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More than 80 per cent of Canada's farmland is in the prairies that stretch from Alberta to Manitoba, and two-thirds of farm income is earned by prairie farmers. Despite the importance of agriculture, only about one Canadian in 80 is a farmer, the average farm size is about 225 hectares (555 acres).

Agricultural and natural resources

Wheat and other grain crops cover three-quarters of the arable land. Canada exports about $0 per cent of its wheat production, which accounts or 20 per cent of the world's wheat exports. In the Prairie Provinces, tall narrow grain elevators, where the grain harvest is stored, are distinctive landmarks. Most elevators stand beside railways, and most grain is sent to market by rail.

In addition to grain large prairie areas are devoted to raising cattle. In some other places, high quality farmland is being used for industrial and urban developments, and this is causing concern, particularly in areas like the Niagara peninsula in southern Ontario, where much fruit is grown.

Canada's major natural renewable resource is the forests that extend across the country in a belt 500 to 2000 km (300 to 1250 miles) wide, and cover more than half the total land area. Most woodland is coniferous: fir, pine and spruce. Canada is the world's largest exporter of wood pulp and paper - there are massive mills turning the forests into newsprint for newspapers around the world and one job in every ten depends on wood. Nearly all the forests are owned by the provincial or federal governments.

Fish helped to attract the first Europeans to Canada. and fishing remains important. About 56000 commercial fishermen operate from the east coast in the Atlantic fishing grounds. About 20000 work from the west coast where salmon is the chief catch. Much fish is exported, mainly to the USA.

Minerals range from asbestos to zinc; the most valuable are oil, natural gas, coal and iron ore. Alberta produces 90 per cent of the country's oil output and nearly half the coal total of 44 million tonnes a year. This mineral-rich province also has natural gas and large potential resources of oil from bituminous tar sands on the ATHABASCA River. The second most important coal province is British Columbia, with nearly one-third of national production. Canada is a net exporter of coal and natural gas, but imports some oil.

Iron ore is found on the northwestern side of LAKE SUPERIOR and on the Quebec-Labrador border. The world's chief source of nickel is around SUDBURY, Ontario, and 220 km (135 miles) to the north the town of Timmins is Canada's main gold-mining centre. Asbestos is produced in Quebec, and copper in Ontario and British Columbia. Canada is a leading world producer of zinc and titanium, and also mines uranium, silver and molybdenum.

Electricity has usually been generated from waterpower, and 70 percent still comes from hydroelectric stations; one of the world's largest hydroelectric power plants is at the Churchill Falls in Labrador. But potential sites for new dams tend to be in northern regions, far away from the users, so Canada has developed nuclear technology and has four major nuclear power stations.

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