CANADA:

Background: One of the world's richest nations - thanks partly to immigration. The North American Free Trade Agreement, involving Canada, the US and Mexico, has brought a trade boom. Has been asserting sovereignty in the Arctic with the possible bounty from previously-untapped reserves of oil and gas at stake.

Key data: Gross National Income per capita: $39,420 (World Bank, 2007)

Latest: The Bank of Canada cut its key interest rate by a quarter point, to 2.25%, on 21 October.

This is the second cut this month - the bank cut the rate by half a percentage point on 8 October in a co-ordinated effort with other central banks.

On 10 October, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty attempted to ease the credit crunch by announcing CAN$25bn ($21bn) of asset-swaps between the country's major banks and the government-owned Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). The Bank of Canada said three days later it would provide exceptional liquidity to the financial system "as long as conditions warrant".

_{Tolerating prostitution is tolerating abuse and torture of women and children.}