prompt_front: Answer the question based on the given passages. Only give me the answer and do not output any other words.

Question: Who is the federal leader of the party that Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu is a member of?

The following are given passages.
Context 1: Passage 1:
Franck Biancheri
Franck Biancheri (11 March 1961 – 30 October 2012) was the founder of the Newropeans European political party and the leader from June 2006   The party planned to run for campaigns in the 2009 elections to the European Parliament with representatives in all member states simultaneously 
Biancheri had previously founded the largest student association in Europe, European Students' Forum (AEGEE) in 1985 and the think tank LEAP/Europe2020 in 1998 

Biography
Biancheri was born in Nice, France   He lived in Cannes, and had one daughter 
From 1991, through several networks including the Promotheus-Europe group, he contributed to enhance relationship between the European Union and several parts of the world (Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, the Arabic world, South America, Asia, and North America) 
In 1997, at Blair House, during an EU-US summit in Washington, he launches TIESWeb, the first transatlantic web portal dedicated to dialog between European and American civil societies In 2003 he was among the top twenty "heroes" for being a "French champion of European unity" in a poll by Time Europe 
From 2006, he was the scientific coordinator of the Leap2020 think tank 
Biancheri died on 30 October 2012   He had been seriously ill from cancer for four years 
Passage 2:
Jean-Pierre Sueur
Jean-Pierre Sueur (born 28 February 1947) is a member of the Senate of France, representing the Loiret department   He is a member of the Socialist Party 
Passage 3:
Confederation of Regions Party of Canada
The Confederation of Regions Party (CoR) was a right-wing federal political party in Canada founded in 1984 by Elmer Knutson  It was founded as a successor to the Western Canada Federation (West-Fed), a non-partisan organization, to fight the Liberal Party of Canada  The CoR aimed to fill the void on the right of the political spectrum left by the decline of the Social Credit Party of Canada and the growing unpopularity among westerners of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada under the leadership of Brian Mulroney 
The party also attracted significant support as a protest vote against official bilingualism among some voters who were not necessarily ideologically opposed to mainstream Canadian political parties on other issues  The party proposed dividing Canada into four 'regions', western Canada, Atlantic Canada, Ontario and Quebec, each with an equal number of seats in the House of Commons of Canada In the 1984 federal election, it nominated 55 candidates, who won 65,655 votes in total, or 0 52% of the popular vote across the country   The party took 2 2% of the vote in Alberta and peaked with 6 7% in Manitoba 
In the 1988 federal election, its 51 candidates won 41,342 votes, 0 31% of the popular vote   One of its candidates was Paul Fromm, leader of the far-right groups Citizens for Foreign Aid Reform and Canadian Association for Free Expression  (See also: Confederation of Regions Party candidates, 1988 Canadian federal election) 
The party's greatest success came in New Brunswick, where its provincial wing, the New Brunswick Confederation of Regions Party, held the status of official opposition from 1991 to 1995  After the demise of CoR, many former supporters joined the Reform Party of Canada 

Provincial wings
The CoR captured about 2% of the vote in provincial elections in the 1988 Manitoba election and the 1990 Ontario election 

Alberta
The CoR's Alberta wing nominated candidates in the 1986 provincial election and the 1993 provincial election   In 1986, the party nominated 6 candidates, who won a total of 2,866 votes, or 0 40% of the total   In 1993, the party nominated 12 candidates, who won 3,556 votes, or 0 36% of the total 
On 17 June 1996, the Chief Electoral Officer of Alberta, cancelled the registration of the Confederation of Regions Party of Alberta and the party was struck from the Register of Alberta Political Parties because the party failed to comply with the registration requirements of the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act  The COR Party was struck from the register because two conflicting groups in the party claimed different persons were officers of the party  The party presented different addresses of record  The conflicting groups had different interpretations of the COR Party Constitution  As the Chief Electoral Officer did not have the authority to resolve such issues, he referred the participants in the dispute to the courts  Neither side in the dispute applied to the courts in an effort to resolve the problem, and the party did not run any candidates 1997 election nor any election since 

Manitoba
New Brunswick
Ontario
Party program
The party program was set out in a website that aimed to re-establish CoR as a federal political party  Grammatical, punctuation and formatting errors have been left intact 

COR wants to become a nationwide Federal Party, and wishes to represent all Canadians who want to live in a true democracy, restore Canada's prosperity and rebuild its National Institutions We want to become an egalitarian, populist party slightly to the right of center in the political spectrumWe aspire to be the elected representative of all Canadians who embrace these views about their nation A Canada that follows a policy of "CANADA FIRST"A Canada that practices true democracy, where individual rights are paramount, majority rule is applied, minorities are protected by law and all citizens are equalA Canada that teaches its people about their true history, celebrates their contributions, achievements and sacrifices and takes pride in its unique heritage and traditionA Canada that is viewed by all as a land of "the true north, strong and free"A Canada whose multi-racial and multi-cultural heritage is acknowledged but where Canadian nationality is neither divided or hyphenated and where one official language and one legal system based on common law serves to unite its peopleWe believe that Canada has evolved into four economic, geographic, commercial and political regions which, has the potential to become one strong and united nation once Canadians have been allowed to draft and ratify a true Constitution for Canada at a constituent assemble of elected delegates COR (whose name is derived from its belief) believes that in such a "CONFEDERATION of REGIONS" EACH REGION SHOULD BE FREE TO DEVELOP ITS POTENTIAL TO THE FULL WHILST COMPLEMENTING THE CANADIAN NATION AS A WHOLEWe believe that during the last 25 years Canadians have been unable to change things because of the political and economic bankruptcy of old line parties who encourage the enshrinement of flawed vision of Canada's future, a politically imposed Canadian Constitution, the greed of big business and the existence of an "establishment" consists of institutionalized elites who strive to retain power by maintaining the status quo and perpetuating myths about Canada's past Our goals have been shaped by events of our times such as the latest recession that our politicians were eventually obliged to acknowledge and the presence of an ever growing number of homeless and hungry Canadian men, women and children who are now walking the streets and roads of this land in search of personal pride and dignity and a restored sense of what is means to be a Canadian Our policies have also been influenced by the cavalier attitude of the present government with regard to how its spends the taxpayer's dollar, its contempt for the nation's ever increasing national debt and its inability to address the rising unemployment that is eroding the foundations of Canadian society and which is now impacting negatively on Canadians from all walks of life THE OVERRIDING GOAL OF THE POLICIES IS TO RESTORE CANADIAN PROSPERITY AND BUILD CANADIAN DEMOCRACY 

See also
List of political parties in Canada
Passage 4:
Party leaders of the United States Senate
The positions of majority leader and minority leader are held by two United States senators and members of the party leadership of the United States Senate  They serve as the chief spokespersons for their respective political parties holding the majority and the minority in the United States Senate  They are each elected as majority leader and minority leader by the senators of their party caucuses: the Senate Democratic Caucus and the Senate Republican Conference 
By Senate precedent, the presiding officer gives the majority leader priority in obtaining recognition to speak on the floor of the Senate  The majority leader serves as the chief representative of their party in the Senate, and is considered the most powerful member of the Senate  They also serve as the chief representative of their party in the entire Congress if the House of Representatives, and thus the office of the speaker of the House, is controlled by the opposition party  The Senate's executive and legislative business is also managed and scheduled by the majority leader                                                        
The assistant majority leader and assistant minority leader of the United States Senate, commonly called whips, are the second-ranking members of each party's leadership  The main function of the majority and minority whips is to gather votes of their respective parties on major issues  As the second-ranking members of Senate leadership, if there is no floor leader present, the whip may become acting floor leader 

Current floor leaders
The Senate is currently composed of 49 Republicans, 48 Democrats, and 3 independents; all the independents caucus with the Democrats 
The current leaders are Senators Chuck Schumer (D) of New York and Mitch McConnell (R) of Kentucky  The current assistant leaders, or whips, are Senators Dick Durbin (D) of Illinois and John Thune (R) of South Dakota 

History
By at least 1850, parties in each chamber of Congress began naming chairs, and while conference and caucus chairs carried very little authority, the Senate party floor leader positions arose from the position of conference chair  Senate Democrats began the practice of electing their floor leaders in 1920 while they were in the minority  John W  Kern was a Democratic senator from Indiana  While the title was not official, the Senate website identifies Kern as the first Senate party leader, serving in that capacity from 1913 through 1917 (and in turn, the first Senate Democratic leader), while serving concurrently as chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus  In 1925, the Republicans (who were in the majority at the time) also adopted this language when Charles Curtis became the first (official) majority leader, although his immediate predecessor Henry Cabot Lodge is considered the first (unofficial) Senate majority leader 
The United States Constitution designates the Vice President of the United States as president of the Senate  The Constitution also calls for a president pro tempore, to serve as the presiding officer when the president of the Senate (the vice president) is absent  In practice, neither the vice president nor the president pro tempore—customarily the most senior (longest-serving) senator in the majority party—actually presides over the Senate on a daily basis; that task is given to junior Senators of the majority party  Since the vice president may be of a different party from the majority and is not a Senate member subject to discipline, the rules of procedure of the Senate give the Vice President no power beyond the presiding role  For these reasons, it is the majority leader who, in practice, manages the Senate  This is in contrast to the House of Representatives, where the elected speaker of the House has a great deal of discretionary power and generally presides over votes on legislative bills 

List of party leaders
The Democratic Party first selected a leader in 1920  The Republican Party first formally designated a leader in 1925 

See also
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives
President pro tempore of the United States Senate
Vice President of the United States (President of the United States Senate)
Party divisions of United States Congresses
List of political parties in the United States

Notes
Passage 5:
Inky Mark
Inky Mark (Chinese: 麥鼎鴻; pinyin: Mài Dǐnghóng; born November 17, 1947) is a Canadian politician and a former member of the House of Commons of Canada, representing the Manitoba riding of Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette  Mark was a member of the Conservative Party of Canada, although he frequently criticized and took positions opposite the party and its leader, Stephen Harper  Mark ran in the 2015 federal election, noting that he is now a Green Party of Canada member but that he would still run as an independent  He lost significantly 

Early life
Mark was born in Taishan, China, and moved to Manitoba as a child  Mark's father and grandfather had emigrated from China to Canada some time previously, but were unable to bring their families with them as a result of provisions in the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923  Mark accompanied his mother when she fled China in 1953, and subsequently settled with his family in the Manitoba community of Gilbert Plains 

Education
Mark has a Bachelor of Arts from Brandon University and a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Manitoba  Before entering political life, he worked as a high school teacher and small businessman  Mark also has a certificate in broadcasting and started a master's degree in education program, although he did not graduate 

Political career
Municipal politics
Mark's political career started when joined the Board of Directors of the Dauphin First United Church  He was subsequently elected to the Dauphin town council in 1991, and became the town's mayor in 1994 

