● Introduction
● Political Geography
● From Junior Partner to Middle Power
● Canada's Military Commitments
● Canadian-American Relations
● Overseas Development Programs

Political Geography

Perhaps the major influence on Canada's participation in the international system is its geography. Bordered by three oceans, Canada has the world's longest coastline. As the world's second largest country, the territory that needs to be defended is vast. And of course, the Canadian population is far too small to begin to undertake such a defence. For many years, although Canada claimed that its territory stretched to the Arctic Circle, the US disputed Canadian claims and on occasion, American nuclear submarines prowled in the disputed waters, which undermined Canada's claim (although the main reason US ships were there was the Soviet threat). There was little Canada could do, since the north is mainly unpopulated. At one point, the government asked local Inuit hunters to take their skidoos (snow-vehicles) and patrol the area, and radio in if they saw anything suspicious—not a very sophisticated mode of defence for a modern country!

Inuit People Riding Skidoos and Patrolling the Area

This brings us to the other geographical factor that gravely affects Canada's security. Canada lies between two superpowers, and during the Cold War, Canadians were always acutely aware that if a nuclear war between the Soviet Union and the United States occurred, Canada would inevitably become a battleground, whether it wanted to be involved or not. At one point, Canadian analysts were horrified to discover that in the event of a nuclear exchange, the American war plan was to try to intercept missiles before they reached US territory—and that meant shooting them down over Canada, including major Canadian cities like Toronto. Of course the Canadian government protested, and the war plans were altered so the missiles could be intercepted over the sea instead.

Because of its geography, Canada has sometimes been described as being "indefensible". As a result, Canada has had to find different ways of ensuring its security. Because of its military vulnerability, Canadian policy-makers have had a great interest in promoting peace and cooperation among nations. For this reason, Canada has always played an active role in international organizations like the United Nations, the Commonwealth (the political grouping of former British colonies and dominions), and La Francophonie (an informal group of countries and regions with French as their mother tongue). It makes strong contributions to UN peacekeeping missions, works hard to resolve disputes between countries using diplomatic means, has a large development aid program, and is a major player in the world economy.

Prime Minister Brian Mulroney (left) at the Opening Ceremony of the 4th Francophone Summit held in Paris

To ensure its defence, Canada participates in alliances, most notably, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) that links US and Canadian security to security in Europe. And to promote good conditions for pursuing international trade, Canada is involved in international monetary and trade organizations like the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the World Bank. More importantly, in 1988 it established with the United States the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to help facilitate economic integration, and later Mexico joined the group. The best way to ensure Canada's security and well-being, policy-makers have decided, is to engage in cooperation and dialogue, rather than to prepare for an unwinnable military confrontation.

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