Area > Comparative to US places
somewhat larger than the US
slightly smaller than West Virginia
DEFINITION:
This entry provides an area comparison based on total area equivalents. Most entities are compared with the entire US or one of the 50 states based on area measurements (1990 revised) provided by the US Bureau of the Census. The smaller entities are compared with Washington, DC (178 sq km, 69 sq mi) or The Mall in Washington, DC (0.59 sq km, 0.23 sq mi, 146 acres).
SOURCE:
All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Forested Land
26.5%
38.5%
DEFINITION:
Forested land as a proportion of total land area, estimate by FAO
SOURCE:
FAO
Ranked 104th.
Ranked 59th. 45% more than Canada
Land boundaries > total
8,893 km
639 km
DEFINITION:
The total length of all land boundaries and the individual lengths for each of the contiguous border countries
SOURCE:
CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011
Ranked 10th in 2008. 13 times more than Costa Rica
Ranked 130th in 2008.
Land use > other
94.78 %
89.73 %
DEFINITION:
The percentage share of used land that is not arable or under permanent crops. This includes permanent meadows and pastures, forests and woodlands, built-on areas, roads, barren land, etc.
SOURCE:
CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011
Ranked 79th in 2005. 6% more than Costa Rica
Ranked 109th in 2005.
Land use > permanent crops
0.65 %
5.87 %
DEFINITION:
The percentage share of used land on which permanent crops are grown. This is land cultivated for crops that are not replanted after each harvest like citrus, coffee, and rubber. It includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit trees, nut trees, and vines, but excludes land under trees grown for wood or timber.
SOURCE:
CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011
Ranked 134th in 2005.
Ranked 49th in 2005. 8 times more than Canada
Largest city
Toronto
San José
DEFINITION:
The city with the highest population
SOURCE:
United Nations World Statistics Pocketbook and Statistical Yearbook
Largest city population
4,319,000
920,000
DEFINITION:
The population of the country's largest city
SOURCE:
United Nations World Statistics Pocketbook and Statistical Yearbook
Ranked 25th. 4 times more than Costa Rica
Ranked 93rd.
Largest city with population
Toronto - 2,481,494
San Jose - 315,909
DEFINITION:
Largest cities including most recent population (estimates included). Populations are figures only within the city limits, unless otherwise specified. All populations are from 2001 t0 2005 unless otherwise specified.
SOURCE:
United Nations World Statistics Pocketbook and Statistical Yearbook , City Population , CIA World Factbook, World Gazetteer , Official government websites.
Location
Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous US
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama
DEFINITION:
The country's regional location, neighboring countries, and adjacent bodies of water.
SOURCE:
CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011
Natural hazards
continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle to development; cyclonic storms form east of the Rocky Mountains, a result of the mixing of air masses from the Arctic, Pacific, and North American interior, and produce most of the country's rain and snow east of the mountains
occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes
DEFINITION:
Potential natural disasters.
SOURCE:
CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011
northernmost point > Latitude
83°06'N
11º13'N
DEFINITION:
SOURCE:
Wikipedia: List of countries by northernmost point
Population density
3.36 people per sqkm
72.53 people per sqkm
DEFINITION:
People per square kilometre, in 1999. At this time the world average was 14.42.
SOURCE:
Heal The World Foundation.
Ranked 218th.
Ranked 120th. 21 times more than Canada
Population density > people per sq. km
3.55 people/m²
84.75 people/m²
DEFINITION:
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.
SOURCE:
World Development Indicators database
Ranked 195th in 2005.
Ranked 94th in 2005. 23 times more than Canada
Rural population density > rural population per sq. km of arable land
13.98 people/km² of arable lan
730.96 people/km² of arable lan
DEFINITION:
Rural population density is the rural population divided by the arable land area. Rural population is calculated as the difference between the total population and the urban population. Arable land includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow. Land abandoned as a result of shifting cultivation is excluded.
SOURCE:
World Development Indicators database
Ranked 186th in 2003.
Ranked 30th in 2003. 51 times more than Canada
Capital city with population
Ottawa - 808,391
San Jose - 315,909
DEFINITION:
Capital cities including most recent population (estimates included). Populations are figures only within the city limits, unless otherwise specified. All populations are from 2001 t0 2005 unless otherwise specified.
SOURCE:
United Nations World Statistics Pocketbook and Statistical Yearbook , City Population , CIA World Factbook, World Gazetteer , Official government websites.
Surface area > sq. km
km²
km²
DEFINITION:
Surface area is a country's total area, including areas under inland bodies of water and some coastal waterways.
SOURCE:
World Development Indicators database
Ranked th in 1970.
Ranked th in 1970.
tallest mountains > Mountain
Mount Logan
Cerro Chirripo
DEFINITION:
SOURCE:
Wikipedia: List of tallest mountains by country
Terrain
mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast
coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes
DEFINITION:
A brief description of the topography
SOURCE:
CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011
Total area > sq. km
9,984,670
51,100
DEFINITION:
Surface area is a country's total area, including areas under inland bodies of water and some coastal waterways."
SOURCE:
Food and Agriculture Organisation, electronic files and web site.
Ranked 2nd in 2008. 194 times more than Costa Rica
Ranked 122nd in 2008.
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