Federal politics
Mark was first elected to the House of Commons in the federal election of 1997, running as a candidate of the Reform Party in the riding of Dauphin—Swan River  From 1997 to 2000, Mark was one of only three Chinese-Canadian MPs in the House of Commons 
The Reform Party dissolved itself in 2000 in favour of the Canadian Alliance, and Mark ran as a candidate of the new party in the federal election which followed On September 12, 2001, Mark left the Canadian Alliance caucus to sit as a member of the Democratic Representative Caucus, in alliance with the Progressive Conservative Party 
The DRC came to an end on April 10, 2002, when Stephen Harper replaced Day as Canadian Alliance leader   Every other member of the DRC requested to be re-admitted to the Alliance; Mark did not join them, but instead decided to sit as an "Independent Conservative", with the intention of rejoining the Progressive Conservatives at their annual party convention later in the year; he had been a Progressive Conservative before the early 1990s   Mark formally joined the Progressive Conservatives on August 27, 2002 
In December 2003, the Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative Party formally merged to create the new Conservative Party of Canada   Mark supported the merger, and formally joined the new party's caucus on February 2, 2004  Mark was easily re-elected in the Canadian federal election of 2004 
In 2005, Mark alleged that Treasury Board President and Liberal MP Reg Alcock offered him an ambassadorship if he were to resign his seat  Alcock responded by saying, "Frankly, if I was going to recruit somebody, I'd go a little higher up the gene pool " Mark called this comment racist and filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission  As the CHRC does not publish its investigations, it is not possible to know the outcome of this case 

Criticism and complaints
While a sitting MP, Mark gained a reputation as "an outsider" within the Conservative caucus   Mark is and has been an outspoken critic of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister's Office, and several sitting and former Conservative MPs  He frequently complained that Harper was controlling, and he responded by refusing to attend Conservative events  Mark has called Harper a "fascist" and complained that he runs a "top-down dictatorship"  He says that the Central Intelligence Agency is controlled by the United States' Republican Party, and that the Republican Party installed Stephen Harper as the Canadian Prime Minister in order to sell out Canada to the United States 
Following the announcement of his resignation, Mark complained that the nomination race for his successor was rigged, and allowed Robert Sopuck to be acclaimed without competition Following his resignation as an MP, Mark stepped up his criticisms of the Harper government  He complained that the nomination race for the Conservative candidate following the resignation of Labrador MP Peter Penashue was rigged because Harper "wants a candidate he can control"  He also complained that the nomination race to replace Merv Tweed was rigged, and that the eventual successor, Larry Maguire, was just a "rubber stamp" for Harper  Mark was featured prominently in the book Tragedy in the Commons, where almost every chapter quoted Mark's complaints about the way Harper's government was run 
Mark complained that the Conservatives' Constituent Information Management System (CIMS) was a secretive database used to track and control Canadians' information and voting preferences, and said that Harper could simply "switch off" this system to punish an MP 

Parliamentary work
For his tenure as an MP, Mark was always a "backbencher" In 2001, as the Alliance's parliamentary critic for Immigration, Mark was responsible for expressing his party's position on the Liberal government's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which he did during the immigration controversy involving the Sklarzyk family who, as a result of an administrative error, was deported from Canada to Poland in May 2001  He also contributed to the parliamentary committee's work in drafting the final version of the bill, and was generally regarded by MPs from all parties as having made several constructive criticisms to the legislation 
However, on June 13, 2001, Mark's position on the bill was undercut by Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day, who delivered a speech in parliament supporting tighter restrictions against refugee claimants and reduced opportunities for rejected claimants to appeal to the Refugee Board   Day's comments diverged from Mark's stated position on several particulars, and his speech was regarded as very surprising by many other MPs in the House of Commons  For example, Liberal MP Steve Mahoney referred to Day's comments as "treachery" towards Mark, for which he was ruled out of order by the Speaker 
In 2005, Mark's private members' Bill C-331 (Internment of Persons of Ukrainian Origin Recognition Act) was passed by the House of Commons and Senate of Canada, eventually resulting in the establishment of the Endowment Council of the Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund, supporting educational and commemorative projects recalling Canada's first national internment operations of 1914–1920 

Federal resignation and return to municipal politics
Mark announced in June 2009 that he would be resigning before the next federal election  On August 16, 2010, he announced that he would step down as an MP on September 15 to campaign for another term as mayor of Dauphin  However, he lost to Eric Irwin 

Return to federal politics and switch to Green Party of Canada
Mark announced on November 13, 2014, that he would be running as an independent candidate for the 2015 federal election in Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, which includes nearly all of his old riding  Mark announced that he is now a member of the Green Party of Canada, but would still seek election in 2015 as an independent candidate  Mark finished a distant fourth behind Sopuck, garnering only eight percent of the vote 

Electoral record
^  Change is from the total of Progressive Conservative and Canadian Alliance votes in the 2000 election  

Note: Canadian Alliance vote is compared to Reform Party vote in 1997 election 
Passage 6:
Yane Yanev
Yane Yanev (Bulgarian: Яне Янев, born 22 April 1971) is a Bulgarian politician, leader of the center-right opposition party Order, Law and Justice and a member of the Bulgarian National Assembly  Known as an "anti-corruption hawk" that has brought to light many political scandals, Yanev is one of the most famous political players to emerge in Bulgaria in the past decade 
His stated political mission is the adoption of a new constitution, to replace the one adopted in the early 1990s with the fall of the former communist regime  Yanev has stated that he believes only such a "far-reaching and radical change" will allow Bulgaria to end the period of transition from communism to a law-abiding, democratic society  Following repeated threats concerning his life and health a Bulgarian-Israeli team has assumed twenty-four-hour security over the leader of RZS Yane Yanev, the press center of the party declared 

Early life
Yanev was born in Sandanski, a town in southwestern Bulgaria known for its agreeable climate and recreational resorts  He is son to Georgi Yanev and grandson to Yane Yanev (in whose honor he was named), both known as resistance figures to the communist regime  His grandfather served as mayor of the village Malak Tzalin for 11 years 
Yanev attended the local school in Sandanski and in 1990 entered the Agricultural University of Plovdiv, from which he matriculated with a degree in Agro-Engineering in 1994  He also pursued a master's degree in Economics and Management from the University of Plovdiv in 1992 to 1995 
During his student days he was active in student politics and was a member of the Students National Organization (Independent) 

Political involvement
Coming from a family long involved in agrarian politics, in his third year of university Yanev became a member of the National Alliance – Bulgarian Agricultural People's Union, and the chairman of its advisory board to the parliamentary group  He rose to prominence within the party and by the time Ivan Kostov became prime minister in 1997, he was a sought-after figure  After declining offers of positions in government, Yanev found himself in a hostile political environment that forced his resignation from politics 
He then worked as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the canned food and beverage company Kustendilski Plod 
In 2000 he returned to political involvement through the Agricultural People's Union and became the party chairman  He rose to national prominence in the early years of the decade by exposing to the public the fact the former King had abused his powers as Prime Minister (2001–2005) by privatizing state property that was formerly used by his family before the overthrow of the monarchy in 1946  Yanev also investigated abuses under the King's Minister of Finance Milen Velchev 
Yanev oversaw the transformation of the party in 2005 to Order, Law and Justice, maintaining the position of Secretary General in charge of overall organization, whilst the titular chairman position was given to former constitutional judge Georgi Markov  Following a failure to make significant electoral gains in the 2006 presidential elections, Markov resigned his position and Yanev unified the two posts under himself as chairman 

Member of Parliament
In June 2005 Yanev was elected as a member of the 40th National Assembly from the region of Blagoevgrad as part of the Union of Democratic Forces, and was a member of the committees on Agriculture and Forests, and Environment and Water 
In July 2009 Yanev retained his position in the 41st National Assembly  He is currently Chairman of the Bulgaria-Israel Friendship Committee  From July to December 2009, he also served as Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption, Conflict of Interests and Parliamentary Ethics Committee, a member of the Control Committee of the State Agency for National Security, and a member of the Advisory Board on National Security to the President of the Republic 

Personal life
Yanev announced his plans to be married by the end of 2010 during a live television interview on the popular talk show "Ivan & Andrei" 
Passage 7:
2017 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election
The 2017 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election was held on May 27, 2017   Party members chose Andrew Scheer as leader, replacing Stephen Harper, who led the Conservative Party of Canada as its leader from 2004 following the merger of the Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative parties  Harper led the party through five federal elections: the party increased its seat count in the House of Commons in 2004, formed two minority governments in 2006, and 2008, and then a majority government in 2011  Following the defeat of the party in the 2015 federal election on October 19, Harper tendered his resignation as party leader  In a statement, Conservative Party President John Walsh said he had spoken to Harper, "and he has instructed me to reach out to the newly elected parliamentary caucus to appoint an interim Leader and to implement the leadership selection process "259,010 party members were eligible to vote in the leadership contest  141,000 members cast a vote  According to raw voting figures, Scheer received 62,593 votes on the final ballot compared to 55,544 votes for Bernier with 23,000 voters who had voted in the first round ranking neither Scheer or Bernier in their ranked ballot  Votes were apportioned among ridings so that each riding was allocated 100 points, regardless of the number of voters, resulting in 17,222 20 points (50 95%) for Scheer and 16,577 80 points (49 05%) for Bernier Subsequent to the election, fourth placed candidate Brad Trost and his campaign were fined $50,000 by the Conservative Party of Canada for allegedly leaking the party's membership list to the National Firearms Association  Trost denied that he or any of his staff leaked the list  On February 11, 2019, the Conservative Party released a statement from its Leadership Election Organizing Committee (LEOC) which concluded: "In short, LEOC does not believe there is evidence that the Trost Campaign was responsible for leaking of the membership list    " The fine was therefore removed from the Brad Trost Campaign  Trost went on to lose renomination as the party candidate for his riding during the 43rd Federal election on March 10, 2018, to Corey Tochor, former speaker of the Saskatchewan Legislature Criticism has been raised about how the party memberships were handled, with some prominent members saying they never received a ballot, even after contacting the party about it In addition, the result of the leadership race and party handling was questioned by some supporters of such as runner-up Maxime Bernier and  fifth place candidate Kellie Leitch due to discrepancies in the final ballot count, specifically a gap between the number of ballots cast and the announced result - a 7,466 vote discrepancy, which is greater than Andrew Scheer's 7,049 votes margin of victory in the final round  There was criticism over the exact role of the accounting firm Deloitte during the voting process - a deal revealed that Deloitte was not specifically tasked with auditing the vote but "observe" the counting process  It was also reported that some of  Brad Trost's supporters contravened the Elections Act and party membership rules by offering incentives to vote  Dimitri Soudas, a former Stephen Harper aide, pointed out that it violated election rules and it benefited Scheer's campaign but the ballots have been destroyed so the results stood Many considered Scheer's victory as an upset, given Bernier's consistent frontrunner status in the polls 

Interim leadership
Conservative Party president John Walsh's letter to caucus stated that only Members of Parliament (MPs) would vote for the interim leader, but Conservative Senators pointed out that the party constitution states that the entire parliamentary caucus votes  The caucus allowed senators to vote, declining to adopt the provisions of the Reform Act that would have only allowed MPs to vote The caucus chose Rona Ambrose, MP for Sturgeon River—Parkland, Alberta and former Minister of Health, as interim leader at its first meeting on November 5, 2015, in a vote by preferential ballot  Ambrose, as the interim leader, also served as Leader of the Official Opposition in the Parliament of Canada until a permanent leader was chosen  She defeated Candice Bergen, Diane Finley, Mike Lake, Rob Nicholson, Erin O'Toole, and the joint ticket of Denis Lebel and Michelle Rempel in the caucus vote Under the party's constitution, Ambrose, as the interim leader, could not run for the permanent position 

