Canada
Northern America · 22 specs
Direct Answer
Canada (CA / CAN / 124) operates on a 120 V / 60 Hz electrical grid using NEMA 1-15 (Type A) and NEMA 5-15 (Type B) sockets. Traffic drives on the right (RHT). The official currency is the Canadian Dollar (CAD, $), country calling code is +1, emergency dispatch is 911, and postal codes follow an alphanumeric 'A9A 9A9' structure.
Source: Standards Council of Canada (SCC) / CSA C22.1 (CE Code) / Canada Post · Last reviewed Aug 28, 2026
Specs
| Official English Name | Canada ISO 3166-1 |
| Local Endonym | Canada (English / Français) |
| ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2 | CA |
| ISO 3166-1 Alpha-3 | CAN |
| ISO 3166-1 Numeric / UN M49 | 124 UN M49 (Code 021) |
| Country Calling Code | +1 NANP (ITU-T E.164) |
| International Exit Code (IDD) | 011 dial prefix for international calls |
| Internet ccTLD | .ca CIRA Registry |
| Vehicle Registration Code | CDN UNECE 1949/1968 Convention |
| National Currency (ISO 4217) | Canadian Dollar (CAD, $) 100 Cents (¢; penny phased out) |
| Mains Electricity Standard | 120 V (±5%), 60 Hz CSA C22.1 (Canadian Electrical Code) |
| Electrical Plug Sockets | Type A (NEMA 1-15) & Type B (NEMA 5-15) 15 A / 125 V rating |
| Heavy Appliance Electricity | 240 V Split-Phase, 60 Hz NEMA 14-30 / NEMA 14-50 |
| Road Traffic Driving Side | Right-Hand Traffic (RHT / LHD) Canadian standard |
| Primary Measurement System | Metric (SI) Weights and Measures Act (R.S.C., 1985) |
| Standard Office Paper Format | US Letter / P4 (8.5 × 11 in / 215.9 × 279.4 mm) CAN/CGSB-9.60 |
| Standard Business Envelope | #10 Commercial (4.125 × 9.5 in) & ISO DL |
| Consolidated Emergency Number | 911 Police, Fire, Paramedics dispatch |
| Postal Code Regex / Format | Alphanumeric (A9A 9A9, e.g. K1A 0B1) Canada Post Standard |
| Primary Time Zones (National) | UTC-3.5 (NST) to UTC-8 (PST) 6 time zones total |
| Date Format Standard | YYYY-MM-DD (ISO 8601 official) / DD/MM/YYYY Government of Canada standard |
| Number Radix / Separators | 1,234.56 (English) / 1 234,56 (French) Official Bilingual standards |
Official 2013 Penny Elimination & Metric-Imperial Hybrid
- The 2013 Penny Phaseout: On February 4, 2013, the Royal Canadian Mint stopped distributing the 1-cent coin due to production costs exceeding face value. Cash purchases round to the nearest $0.05, while electronic card payments remain exact to the cent.
- Everyday Metric/Imperial Reality: Canada is officially metric (km/h, litres, Celsius), but colloquial imperial measurements remain standard for human height (feet/inches), body weight (pounds), and residential real estate (square feet).
Electrical Grid, Voltage & Plug Compatibility
- Nominal Grid Parameters: Operates on a single-phase standard of 120 V (±5%), 60 Hz.
- Plug & Socket Hardware: Type A (NEMA 1-15) & Type B (NEMA 5-15). Uses North American style Type A (2-blade ungrounded) and Type B (3-prong grounded) receptacles.
- International Traveler Guidance: Devices operating on 100–240 V (smartphones, laptops) require only a mechanical pin adapter. Single-voltage appliances from differing voltage regions require a certified step-down/step-up power transformer.
Telecommunications, Dialing & Emergency Dispatch
- International Dialing: The country calling code is +1. Outbound international calls from within the country require dial prefix 011 followed by the destination country code.
- Emergency Dispatch: Consolidated emergency services are reached at 911. Calls are automatically routed to local public safety answering points with emergency vehicle dispatch.
Transportation, Driving Standards & Road Regulations
- Traffic Flow: Road traffic drives on the right (RHT) with Left-Hand Drive (LHD) vehicles.
- Standard Speed Limits: General regulatory speed limits default to 50 km/h (31 mph) in built-up urban and residential zones, 80–100 km/h (50–62 mph) on undivided rural roads, and 110–130 km/h (68–81 mph) on grade-separated divided motorways/expressways (unless lower local limits are posted).
- Safety Requirements: Mandatory seatbelt compliance for all occupants, zero-distraction handheld mobile phone bans while driving, and mandatory in-vehicle warning triangles.
Commerce, Currency & Document Standards
- Official Currency: Legal tender is the Canadian Dollar (CAD, $).
- Document & Paper Standards: Standard office printing, official government gazettes, and legal filings strictly utilize US Letter / P4 (8.5 × 11 in / 215.9 × 279.4 mm). Standard business correspondence pairs with standard business envelopes.
- National Time Zone: Regulated under Standard time.
Postal Addressing & Administrative Divisions
- Postal Architecture: Postal delivery utilizes Alphanumeric (A9A 9A9, e.g. K1A 0B1).
- Standard Address Format: Structured in standardized hierarchy: Recipient Name → Street Address / Building Unit → Postal Code + City/Town → Province/State → Canada.