Canada rarely makes the global news. When it does, it is often in reference to the exploits of Canadian entertainers — Justin Bieber, Céline Dion and Drake. For a country of about 40mn people, roughly the population of California, that is not a bad return on celebrity icons. But while the country may exceed expectations in the pop and rap arena, it underwhelms on the international economic stage, relative to its vast potential.By land mass it is the second-largest country in the world, with the longest coastline. Bookended by the vast Pacific and Atlantic oceans it has enormous trading advantages, alongside access to the largely untapped Arctic to its north. It is a net energy exporter; it has the third-largest proven oil reserves and is the fifth-largest producer of natural gas — but it also boasts large deposits of critical minerals vital to the green energy transition. And, of course, it borders the world’s largest economy.
加拿大很少登上國際新聞。若有的話，也通常是關於加拿大藝人的成就的——小賈斯汀(Justin Bieber)、席琳•迪翁(Céline Dion)和德雷克(Drake)。對於一個人口約4000萬的國家，從偶像明星的角度來說，這是個還不錯的成果。但是，儘管這個國家在流行音樂和說唱音樂領域的發展可能超出了人們的預期，但相較於其巨大的潛力，其在國際經濟舞臺上的表現卻不盡如人意。