Leadership election timing
Following Harper's resignation, debate emerged within the Conservative Party regarding the timing of the leadership election  Some members of the party's national council called for a leadership convention as early as May 2016 according to Maclean's magazine  However, interim leader Rona Ambrose has said there is a consensus among the party's caucus that the leadership election shouldn't be rushed and should be held sometime in 2017  In a December 2015 interview, Ambrose said the party would take its time allowing all members, including those not already involved in politics, to build a strong candidacy  "If we take a little extra time, that will mean we'll have a better leadership race "The Conservative Party's Leadership Election Organizing Committee (LEOC) met at Toronto's Albany Club January 15–17, 2016 to discuss the process for the Party to elect its next leader  Among its decisions, LEOC selected May 27, 2017, for Conservative Party members to elect their next leader 

Rules and voting system
Only party members in good standing at 5pm Eastern Time on March 28, 2017, were allowed to vote  The fee for a party membership was raised from $15 to $25, an increase that was reversed on April 23, 2016, after criticisms that the move was "elitist"  Membership fees could only be paid via personal cheque or credit card  Cash payments were not permitted  This new requirement was intended to prevent the election being dominated by new members, and to prevent anyone other than the individual member, such as a candidate's campaign, from signing up scores of members and paying the membership fees in cash out of campaign funds  Despite this, the Conservative Party confirmed irregularities with 1,351 memberships connected to prepaid credit cards that it subsequently struck from its membership roll Voting was on a one member one vote basis using a ranked ballot; however votes were calculated so that each electoral district had equal weight with each electoral district allocated 100 points  Candidates were assigned a point total based on his or her percentage of the vote in each electoral district  To win, a candidate must receive at least 16,901 points which would be a majority To register, candidates must:
be members of the party for at least six months (can be waived),
submit nomination forms signed by 300 party members from at least 30 electoral districts in at least seven different provinces and territories,
pay a $50,000 non-refundable entrance fee, half of which must be paid when filing nomination with the other half due by the close of nominations on February 24, 2017 
pay an additional $50,000 compliance deposit, by December 31, 2016, or when filing nomination for those who register in 2017, which is refundable provided the candidate complies with campaign rules 
and fill out a 40-page questionnaire that asks for:
references,
criminal background and credit checks,
agreement with basic party principles,
a list of social media accounts,
questions about possible controversial positions the candidate has taken in the past, and
questions about affiliations and personal associations and behaviour that may be problematic A party committee reviewed the candidate's nomination form and may disqualify a potential candidate  Candidates are allowed to spend a maximum of $5 million on their campaigns 

Timeline
October 19, 2015 – Federal election results in defeat of Conservative government  As Harper spoke to supporters in Calgary, making no reference to his future, a statement was released by the party announcing Harper's resignation as party leader and his request that an interim leader be chosen to lead the party in parliament until a leadership election can be held 
November 4, 2015 – Harper resigns as prime minister; Liberal government led by Justin Trudeau sworn in 
November 5, 2015 – Conservative caucus held its first meeting since the 2015 federal election and chose former health minister Rona Ambrose interim leader of the party 
December 4–5, 2015 – National Council meets, 20-member Leadership Election Organization Committee appointed, including seven members of the National Council and MP Diane Finley, all of whom have pledged to be neutral during the leadership campaign; Dan Nowlan is appointed the committee's chair 
January 15–17, 2016 – The Leadership Election Organization Committee meets at the Albany Club in Toronto to decide on the date of the leadership vote, the deadline for candidates to be nominated, campaign spending limits, the entrance fee for candidates and the appeals process for any disputes 
May 26–28, 2016 – Conservative Party national policy convention, held at the Vancouver Convention Centre, voted on policy resolutions and elected the party president and other officials  An attempt to change the party constitution to allow the party's interim leader, Rona Ambrose, to seek the permanent leadership is defeated 
September 12, 2016 – Former Foreign Minister Peter MacKay, who had been leading public opinion polls as the most popular potential leader, announces that he will not be a candidate for the party's leadership 
November 2, 2016 – Only those who have registered as candidates by this date, including having paid at least $25,000 of the candidate deposit, are permitted to participate in the first leadership debate, to be held the following week  12 candidates meet this deadline 
November 9, 2016 – First of five official leadership debates organized by the LEOC, held in Saskatoon 
November 13, 2016 – Leadership debate organized by the Carleton Conservative Association, held in Greely, Ontario
December 6, 2016 – Second official debate held in Moncton in English and French 
December 31, 2016 – Deadline for candidates who filed their nomination papers in 2016 to have paid $50,000 compliance fee 
January 17, 2017, 6:30 pm – Third official debate held in Quebec City in French at the Quebec Convention Centre  The themes covered will be government and taxes 
February 4, 2017 – Leadership debate organized by the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia was held in Halifax, Nova Scotia  The first debate involving well-known businessman Kevin O'Leary 
February 24, 2017, 5pm ET (UTC-5) – Nomination period closes; deadline for candidates to pay any remaining balance of entrance fee 
February 24, 2017 – Leadership debate organized by the Manning Centre for Building Democracy, held in Ottawa, Ontario
February 28, 2017 – Fourth official debate, held in Edmonton at the Maclab Theatre in English and French 
March 28, 2017, 5pm ET (UTC-4) – Members who have joined by this date are eligible to vote 
April 26, 2017 – Presumed frontrunner Kevin O'Leary withdraws from the election and endorses Maxime Bernier; as O'Leary has withdrawn after the deadline, his name remains on the ballot  Final leadership debate is held 
April 28, 2017 – Voting by mail-in ranked ballot begins 
May 26, 2017, 5pm ET (UTC-5) – Deadline for mail-in ballots to be received 
May 27, 2017 – In-person voting at Toronto Congress Centre and 14 polling stations across the country until 4 pm ET (UTC-5)  Advance and in-person ballots counted; results announced 

Full results
Provincial summary
Debates
Registered candidates
Candidates who have paid their entrance fee and compliance deposit and filed their nomination papers:

Chris Alexander
BackgroundChris Alexander, 54, is the former Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (2013–2015), Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of National Defence (2011– 2013) and the former MP for Ajax—Pickering, Ontario (2011–2015)  Prior to entering politics, he served as a member of Canada's foreign diplomatic service, most notably in the Canadian Embassy in Moscow and as the Canadian Ambassador to Afghanistan from 2003 to 2005  From 2005 to 2009 he held the post of Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Afghanistan   In addition to English, he is fluent in both French and Russian languages 
Date campaign announced: October 12, 2016
EndorsementsFormer MPs: (1) Yuri Shymko (Parkdale, 1978–1979)PoliciesChris Alexander has 40 detailed published policies that fall into three main categories: New Economy, New Country and New Role  These policies include how Canada should approach: employment, taxation, innovation, families, education, competitiveness, energy self-reliance, cities, agriculture, poverty, homelessness, First Nations peoples, the Métis, refugees, the Monarchy, justice, health care, protecting wilderness, forestry, mining, international diplomacy, terrorism, democratic reform, cyber-security, Canadian culture, northern development, and national defence He believes that immigration is the key to "economic growth " Is proposing to increase immigration to 400,000 a year including 40,000 refugees and calling for doubling defence spending and "for an accelerated push to settle all outstanding land claims and to sign treaties with First Nations communities that would empower them to govern themselves"  Was prominent in the Conservative government's handling of the Syrian refugee crisis and in the government's promise during the 2015 election to create a telephone tip line to report so-called "barbaric cultural practices " As minister, he was criticized over delays in meeting the government's commitment to resettle Syrian refugees 

Maxime Bernier
BackgroundMaxime Bernier, 60, was the MP for Beauce, Quebec (2006–2019) and was the Shadow Minister of Innovation (2015—2016)  He served in the Harper government as Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism (2011–2015), Minister of Foreign Affairs (2007–2008), and Minister of Industry (2006–2007), Bernier is considered an advocate of limited government and has been compared to a Libertarian  He has been nicknamed "Mad Max", the "Bloc-buster", or the "Albertan from Quebec" by his Ottawa colleagues  Prior to entering federal politics in 2006, Bernier, a lawyer by training, was vice-president of the Standard Life of Canada Insurance company, MEI, and manager of corporate and international relations at the Commission des valeurs mobilières du Québec 
Date candidacy announced: April 7, 2016
Policies
Running a campaign based on individual freedom, personal responsibility, respect and fairness  Expects support around the ideas/policies he is placing in the campaigns 
Calls for smaller government, lower taxes everywhere, paying down the national debt, increasing investments, increase pipeline developments, and opening up markets  Opposes bailout to any corporation, and use of "corporate welfare" (business subsidies)  Supports the decriminalization/legalization of marijuana Wants to allow MPs to vote their conscience and get rid of omnibus bills 
Phasing control of Canada Health Transfer to the provinces for health care by replacing it with a health transfer point systems, encourage provinces to move away from a single-payer healthcare system to a two-tier healthcare system, balance the budget within two years then reduce the number of tax brackets from five to three, increase basic exemption from $11,474 to $15,000 being paid by "boutique" tax credits  Supports abolishing capital gains taxes, and lowering corporate taxes to 10% by getting rid of corporate welfare 
Opposes a "Canadian values" test on the basis that it is logistically ineffective to fight terrorism  Abolish the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission, privatizing Canada Post Corporation, phasing out supply management on dairy and poultry, and expanding free trade  Ending inter-provincial barriers as a priority 
He also wants to "break" Quebec's maple syrup cartel and wants to allow foreign ownership for the airline industry  He wants to "streamline the process for hiring specialized workers abroad"  He wants to put more emphasis on economic immigration and "slightly reduce" family reunification class immigration   More privately sponsored refugee and fewer government sponsored  Reform temporary foreign worker programs  Bernier believes first nation communities need to be consulted before the Indian Act needs to be "abolished, or changed " Opposes federal control overreaching into other jurisdictions  Create stricter foreign aid standards and phase out development aid 

Steven Blaney
BackgroundSteven Blaney, 58, was the Shadow Minister of Public Works and Government Services (2015–2016) for the Conservative Opposition, and is the former Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (2013–2015), Minister of Veterans Affairs (2011–2013)  He is the MP for Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, Quebec (2015–present) and Lévis—Bellechasse, Quebec (2006–2015) 

Date campaign announced: October 23, 2016
Endorsements
MPs:
Senators: (2)Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu (Quebec),
Jean-Guy Dagenais (Quebec)Provincial politicians:
Municipal politicians:
Former MPs:
Former Senators:
Former provincial politicians:
Former municipal politicians:
Other prominent individuals:
Organizations:
Media:
Policies
Supports banning the wearing of the niqab while voting, taking the citizenship oath, or by federal public servants, even if such a ban would require invoking the notwithstanding clause of the Constitution in order to override the Charter of Rights and Freedoms  Also advocates testing of would be citizens on "their understanding and appreciation of Canada's core principles " He wants to "beef up" screening  The number of immigrants he wants to bring in will be based upon labour-market studies 

