Country Profiles: Clipperton Island

Clipperton Island is located in North America.

This isolated island was named for John CLIPPERTON, a pirate who made it his hideout early in the 18th century. Annexed by France in 1855, it was seized by Mexico in 1897. Arbitration eventually awarded the island to France, which took possession in 1935
CIA World Factbook

With an area of 6 sq km, it is about 12 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC.

Clipperton Island is actually an atoll, which is a coral island consisting of a reef surrounding a lagoon, located in the North Pacific Ocean (southwest of Mexico). It is an uninhabited possession of France.

The country's names in French is Ile Clipperton, but it was also known as Ile de la Passion. Since Clipperton Island is a possession of France, it does not have a constitution. It is administered directly by the Minister of Overseas France, Victorin Lurel.

Although 115 species of fish have been identified in the territorial waters of Clipperton Island, the only economic activity is tuna fishing.
CIA World Factbook

The flag of France is use for Clipperton Island.

All of this information was gathered from the CIA World Factbook. For more information, check out these resources...

Clipperton Island, CIA World Factbook

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Country Profiles: Canada

Canada is located in North America.

A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the British crown. Economically and technologically, the nation has developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across the World's longest unfortified border. Canada faces the political challenges of meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care, education, social services, and economic competitiveness, as well as responding to the particular concerns of predominantly francophone Quebec. Canada also aims to develop its diverse energy resources while maintaining its commitment to the environment. CIA World Factbook

. With an area of 9,984,670 sq km, it is slightly Larger than the U.S.

Canada shares a border with the U.S. It is mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast.

People who live in Canada are called Canadians, which is also an adjective used to describe something from this country. As of July 2012, there are 34,300,083 people in Canada. The ethnic groups that reside in Canada are mostly British Isles origin (28%) or French origin (23%), with other European (15%), Amerindian (2%), other Asian, African, Arab (6%), and mixed background (26%). The official languages are English (58.8%) and French (21.6%). Roman Catholics make up approximately 42.6% of the population, while Protestants make up an additional 23.3%.

The capital of Canada is Ottawa, and the country is made up of 10 provinces and 3 territories. Canada gained independence from Great Britain in 1867, and a constitution was drafted that year. The current Prime Minister of Canada is Stephen Joseph Harper, and the Governor is David Johnston. Information about the leaders of Canada's government can be found here. The currency is the Canadian Dollar (abbreviated CAD), which stands at .9895 CAD per USD as of 2011.

All of this information was gathered from the CIA World Factbook. For more information, check out these resources...

Canada Government Site

Canada, CIA World Factbook

Background Notes: Canada, U.S. Department of State

2011 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Canada, U.S. Department of State.

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