Efficient private sector in services
 Moderate level of external debt and comfortable foreign exchange reserves

Weaknesses

 Lack of infrastructure and shortcomings in the education system

 Bureaucratic red tape and persistent political tensions
 Net importer of energy resources
 Rising level of private firm indebtedness
 Weak public finances
 Persistent uncertainties over the Kashmir issue

FRANCE

INTRODUCTION
France is a country located in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands
located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan
France, the mainland in Europe, borders the Bay of Biscay, English Channel, Belgium, Spain,
Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Monaco, Andorra, and Luxembourg. France is linked to the
United Kingdom by the Channel Tunnel, which passes underneath the English Channel. The
government system is a republic; the chief of state is the president, and the head of
government is the prime minister. France has a mixed economic system which includes a
variety of private freedom, combined with centralized economic planning and government
regulation. France is a member of the European Union (EU)
Location: Western Europe
Capital City: Paris (+1 GMT)
Chief of State: President Emmanuel Macron
Head of Govt.: Prime Minister Édouard Philippe
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Major Languages: French (official) 100%, declining regional dialects and languages
(Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish, Occitan, Picard)
Primary Religions:Christian (overwhelmingly Roman Catholic) 63-66%, Muslim 7-9%,
Buddhist 0.5-0.75%, Jewish 0.5- 0.75%, other 0.5-1.0%, none 23-28% (2015 est.)
Calling Code: 33

GDP COMPOSITION %

Agriculture 2.00%

Services 70.00%

Industry 17.00%

Manufacturing 10.00%

GDP
80.00%
70.00%
70.00%
60.00%
50.00%
40.00%
30.00%
20.00% 17.00%
10.00%
10.00%
2.00%
0.00%
Agriculture Services Industry Manufacturing
 Strengths

 High-quality infrastructure and public services

 Skilled and productive workforce; dynamic demographics
 Powerful tourism industry
 Competitive international groups (aerospace, energy, environment, pharmaceuticals, luxury,
agri-food, retail)
 Global agricultural leader
 High level of savings

Weaknesses

 Too few exporting companies; loss of competitiveness and market share

 Weakening level of product sophistication; insufficient focus on innovation
 Low employment rate among young people and older workers
 Room for more efficiency in public spending; high public debt
 Private debt on an upward trend