Michael Chong
BackgroundMichael Chong, 51, is the MP for Wellington—Halton Hills, Ontario (2004–present) and was the Deputy Shadow Minister of the Environment (2015–2016)  He was Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Youth (2006) and Minister of Sport (2006)  Chong resigned from the Harper cabinet in 2006 to protest the government's recognition of the Québécois as a nation within Canada  As a backbench MP he advocated democratic reforms in Parliament to limit the power of the Prime Minister's Office and party leaders over their caucuses and individual MPs and introduced the Reform Act to give caucuses the option of the power to remove party leaders, elect caucus chairs, and expel or readmit MPs, and elect interim leaders  He was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party at the time of the merger 
Date campaign announced: May 16, 2016
Policies
Advocates modernizing democratic institutions and strengthening the independence of MPs and parliamentary committees 
Calls for the privatization of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's (CMHC) mortgage insurance and securitization business, a measure he says will make housing more affordable in Canada 
Supports introducing a revenue neutral carbon tax  Chong's plan would phase in a carbon tax over a decade, while immediately cutting taxes by $18 billion and getting rid of green regulations and subsidies 
Believes that Canada needs an evidence-based immigration policy that would put economic interests at the forefront  He has criticized face-to-face values screening as a divisive tactic 

Kellie Leitch
BackgroundKellie Leitch, 52, was the MP for Simcoe—Grey, Ontario (2011–2019) and Shadow Minister of Health (2015–2016)  In the Harper cabinet, she was Minister of Labour and the Status of Women (2013–2015)  She is an orthopaedic pediatric surgeon at SickKids Hospital and an associate professor at the University of Toronto 
Date campaign announced: April 6, 2016
Policies
Supports the decriminalization, but not legalization, of marijuana  Opposes a national tax on carbon emissions  Has suggested screening prospective immigrants using a "Canadian values" test  Described Donald J  Trump's win of the American presidency as an "exciting message and one that we need delivered in Canada as well " Urged by hundreds of health professionals to honour her medical oath and work against Canada's controversial asbestos industry, remained silent on the issue  Calls for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to be defunded and dismantled with the exception of the provision of emergency services to rural and remote parts of Canada 

Pierre Lemieux
BackgroundPierre Lemieux, 60, is the former MP for Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, Ontario (2006–2015)  In the Harper government he was the Parliamentary Secretary for Official Languages (2007–2008), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture (2008–2015), and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs (2015) 
Date campaign announced: August 22, 2016
Endorsements
MPs:
Senators:
Provincial politicians:
Municipal politicians:
Former MPs:
Former Senators:
Former provincial politicians:
Former municipal politicians:
Other prominent individuals:
Organizations: (3)Campaign Life Coalition
Canadian Taxpayers Federation Generation Screwed project,
Right NowPolicies
Running as a social conservative, highlighting his opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage  Lemieux does not believe that screening potential immigration candidates to Canada would make Canada any safer  In March 2017, Pierre Lemieux received a rating of C− from the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights for his policies on firearms ownership in Canada 

Deepak Obhrai
BackgroundDeepak Obhrai, 73, was the MP for Calgary Forest Lawn, Alberta (2015–2019), and represented Calgary East, Alberta (1997–2015), was Shadow Minister of International Development (2015–2016), and was the Dean of the Conservative Caucus  In the Harper government he was the Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs (2006–2015)  Obhrai was a member of the Canadian Alliance at the time of the merger 

Date campaign announced: July 14, 2016
Endorsements
MPs:
Senators:
Provincial politicians:
Municipal politicians:
Former MPs: (2)Corneliu Chisu (Pickering—Scarborough East, 2011–2015)
Joe Daniel (Don Valley East, 2011–2015)Former Senators:
Former provincial politicians:
Former municipal politicians:
Other prominent individuals:
Organizations: (1)Canadian Taxpayers Federation Generation Screwed projectMedia:
Withdrawn Endorsements: (2)Julian Fantino (Former MP for Vaughan, 2010–2015)
Martin Shields (MP for Bow River)Policies
Advocates a more inclusive party  Had promised to withdraw in favour of Peter MacKay if he were to run  He wants to increase the number of privately sponsored refugees and cut the number of government-sponsored refugees 

Erin O'Toole
BackgroundErin O'Toole, 50, is the MP for Durham, Ontario (2012–present) and was Shadow Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (2015–2016) for the Conservative Party in Opposition  Previously, he served as Minister of Veterans Affairs (2015) 
Date campaign announced: October 14, 2016 
Policies
O'Toole policies wants to give tax credits for youth underemployment and student debt  He wants to restructure temporary foreign worker and provincial nominee programs 

Rick Peterson
BackgroundRick Peterson, 61, is a venture capitalist, party fundraiser, the principal of Peterson Capital, and a former candidate for leadership of the British Columbia Conservative Party  He was a member of the Progressive Conservatives at the time of the merger 
Date campaign announced: October 18, 2016
Endorsements
MPs:
Senators:
Provincial politicians:
Municipal politicians:
Former MPs: (1)Bill Clarke (Vancouver Quadra, 1973–1984)Former Senators:
Former provincial politicians:
Former municipal politicians:
Other prominent individuals: (3)Brian Day (Canadian Medical Association President, 2006–2008)
Karen Mortfield (Press Secretary to the Ontario PC Leader, 1990–1993)
Mark Mullins (Former Fraser Institute President)Organizations: (1)Canadian Taxpayers Federation Generation Screwed projectPolicies
Advocates a flat federal income tax rate of 15% and eliminating corporate income taxes and raising the GST to 9%  Supports boosting terrorist surveillance and enhance security screening for immigrants 
Advocates offering citizenship to almost 250,000 skilled workers a year by 2022, triple today's levels, and to 35,000 business people, more than five times today's level while freezing refugee integration to the levels of Harper Era 
Would reform health care provincial transfer payments and equalization payments 
Calls for Canada Revenue Agency to withdraw from Quebec and to transfer the administration and collection of the income tax in the province to Revenue Quebec 
Would take Canada out of the UN firearms marking scheme and to allow open carry of restricted firearms in the bush  Received a rating of C− from the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights for his policies and a rating of C from the National Firearms Association 

Lisa Raitt
BackgroundLisa Raitt, 55, was the MP for Milton, Ontario (2015–2019), previously Halton, Ontario (2008–2015) and the former Shadow Minister of Finance (2015–2016), Minister of Transport (2013–2015), Minister of Labour (2010–2013), Minister of Natural Resources (2008–2010), President and CEO of the Toronto Port Authority (2002–2008)  Stepped down from shadow cabinet on October 14, 2016, to prepare for leadership bid 
Date campaign announced: November 2, 2016
 
Policies
Opposes Leitch's proposal to screen immigrants for "anti-Canadian values"  She will "introduce balanced budgets, repeal carbon pricing legislation and prioritize the development of Canada's natural resources "Firearms policy   In March 2017, Raitt received a rating of C+ from the Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights for her policies on firearms ownership in Canada   In April, she received a rating of D from the National Firearms Association 

Andrew Saxton
BackgroundAndrew Saxton, 59, is the former Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance (2013–2015), Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and for Western Economic Diversification (2011–2013), MP for North Vancouver (2008–2015), former chief executive officer of King George Financial Corporation 
Date campaign announced: October 18, 2016
Endorsements
MPs:
Senators:
Provincial politicians:
Municipal politicians:
Former MPs: (3)Joyce Bateman (Winnipeg South Centre, 2011–2015)
John Duncan (Vancouver Island North, 1993–2006, 2008–2015)
John Fraser (Vancouver South, 1972–1993; Speaker of the House of Commons, 1986–1993)Former Senators: (1)Noël Kinsella (New Brunswick, 1990–2014; Speaker of the Senate, 2006–2014)Former provincial politicians:
Former municipal politicians:
Other prominent individuals:
Organizations: (1)Canadian Taxpayers Federation Generation Screwed projectMedia: (1)David Holmes Black (Black Press Owner)Policies
Saxton's campaign is an economic platform  He plans on lowering taxes and balancing the budget 

Andrew Scheer
BackgroundAndrew Scheer, 44, Opposition House Leader (2015–2016), MP for Regina—Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan (2004–present), Speaker of the House of Commons (2011–2015)  Scheer was a member of the Canadian Alliance at the time of the merger 

Date campaign announced: September 28, 2016
 
Policies
Running as an "unapologetic" Conservative who can unite all wings of the party  He is "committed" to lower taxes, fiscal responsibility, and "compassion"  Scheer believes that there should be a "more robust screening process " Scheer is pro-life, but doesn't intend to bring any legislation on the topic  Scheer advocates for immigration based process, economic indicators, and "what our society needs "

Brad Trost
BackgroundBrad Trost, 49, was the MP for Saskatoon—University, (2015–2019) and Saskatoon—Humboldt (2004–2015) previously  He was appointed Official Opposition Critic for Canada-U S  Relations (2015–2016) following the 2015 election  Prior to election, Trost worked as an exploration geophysicist (prospector) in natural resources extraction in the north  He was also an active participant in his family's mixed grain, oilseeds and beef cattle farm operation  In his first Parliament, he founded the Conservative Party Energy Caucus and pushed for the re-creation of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources  He has served on the Standing Committees on International Trade and on Industry, and was elected vice-chair of the Canada-U S  Parliamentary Association 
Date campaign announced: August 16, 2016
Endorsements
MPs:
Senators:
Provincial politicians:
Municipal politicians:
Former MPs: (2)Leon Benoit (Vegreville—Wainwright, 1993–2015),
Maurice Vellacott (Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, 1997–2015)Former provincial politicians:
Former municipal politicians:
Other prominent individuals:
Organizations: (2)Campaign Life Coalition,
Canadian Taxpayers Federation Generation Screwed projectMedia:
Policies
Running as a social conservative, opposes a carbon tax, transgender bathrooms, tax increases generally, assisted suicide and abortion, deficit financing, and legalization of marijuana  Has been outspoken against abortion and against same-sex marriage and argued unsuccessfully at the 2016 Conservative policy convention to retain the party's definition of marriage as "the Union of one man and one woman"  Advocates privatization of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation 

Withdrawn candidates
Tony Clement
BackgroundTony Clement, 62, is the MP for Parry Sound—Muskoka, Ontario (2006–2019) and has been Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs (2015–2016), President of the Treasury Board (2011–2015), Minister of Industry (2008–2011), Minister of Health (2006–2008), and a 2004 leadership candidate, placing third  He was an MPP in the Ontario legislature (1995–2003) and a provincial cabinet minister (1997–2003) under Premiers Mike Harris and Ernie Eves  Clement also ran for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario in 2002, placing third 
Date campaign announced: July 12, 2016
Date withdrawn: October 12, 2016
Endorsements
MPs:
Senators: (1)Leo Housakos (Quebec; Speaker of the Senate, 2015)Provincial politicians:
Municipal politicians:
Former MPs: (1)Brad Butt (Mississauga—Streetsville, 2011–2015)Former Senators:
Former provincial politicians: (1)Gary Mar (Alberta MLA for Calgary Nose Creek, 1993–2004, and Calgary-Mackay, 2004–2007)Former municipal politicians: (1)Stephen Sparling (Halton Regional Councillor for Oakville, 1991–2000)Other prominent individuals: (2)Sandra Buckler (Director of Communications, Prime Minister's Office 2006–2008),
John Capobianco (FleishmanHillard National Lead)Organizations:
Media:
Other information
Said he would bring in coherent environmental policies in the wake of the Paris climate change accord, end government subsidies to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation  Withdrew after he was unable to meet fundraising targets he'd set for his campaign 
Later endorsed Maxime Bernier 

Daniel Lindsay
BackgroundDaniel Lindsay, 60, president of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba, radiologist, has done five tours as a civilian medical specialist with the Canadian Armed Forces, including in Kandahar, Afghanistan 
Date campaign announced: May 25, 2016
Date withdrawn: December 28, 2016
Endorsements
MPs:
Senators: (1)Betty Unger (Alberta)Provincial politicians:
Municipal politicians:
Former MPs:
Former Senators:
Former provincial politicians:
Former municipal politicians:
Other prominent individuals:
Organizations:
Media:
Other information
Withdrew after he was unable to fundraise enough money to meet December 31 deadline for paying the party the $50,000 leadership campaign compliance fee  Later endorsed Erin O'Toole 

Kevin O'Leary
Kevin O'Leary, 68, is a businessman, investor, journalist, writer, financial commentator and Emmy award-winning television personality 

Policies
O'Leary supported using a "big stick" federally in order to bring provincial governments in-line with federal policies, cutting waste in military spending, supports a peacekeeping role for the military, cutting carbon emissions through criminal sanctions rather than a carbon tax, supports current immigration policy but also wishes to "fast-track" the citizenship applications of skilled immigrants, asserted he would support LGBTQI people, legalize marijuana and defend reproductive rights 
Date campaign announced: January 18, 2017
Date withdrawn: April 26, 2017
Other information
O'Leary withdrew from the election despite polls showing he was the frontrunner  He stated that while he believed he could win the leadership election, he would be unable to defeat Justin Trudeau in the next federal election due to his inability to speak French fluently and his lack of support in Quebec  He endorsed Maxime Bernier  As his withdrawal took place after the deadline, O'Leary remained on the final leadership ballot 

Adrienne Snow
BackgroundAdrienne Snow, 49, Toronto-based communications consultant, former director of policy for National Foundation for Family Research and Education  Former executive director of Centre for the Study of Civic Renewal  Announced on August 23, 2016, that she intended to be a candidate but failed to register and announced in January that she was ending her campaign 
Date campaign announced: August 23, 2016
Date withdrawn: January 4, 2017

Declined
Rona Ambrose – Interim Leader of the CPC and Leader of the Official Opposition (2015–2017), MP for Sturgeon River—Parkland (2015–2017) and Edmonton—Spruce Grove, Alberta (2004–2015), Minister of Health (2013–2015), Minister of Public Works and Government Services (2010–2013), Minister of Labour (2008–2010), Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs (2007–2008), Minister of the Environment (2006–2007)  Ambrose is barred from running for permanent leader due to her position as interim leader and has declined interest in the permanent position 
John Baird – MP for Ottawa West—Nepean, Ontario (2006–2015), Minister of Foreign Affairs (2011–2015), Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (2010–2011), Minister of the Environment (2007–2008, 2010–2011), Minister of Transport (2008–2010), President of the Treasury Board, (2006–2007), Ontario Progressive Conservative Party MPP (1995–2005) and provincial cabinet minister (1999–2003) 
Candice Bergen – Opposition House Leader (2016–2020), Shadow Minister of Natural Resources (2015–2016), State for Social Development (2013–2015), MP for Portage—Lisgar, Manitoba (2008–present) 
Paul Calandra – Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister of Canada and for Intergovernmental Affairs (2013–2015), MP for Oak Ridges—Markham, Ontario (2008–2015) Endorsed Scheer 
Jean Charest – Premier of Quebec (2003–2012), Leader of the Quebec Liberal Party (1998–2012), Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (1993–1998), Deputy Prime Minister of Canada (1993), Minister of the Environment (1991–1993), MP for Sherbrooke (1984–1998)
Christy Clark – Premier of British Columbia (2011–2017), Leader of the B C  Liberal Party (2011–2017)
Gérard Deltell – Quebec lieutenant and Shadow Finance Minister (2016–present), Shadow Minister of Employment and Workforce Labour (2015–2016), MP for Louis-Saint-Laurent, Quebec (2015–present), Quebec MNA for Chauveau (2008–2015) and leader of the Action démocratique du Québec (2009–2012)  Endorsed O'Toole 
Ed Fast – Shadow Minister for the Environment (2015–present), MP for Abbotsford, British Columbia (2006–present), Minister of International Trade (2011–2015)  Endorsed O'Toole 
Doug Ford – former Toronto city councillor (2010–2014) and mayoral candidate (2014) 
Daniel Fournier – real estate development and investor 
Jason Kenney – Chair of Shadow Cabinet Committee on Strategic Operations (2015–2016), MP for Calgary Midnapore, Alberta (2015–2016) and Calgary Southeast, Alberta (1997–2015), Minister of National Defence (2015), Minister for Multiculturalism (2013–2015), Minister of Employment and Social Development (2013–2015), Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (2008–2013)
Bernard Lord – Premier of New Brunswick (1999–2006), Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick (1997–2006)
Peter MacKay – MP for Central Nova, Nova Scotia (2004–2015) and Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, Nova Scotia (1997–2004), Minister of Justice and Attorney General (2013–2015), Minister of National Defence (2007–2013), Minister of Foreign Affairs (2006–2007), Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party (2003)
Caroline Mulroney – investment management executive, daughter of former prime minister Brian Mulroney 
Mark Mulroney – head of capital equity markets at the National Bank of Canada, son of former prime minister Brian Mulroney 
James Moore – MP for Port Moody—Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, British Columbia (2000–2004) and Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, British Columbia (2004–2015), Minister of Industry (2013–2015), Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages (2008–2013)  Elected as a Canadian Alliance MP in 2000 
Michelle Rempel – Shadow Minister of Immigration (2015–present), MP for Calgary Nose Hill, Alberta (2015–present) and Calgary Centre-North, Alberta (2011–2015), Minister of Western Economic Diversification (2013–2015)
Brad Wall – Premier of Saskatchewan (2007–2018), Leader of the Saskatchewan Party (2004–2018) 
Dianne Watts – Shadow Minister of Infrastructure & Communities (2015–present), MP for South Surrey—White Rock, British Columbia (2015–present), Mayor of Surrey (2004–2015) Endorsed O'Toole 

Opinion polling
Some of the polls below were conducted before nominations for the leadership closed and therefore include potential candidates for the leadership race  Rona Ambrose, as interim leader, is ineligible to run for the permanent leadership unless there is a change to the party's constitution 

Conservative Party members
Conservative Party supporters
All Canadians
See also
2017 United Conservative Party leadership election
2017 New Democratic Party leadership election
Passage 8:
Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu
Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu (born February 12, 1949) is a Canadian politician and victim's rights activist, who was appointed to the Senate of Canada on January 29, 2010 on the advice of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, representing the province of Quebec under the banner of the Conservative Party of Canada 

Career
Boisvenu is the founding president of the Murdered or Missing Persons' Families' Association, which he founded after the 2002 kidnaping, forcible confinement, rape and murder of his daughter Julie 
In 2006, the Association that he leads won a battle for the rights of victims of crime with the adoption of Bill 25 by the National Assembly of Quebec  This bill provides better compensation for victims of crime He is also co-founder of the Le Nid centre, a shelter for abused women in Val-d'Or, and of a camp for underprivileged youth in Estrie Professionally, Boisvenu is a former provincial civil servant in Quebec, and was regional director for the Department of Recreation, Game and Fisheries and for the Department of the Environment before becoming Deputy Minister for the Department of Regions Boisvenu has a bachelor's degree in educational psychology from the Université de Montréal and a master's degree in administration from L'École nationale d'administration publique in Quebec City Boisvenu serves on the following  committees: Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs; Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications and the Standing Committee on National Security and Defence 
He sponsored both government and private Members’ bills: Bill C-37 (Increasing Offenders’ Accountability for Victims Act); Bill C-23 (Eliminating Pardons for Serious Crimes Act); Bill C-310 (An Act to amend the Criminal Code-trafficking in persons), Bill C-316 (An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act - incarceration); Bill C-293 (An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act-vexatious complainants); Bill C-452 (An Act to amend the Criminal Code - exploitation and trafficking in persons) and Bill C-479 (An Act to bring Fairness for the Victims of Violent Offenders]) 
On February 24, 2015, he introduces Bill C-32 ([An Act to Enact the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights and to amend certain Acts) 
In February 2012, Boisvenu, a key Conservative spokesman on crime issues, stated that convicted murderers should be given the choice of suicide rather than spending life in jail  He retracted the statement after it sparked controversy and later issued an apology "if his comment offended people whose close ones committed suicide" In June 2013, it was reported that a Senate ethics complaint was filed against Boisvenu  The complaints relate to Boisvenu using his position of senator to influence the clerk of the Senate and another Senator to arrange a job and time off for his assistant, with whom he had a romantic relationship  Furthermore, objections were raised because of Boisvenu's six-month delay in complying with a previous ethics order In June 2014, Senate ethics officer Lyse Ricard found that Boisvenu had acted inappropriately by renewing his assistant's contract while the two were involved in a relationship, and that he also violated the code by promising her a two-week period of sick leave between jobs  He then contacted Senate clerk Gary O'Brien and Senate leader David Tkachuk in a bid to have the time off counted as sick leave and not vacation time  However, Ricard concluded that Boisvenu was responsible for "an error of judgment made in good faith" and did not recommend he be sanctioned  In 2012, there were media reports that, after his divorce, Boisvenu continued to charge the Senate for $20,000 in out-of-town living expenses, even though he had left his home in Sherbrooke, Quebec, and was living in Gatineau, Quebec Boisvenu resigned from the Conservative caucus in June 2015 after learning that he is the subject of an RCMP investigation into his expense claims  He was readmitted to the Conservative caucus on November 22, 2016 after the RCMP decided not to lay charges against the Senator 

Alleged links to the far-right
In 2017, it was reported that Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu was a member of Facebook group for "PEGIDA Quebec" and the group for La Meute  Although Boisvenu actively participated in both groups, he later said joined one group "by accident" and the other "out of curiosity"  He initially insisted he would remain a member, but later left the two groups  Conservative Senator Leo Housakos distanced himself from Boisvenu: "In the case of Mr  Boisvenu, it seems that he's decided to endorse certain organizations that are blatantly racist, and unfortunately that doesn't represent at all who we are in the Conservative caucus "In 2019, Boisvenu was found to be actively participating in the far-right Facebook groups "Canadian Coalition of Concerned Citizens (C4)" and Yellow Vests Canada In May 2018, and again in February 2019, Boisvenu gave an interview on YouTube Channel "Le Stu-Dio", which promotes far-right conspiracy theories, including the 9/11 truther movement 

Personal life
Boisvenu founded the "Murdered or Missing Persons' Families' Association" after the 2002 kidnapping, forcible confinement, rape and murder of his daughter Julie  Boisvenu then began advocating for the rights of victims of crime, especially for the families of murdered or missing persons  In 2004, he co-founded with three other fathers of missing or murdered women, the association 
In 2005, his second daughter, Isabelle, died in a car accident 
Passage 9:
Congress of the New Right
The Congress of the New Right (Polish: Kongres Nowej Prawicy, Nowa Prawica or just KNP) is an economically libertarian, socially conservative and Eurosceptic political party in Poland  The party was founded on 25 March 2011 by Janusz Korwin-Mikke, from the merger of the Liberty and Lawfulness (WiP) with several members of the Real Politics Union (UPR)  The former leader Korwin-Mikke was ousted from the party in 2015, upon revelations that he had fathered 2 children out of wedlock  The party assumed the official name Congress of the New Right on 12 May 2011 

History
The political organisation KNP was founded by supporters of Liberty and Lawfulness leader, Janusz Korwin-Mikke, who finished fourth in the 2010 Polish presidential election, receiving 2 5% votes (over 400,000)  Taking advantage of his rising popularity, a group of political activists derived from both the former party of Janusz Korwin-Mikke, the Real Politics Union, and the Liberty and Lawfulness (dissolved three days earlier), came together on 9 October 2010 to form a new party: the "Real Politics Union – Liberty and Lawfulness"  The new party took part in the 2010 local Polish elections, represented by commissioner Tomasz Sommer   The committee put forward candidates in thirteen voivodeships  The "Congress of the New Right" equaled the results of its leader in two voivodeships, Lesser Poland (2 69%) and Mazovia (2 32%)  In terms of overall country-wide votes, the party concluded the election at seventh place  The committee had candidates for the position of mayor in some main cities in Poland in the same 2010 elections  Janusz Korwin-Mikke ended fourth in the mayoral election in Warsaw, gaining 3 90% of the eligible votes  Afterwards, the new party, the Congress of the New Right was founded on 25 March 2011, a day after the "Real Politics Union – Liberty and Lawfulness" had ceased to exist 

Activity
The first meeting of the new party was held on 16 April 2011 in the Palace of Culture and Science  Over 2,000 sympathizers attended the meeting, including notable people like Krzysztof Rybiński, Andrzej Sośnierz, Krzysztof Bosak, Romuald Szeremietiew, Stanisław Michalkiewicz or Tomasz Sommer  One month later, "Congress of the New Right" was formally acknowledged on 12 April 2011 as a new name of the party 
The Congress registered an electoral committee under the name "Nowa Prawica - Janusz Korwin Mikke" for the upcoming 2011 parliamentary elections  The National Election Committee ("Państwowa Komisja Wyborcza", PKW) accepted the party in 21 of 41 electoral districts, refusing the Congress to enlist for the rest on the grounds of not delivering a 'list of supporters' on time  The decision was generally received as controversial  The PKW rejected to submit motives of the refusal despite being constitutionally obliged to do so  This move effectively denied the Congress of the New Right access to the Polish Parliament as it effectively had to receive twice the votes of the constitutional threshold of five percent in order to be elected to the Polish Parliament  The party could not put forward candidates in most of the largest cities in Poland, including Warsaw, where Janusz Korwin-Mikke was denied enlistment  Representatives of other parties (UPR, LPR and others) were put on the lists of the Congress of the New Right  In the elections to the Polish Senate the party was allowed to put forward candidates on 10 out of 100 electoral districts (the number of electoral districts differ for the Polish Parliament and the Polish Senate)  The elections were disastrous for the party as it received merely 1 06% votes (151 837), a result that placed it at seventh place  Therefore, none of the party's candidates were voted into the Senate 
On 9 January 2013 The KNP Youth Section was officially founded  Access is granted to both young adults as well as those who have not reached the age of majority (18) 
In the 2015 party's leader Janusz Korwin-Mikke, along with party's MP Przemysław Wipler and MEP Robert Iwaszkiewicz split into Liberty, whose leader became Janusz Korwin-Mikke 
In the parliamentary election in 2015 KNP stood for the Sejm from the lists of Kukiz'15, gaining 1 MP 

Aims
KNP is against interfering with the current election system  It calls for enacting a new libertarian-minded constitution, reduction of the size of the Polish Parliament and forming a State Council, which would replace the Parliament as the legislative branch  KNP is also in favor of more regional autonomy The party's main priorities are lowering taxes (including the abolition of income tax) and reducing the national debt by cutting down social programs and allowing the economy to flourish KNP is for the total decriminalisation of using and producing drugs KNP is for establishing a presidential system instead of the current parliamentary system 
KNP opposes same-sex marriage The party is for the restoration of capital punishment [10]The party supports Polish withdrawal from the European Union and wants to maintain the Polish zloty and to make it a gold-based currency 
KNP is anti-abortion only allowing in case of risk for the mother's life 

Election results
Sejm
Senate
Presidential
Regional assemblies
European Parliament
Footnotes
Further reading
Bachrynowski, Szymon (2015)  "Between Europe and Russia: The Foreign Policy of Janusz Korwin-Mikke's New Right in Poland"  The Polish Quarterly of International Affairs (2): 135–144 
Szczerbiak, Aleks (10 June 2014)  "The Congress of the New Right is the latest anti-establishment party to have success in Poland, but it may struggle to secure long-term support"  EUROPP — European Politics and Policy blog  London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) 

External links
Official website (in Polish)
Passage 10:
Patrick Brown (politician)
Patrick Brown may refer to:

Patrick Brown (cricketer) (born 1998), English cricketer
Patrick Brown (ice hockey) (born 1992), American ice hockey player
Patrick Brown (journalist), British-Canadian journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Patrick Brown (Canadian politician) (born 1978), Canadian politician and mayor of Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Patrick Brown (Northern Irish politician), Northern Irish politician
Patrick Brown (photographer) (born 1969), Australian photojournalist, recipient of World Press Award 2018
Sleepy Brown (Patrick Brown, born 1970), American R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer
Patrick O  Brown (born 1954), American professor of biochemistry at Stanford University
Patrick (Bischoff) Brown (born 1978), American engineer, producer and studio owner
Patrick Brown (American football) (born 1986), American football offensive tackle
Patsy Brown (Patrick A  Brown, 1872–1958), Irish-American maker of the uilleann pipes

See also
Pat Brown (disambiguation)
Patrick Browne (disambiguation)
Sir Patrick Broun, 1st Baronet (c  1630–1688), of the Broun baronets
Brown (surname), a surname of English and Scottish origin
Context 2: Passage 1:
Con-Test
Con-Test is the fifth album by FM, a progressive rock band from Toronto, Canada, released in 1985 

Background
In 1983, former group member Nash the Slash proposed a future double bill tour with FM, as the two artists seemed to share a common audience  FM's best known previous album was Black Noise which he made with them in 1977   But they had not yet found a replacement for Ben Mink who had replaced Nash in 1977, and then left the group in 1983   Nash resolved the problem by rejoining the band, although work on a new album, even in its demo phase, did not begin until May 1984   Con-Test has the same band line-up as Black Noise 
FM's former record company, Passport Records, ceased operations in 1984   Nash had been signed to Quality Records as a solo artist in 1983, and was about to release his solo album American Band-ages, which the proposed double bill tour was to promote   He was able to use his association with Quality to get FM signed to the label as well 
The double bill concept was retained, with Nash playing a solo set as the opening act for most FM concerts from 1983 to 1989 
Former group member Ben Mink also appears on the album, albeit as a guitarist 

Title and artwork
The album was titled Con-Test after the group ran a contest to come up with something that "FM" might stand for, and its cover art featured fine print listing several hundred submissions including Fluent Monkeys, Flunk Math, Floyd Meddle, Fashion Magazine, Free Money, Forgiven Mistake, Facing Mecca, False Mammaries, and so on   (One intriguing entry is "Framed Mulroney" which would appear to reference the scandals surrounding then-Prime Minister Brian Mulroney; however, these incidents did not occur until years later )
Despite the absence of pictorial graphics, the cover art was credited to surrealist painter Robert Vanderhorst, who has frequently collaborated with Nash the Slash on multi-media presentations from 1978 to the 2000s 

Releases
The album was initially available on Quality Records in 1985 (catalogue number SV-2138), but the label ceased operations in 1986, after more than 35 years of business   They had been Canada's biggest domestic label in the 1950s and 1960s 
MCA Records picked up the reissue rights for Con-Test, as well as Nash's American Band-ages in 1986, but the abrupt change in record labels led to a near-absence of promotion for both records 
Duke Street Records would release FM's next album, Tonight on vinyl and CD   This was FM's first CD release   The CD edition included five bonus tracks taken from Con-Test (tracks 1 to 4, and 6)   This acquisition of the rights to Con-Test led to a CD edition of the full album on Duke Street in 1987, but Duke Street did not reissue it on vinyl 

Track listing
All tracks composed by Cameron Hawkins, Martin Deller, and Nash the Slash—except where noted  All tracks arranged by FM and Michael Waite 

Side one"Just Like You" (Hawkins, Deller, Slash, Waite) – 4:05
"We Hold On" – 4:35
"All of the Dreams" – 4:05
"Until the Night Is Over" – 3:50
"The Only Way to Win" – 3:46Side two"Why Don't You Take It" – 4:10
"Distant Early Warning" – 4:08
"Friends and Neighbours" – 4:33
"Stop!" (Hawkins, Deller, Slash, Waite) – 5:00

Personnel
Nash the Slash – lead and background vocals, electric mandolin, electric violin, harmonica
Cameron Hawkins – lead and background vocals, synthesizers, bass guitar
Martin Deller – drums, electronic percussion

Guests
Ben Mink – electric guitars
Rob Yale – Fairlight C M I 
Glen Johansen and David Moses – background vocals on "Distant Early Warning"

Technical credits
Produced by Michael Waite for Eye to Ear Productions
Bed tracks recorded at Manta Sound, engineered by John Naslin assisted by Ron Searls and Mark Baldi
Overdubs recorded at Metal Works, engineered by Glen Johansen assisted by Noel Golden
Mixed at Manta Sound, engineered by John Naslin assisted by Mark Baldi and Mike Duncan
Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk, New York City
Robert Vanderhorst – cover art

Singles
"Just Like You" – 1985 (Canadian chart #38)
"All of the Dreams" – 1986 (Canadian chart #86)
"Why Don't You Take It" / "Just Like You" – MCA 52840, 1986 (issued with cover, Canadian chart #90)The latter record was also issued as a 12-inch single on MCA 23634 with alternate versions:

"Why Don't You Take It (Flight Mix)" (Hawkins, Deller, Slash) – total 6:27
"Intro (Taxi)" – 0:50
"The Tune (Take Off)" – 5:37
"Just Like You (Fun Mix)" (Hawkins, Deller, Slash, Waite) – 7:06

Demo recordings
Demo versions of four songs for Con-Test appeared on FM's Lost in Space CD on Cut-throat Records in 2001, recorded at Cut-throat Studios in May 1984   Cut-throat is Nash's own record company and studio   These include a cover version of "It's My Life", a song by The Animals from 1965, that did not make it to the album 
In the liner notes, Nash the Slash heavily criticizes the production of the Con-Test versions, preferring the demos   He states that he reluctantly took over the lead vocals from Hawkins on "Friends and Neighbours" between the demo and Con-Test versions, at the insistence of the producer (Waite), and characterizes the LP version of this song as "bastardized" 
"The Only Way to Win" (Hawkins, Deller, Slash) – 3:05
"Friends and Neighbours" (Hawkins, Deller, Slash) – 4:03
"It's My Life" (Roger Atkins, Carl D'Errico) – 3:20
"Why Don't You Take It" (Hawkins, Deller, Slash) – 4:42
Passage 2:
National Car Test
The National Car Test (Irish: An tSeirbhís Náisiúnta Tástála Carranna; abbreviated NCT) is a roadworthiness test, which all cars in Ireland must undergo  Following a tender process, the Road Safety Authority awarded the National Car Testing Service contract for the operation of the vehicle inspection service in the Republic of Ireland to Applus 

History
The National Car Test (the NCT) was introduced in 2000, since then all cars four years and older must undergo an NCT  The NCT due date is calculated by reference to the date of first registration of the car, with tests due every two years for cars younger than 10 years  Annual Testing was introduced in June 2011 and is now a legal requirement for vehicles that present for their 10th anniversary test and each subsequent test  Vehicles can be inspected up to 90 days in advance of the anniversary of the registration date  The waiting lists have proven to be long, with even the 'priority list' taking in excess of a month 

Procedure
The NCT is available in 47 centres around the Republic of Ireland  and it tests various aspects of cars for safety, including tyres, brakes and shock absorbers  It also tests the exhaust fumes for compliance with EU emissions standards  Other safety features, such as the spare tyre, seat belts and lights are also checked 
As of 2012, the fee for the NCT is €55 for a full test, and €28 for a re-test that requires testing equipment (e g  emission levels, aiming of headlights, etc )  Re-tests that do not require the use of test equipment (such as obscured registration plate, faulty windscreen wiper, etc ) are free of charge  However, if a confirmed appointment is cancelled with less than five working days' notice (Mon  - Fri , not including the day of the test or the day you contact NCTS), or failure to show up for the test, a €22 00 surcharge will be applied when the car is next brought in for testing  A similar surcharge of €11 50 will apply in the case of a re-test 
Upon successful completion of the test a valid NCT certificate is issued and this must be displayed on the front windscreen of the vehicle 
A driver without a valid NCT on their car will incur three penalty points and a fine of €60, if paid within the first 28 days, and €90 if paid within the following 28 days  Thereafter, if the fine is not paid, a court appearance becomes mandatory and if convicted, five penalty points and a fine will be imposed by the court  This system was introduced on December 8, 2014, where previously all offenders were immediately faced with a mandatory court appearance and five penalty points upon conviction, in addition to a fine  Enforcement is the responsibility of the Garda Síochána  Local authorities can (in theory) refuse to issue a tax disc to a vehicle not having an NCT certificate and insurance companies could (in theory) declare cover for an untested (or failed) vehicle invalid 
There are exemptions for certain categories of vehicles such as vintage cars (registered before 1980) and vehicles based permanently on some offshore Islands 
NCTS centres are run by Applus Car Testing Services, who are independent of the motor industry 
If applicants cannot get an NCT appointment within 28 days of applying for it, the test is undertaken free of charge  This is assuming that the applicant:

Has not declined another appointment more than twice at a centre of their choosing 
Has not previously accepted a booking outside of the 4 week period 

Statistics
In August 2017 the Irish Sunday Independent reported that the best performing car in 2016 tests was the Nissan Juke and the worst the Hyundai Trajet  The same article revealed the existence of a data visualisation of 2016 NCT results 

Similar tests
In Northern Ireland, motor vehicles are subject to the MOT test, which is the standard in the United Kingdom 

See also
Vehicle inspection (general overview of roadworthiness tests around the world)
MOT test (UK)
Shaken (Japan)
Warrant of Fitness (New Zealand)
Passage 3:
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc , which later became part of Universal Music Group 

Pre-history
MCA Inc , a talent agency and television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 with the purchase of the New York-based US Decca Records (established in 1934), including Coral Records and Brunswick Records  MCA was forced to exit the talent agency business in order to complete the merger  As American Decca owned Universal Pictures, MCA assumed full ownership of Universal and made it into a top film studio, producing several hits  In 1966, MCA formed Uni Records and in 1967, purchased Kapp Records which was placed under Uni Records management 

History
The early years
In 1937, the owner of Decca, Edward R  Lewis, chose to split off the UK Decca company from the US company (keeping his US Decca holdings), fearing the financial damage that would arise for UK Companies if the emerging hostilities of Nazi Germany should lead to war – correctly foreseeing World War II  Lewis sold the remainder of his US Decca holdings when war did break out   US-based Decca Records kept the rights to the Decca name in North and South America and parts of Asia including Japan  UK Decca owned the rights to the Decca name in the rest of the world  After the war, British Decca formed a new US subsidiary, London Records 
During this time, American Decca issued records outside North America on the Brunswick and Coral labels  In 1962, MCA acquired American Decca and became a wholly owned subsidiary  In 1967, Brunswick and Coral were replaced by the MCA label, which was used to release US Decca and Kapp label material outside North America  Initial activity as MCA Records was based in London and MCA Records UK was formally launched on February 16, 1968  Among the early artists on the MCA label, around 1971, were groups Wishbone Ash, Osibisa, Stackridge and Budgie, and solo artists Tony Christie, Mick Greenwood and Roy Young Early MCA UK releases were distributed by Decca, but moved to EMI in 1974  As the US division of MCA Records was not established until 1972, the earliest UK MCA Records material was released in the US on either Kapp or Decca  MCA UK also issued American Brunswick material on the MCA label until 1972, two years after MCA lost control of Brunswick, after which American Brunswick material was issued in the UK on the revived Brunswick label  Uni label material was issued on the Uni label worldwide 

MCA Records formation in Canada and the United States
In 1970, MCA reorganized its Canadian record company Compo Company Ltd  into MCA Records (Canada)  In April 1970, former Warner Bros  Records president Mike Maitland joined MCA and initially served as Decca's general manager  Maitland was unsuccessful in his attempt to consolidate Warner Bros  Records with co-owned Atlantic Records which led to his departure from Warner 
In April 1971, Maitland supervised the consolidation of the New York-based Decca and Kapp labels plus the California-based Uni label into MCA Records based in Universal City, California, with Maitland serving as president  The three labels maintained their identities for a short time, but were retired in favor of the MCA label in 1973  "Drift Away" by Dobie Gray became the final Decca pop label release in the U S in 1973  Beginning the same year, the catalogs of Decca, Uni and Kapp were reissued in the US on the MCA label under the supervision of veteran Decca producer Milt Gabler 

Early success
The first MCA Records release in the US was former Uni artist Elton John's "Crocodile Rock" single in 1972, which appeared on a plain black and white label  
Immediately following this, the US MCA label used a black with curved rainbow design until the late 1970s  This design was directly inspired by the US Decca label of the 1960s 
In December 1972, Neil Diamond, another Uni artist, reached  superstar status with his first MCA release, the live multi-platinum Hot August Night  Elton John's double album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was released in October 1973 and was number one on the US Billboard 200 albums chart for eight straight weeks  The management of former Decca artists the Who had formed their own label Track Records in the UK, but were still under contract with MCA for US distribution  The Who's double album Quadrophenia was  released by Track/MCA also in October 1973  Quadrophenia peaked at number 2 as it was held back from the number 1 slot by Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 
Other successful artists on MCA, after the consolidation, included former Kapp artist Cher, and Uni artist Olivia Newton-John  MCA released the highly successful soundtrack album to the 1973 film The Sting  The soundtrack music was arranged and conducted by Marvin Hamlisch and won an Academy Award for Best Original Score (MCA issued many other soundtracks to films from Universal, along with some non-Universal films) 
One of the most successful MCA artists in this era was the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, who would become one of the most popular in the Southern rock genre  The group was discovered by Al Kooper and initially released on his "Sounds of the South" label imprint of MCA  The song "Free Bird" became one of the most popular songs of all time on album-oriented rock radio stations  On Second Helping, the group recorded a song about their relationship with the label called, "Workin' for MCA"  Street Survivors was released in October 1977, just prior to a tragic plane crash in which members of the group were either killed or severely injured  The original Street Survivors cover had a picture of the band members surrounded by flames, but this was quickly substituted for a design without flames  Though a latter version of the group enjoyed success, Lynyrd Skynyrd's streak of hits ended after the crash  Eventually, three Lynyrd Skynyrd albums reached the double platinum sales level and at least two others reached platinum or gold levels 
During the 1970s and 1980s, MCA profited from reissuing classic early rock and roll recordings made by artists who recorded for the numerous labels absorbed by MCA  One notable example was the 1954 Decca recording "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets, which was featured as the lead track of MCA's No  1-charting American Graffiti soundtrack album, and as a single returned to the American top 40 that year, 20 years after it was recorded 

Expansion and struggles
In 1977, MCA president Sidney Sheinberg set up the Infinity Records division, based in New York City with Ron Alexenberg as CEO  Alexenberg had been with the Epic division of CBS Records, now Sony Music Entertainment  The intention was to give MCA a stronger presence on the East Coast  The only big hit the Infinity label had was "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" by Rupert Holmes, a #1 single at the end of 1979  Infinity also had some success with Hot Chocolate, Spyro Gyra, New England and TKO  But MCA pulled the plug on Infinity after it failed to sell most of the 1 million advance copies of an album featuring Pope John Paul II in October 1979  Infinity was fully absorbed by the parent company in 1980 
In 1979, Bob Siner replaced Maitland as MCA Records president  Shortly afterwards, MCA acquired ABC Records along with its subsidiaries Paramount, Dunhill, Impulse!, Westminster, and Dot  ABC had acquired the Paramount and Dot labels when they purchased Gulf+Western's record labels and Famous Music Corp  Thus, MCA now controlled material once owned by Paramount Pictures, the music released by Paramount's record labels, and the pre-1950 films by Paramount as well 
Also included in this deal were recordings controlled by ABC, including albums by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers which were originally released by Shelter Records  Petty was furious about the reassignment of his contract and refused to record for MCA  This led to a series of lawsuits, which resulted in his bankruptcy in 1980  Petty and other ABC/Shelter artists eventually had their contracts transferred to the Backstreet Records label, which was distributed by MCA  ABC Records' independent distributors sued ABC and MCA for $1 3 million in damages for being stuck with unsold ABC recordings they could not return to MCA  The better selling ABC Records catalog albums were reissued on the MCA label MCA distribution in Europe and Asia moved to CBS in 1979, while releases in the 1980s were self-distributed, or through WEA  Distribution moved to  BMG during the 1990s 

The 1980s
The combined effects of the Infinity Records failure, the purchase of ABC, rising vinyl costs and a major slump in record sales produced tremendous losses for the company between 1979 and 1982  It was not until the mid-1980s that the record labels returned to significant profitability  In late 1980, MCA received negative publicity when it attempted to raise the list price of new releases by top selling artists from $8 98 to $9 98  This policy, known as "superstar pricing", ultimately failed  The Xanadu soundtrack album and Gaucho, by former ABC act Steely Dan, were the first releases with the higher list price  Backstreet artist Tom Petty succeeded in his campaign to force MCA to drop prices back to $8 98 for the release of his album Hard Promises, in May 1981 MCA had a distribution deal with the independent label Unicorn Records, which in turn signed an agreement with another rising independent label, SST Records to manufacture and distribute Black Flag's first album Damaged  Reportedly, MCA executive Al Bergman heard an advance copy of the album and refused to let MCA Distributing Inc  handle it, claiming that it was "an anti-parent record " The members of Black Flag found themselves covering the MCA Distributing logo on the first 25,000 copies with a sticker reading "As a parent    I found it an anti-parent record " SST Records partner Joe Carducci later claimed that Bergman's comments were actually a red herring for MCA to cut ties with Unicorn, which had not produced any successful releases; the fact that MCA would, not soon afterward, directly commission a new recording of "TV Party" from Black Flag and SST Records for the  Repo Man soundtrack seems to bear this out  Unicorn would later go out of business after going bankrupt, partially the result of a lawsuit between themselves and Black Flag 

Recovery, further expansion and MCA Music Entertainment Group
Irving Azoff became the head of MCA Records in 1983  Azoff is known as an experienced music industry veteran who received credit amongst MCA management and staff for saving the company from bankruptcy 
In 1983, rock musician Frank Zappa negotiated a distribution agreement for his Barking Pumpkin label with MCA  As the records were being manufactured, a woman in the quality control department objected to the lyrics of Zappa's album Thing-Fish  After this MCA cancelled the Zappa contract  At about the same time, Zappa publicly argued with members of the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) over censorship and warning stickers for albums with potentially offensive content  The experience with MCA prompted Zappa to create a satirical "WARNING/GUARANTEE" sticker of his own  Thing-Fish was released with Zappa's sticker in December 1984 under a new agreement with Capitol/EMI  Despite the conflict with Zappa, MCA later became the biggest label to oppose the PMRC and the use of warning stickers  In October 1985, Azoff said "Never will you find a sticker on one of our records "In the 1980s, MCA became commonly known as "Music Cemetery of America" due to a huge surplus of unprofitable records sitting unsold in MCA warehouses  A number of MCA associates, including Azoff and Zappa, disparaged the company in this way Starting in 1984, William Knoedelseder wrote a series of articles for the Los Angeles Times about the connections between organized crime and MCA  Knoedelseder told the story of mobster Sal Pisello and the corrupt deals he arranged with MCA for the liquidation sales of unsold cut-out recordings that had been deleted from the MCA catalog  The story was later adapted into the book Stiffed: A True Story of MCA, the Music Business, and the Mafia, which was published in 1993 
The Chess Records catalog was acquired from the remnants of Sugar Hill Records in 1985  Motown Records was bought in 1988  In the late 1980s, MCA formed Mechanic Records as a sub-label for releasing heavy metal music  Bands signed to Mechanic included Voivod, Dream Theater, Bang Tango, and Trixter  Another sub-label, called The Futurist Label, was created to release progressive rock and death metal albums MCA created a new holding company in 1989 called MCA Music Entertainment Group, headed by Al Teller, former President of United Artists Records, and Co-Chairman of Turf Classics, a concert production company, run by Producer Richard Flanzer  The same year the MCA Inc  parent company was purchased by the Matsushita group 
Azoff resigned from MCA in 1989 to form his own record label, Giant Records, now defunct   Richard Palmese was named president of MCA Records after Azoff in 1990 

The 1990s
GRP Records and Geffen Records were acquired in 1990  Unlike most of MCA's previous acquisitions, GRP (which began managing MCA's jazz holdings) and Geffen (which became a second mainstream subsidiary) labels kept their identities  MCA sold Motown Records to PolyGram in 1993 

Universal Music Group
In 1995, Seagram Company Ltd  acquired 80% of MCA   In November of that year, Teller was fired and replaced by former Warner Music Group head Doug Morris  Palmese left MCA a week later  Afterwards, Jay Boberg was named as the new president of MCA  On December 9, 1996, the new owners dropped the MCA name; the company became Universal Studios, Inc  and its music division, MCA Music Entertainment Group, was renamed Universal Music Group (UMG), headed by Morris 
In 1997, MCA Records adopted a new logo that featured the parent company's former full name  Many younger people had been unaware of what MCA had stood for in the past, hence the new logo  In conjunction with the new logo, the first MCA Records website was launched 
On May 21, 1998, Seagram acquired PolyGram (owner of British Decca) from Philips and merged it with Universal Music Group  Unlike several labels under PolyGram and UMG, who faced closure and job cuts of employees, MCA was the only label that was not affected by the merger  When Seagram's drinks business was bought by France-based Pernod Ricard, its media holdings (including Universal) were sold to Vivendi which became Vivendi Universal which was later renamed back to Vivendi SA after selling most of the entertainment division (which included Universal Pictures) to General Electric  Morris continued to head the combined company, still called Universal Music Group 

MCA label phaseout
On January 16, 2003, Jay Boberg resigned from his position as president of MCA Records  Boberg's resignation arrived in the wake of slumping sales at MCA, which had seen the label's overall album market share decline to just 2 61% in 2002, down from 9% the previous year  His demise was hastened by the relative commercial failure of Shaggy's Lucky Day, released in October 2002, which MCA hoped would sell well enough to turn around their declining fortunes  Richard Nichols, manager of The Roots, felt that MCA had been attempting to spend lots of money on different projects, and subsequently many acts on MCA were "underfinanced" by the label, leading to poor sales  Rob Hitt of Midtown (who was signed to MCA through Drive-Thru Records) stated that MCA had lost a substantial amount of money that year from investing in several unsuccessful bands Management of the label was subsequently handed over to the Interscope Geffen A&M umbrella label and Jimmy Iovine, although UMG chairman Doug Morris promised that MCA would continue to operate as a "full-service, free standing label"  Craig Lambert, previously the vice president of the label, was named as the interim head of MCA, with a successor expected to be chosen within a few months  Following Boberg's resignation, it was rumoured that MCA could possibly be merged into Universal Records, something which would have given the latter, New York City-based label a stronger presence in the West Coast of the United States On May 20, 2003, insider sources at Universal reporting to Billboard revealed that the MCA label was to be absorbed by sister UMG label Geffen Records by the end of the year  The reported reason behind the MCA brand phaseout was due to declining sales, as well as the MCA brand becoming "tarnished" by "a history of acquisitions and mergers"  On June 9, 2003, MCA laid off 75 of their staff, equivalent to a third of their personnel, although no employees from Geffen were let go  Geffen's president, Jordan Schur, was named president of the newly merged entity, which continued under the Geffen branding  In the subsequent months, the MCA name was phased out entirely  The last album to be released under the MCA Records branding was Twisted Method's Escape from Cape Coma, which was released on July 15, 2003 Today Universal Music Enterprises manages MCA's rock, pop, and urban back catalogues (including those from ABC Records and Famous Music Group) in conjunction with Geffen – UME and Geffen have re-released various albums from MCA in the years since, as well as several compilations  Its country music label MCA Nashville Records is still in operation, and is one of the only businesses using the MCA trademark as of 2016 along with MCA Records France (imprint of Universal Music France)  MCA's jazz catalogue is managed by Verve Records (through the Impulse! and GRP imprints, depending on whether the recording was acquired from ABC or not), while its classical music catalogue is managed by Deutsche Grammophon  MCA's musical theatre catalogue is managed by Decca Records on its Decca Broadway imprint 

Logos
Labels
MCA Records recording artists
Passage 4:
Ace Fu Records
Ace Fu Records is an independent record label founded in 1998 by Eric Speck  It is located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn  The label went on indefinite hiatus in 2007 

Roster
Acid Mothers Temple
Annuals
An Albatross
Aqui
The Dears
Devotchka
Ex Models
Illinois
Kaiser Chiefs
Man Man
Michael Leviton
Oneida
Officer May
Parts & Labor
Pinback
Priestess
Runner and the Thermodynamics
Secret Machines
The Sucka MCs
Ted Leo
Tunng

See also
List of record labels

External links
Official site
Passage 5:
EmArcy Records
EmArcy Records is a jazz record label founded in 1954 by the American Mercury Records  The name is a phonetic spelling of "MRC", the initials for Mercury Record Company During the 1950s and 1960s, musicians such as Max Roach, Clifford Brown, Cannonball Adderley, Dinah Washington, and Sarah Vaughan recorded for EmArcy Today, it is a European jazz label owned by Universal Music Group  The catalogue is managed by the Island Records subsidiary 

Discography
Mono 12" LP series (1954–c  1958)
Passage 6:
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica (Spanish for 'Saint Monica'; Spanish: Santa Mónica) is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast  Santa Monica's 2020 U S  Census population was 93,076  Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to its climate, beaches, and hospitality industry  It has a diverse economy, hosting headquarters of companies such as Hulu, Universal Music Group, Lionsgate Films, and The Recording Academy 
Santa Monica traces its history to Rancho San Vicente y Santa Mónica, granted in 1839 to the Sepúlveda family of California  The rancho was later sold to John P  Jones and Robert Baker, who in 1875, along with his Californio heiress wife Arcadia Bandini de Stearns Baker, founded Santa Monica, which incorporated as a city in 1886  The city developed into a seaside resort during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the creation of tourist attractions such as Palisades Park, the Santa Monica Pier, Ocean Park, and the Hotel Casa del Mar 

History
Indigenous
The Tongva are Indigenous to the Santa Monica area  The village of Comicranga was established in the Santa Monica area  One of the village's notable residents was Victoria Reid, who was the daughter of the chief of the village  During the Spanish period, she was taken to Mission San Gabriel from her parents at the age of six 

Spanish era
The first non-indigenous group to set foot in the area was the party of explorer Gaspar de Portolá, which camped near the present-day intersection of Barrington and Ohio Avenues on August 3, 1769 
There are two different accounts of how the city's name came to be  One says it was named in honor of the feast day of Saint Monica (mother of Saint Augustine), but her feast day is May 4  Another version says it was named by Juan Crespí on account of a pair of springs, the Kuruvungna Springs, that were reminiscent of the tears Saint Monica shed over her son's early impiety 

Mexican era
In 1839, Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado granted Rancho San Vicente y Santa Mónica to Francisco Sepúlveda II, of the Sepúlveda family of California  As the definitions of the rancho grant were not precise, the Sepúlveda family came into conflict with the neighboring Rancho Boca de Santa Mónica, owned by Ysidro Reyes and Francisco Márquez  A small Californio community grew up on Rancho San Vicente y Santa Mónica, made up primarily of vaqueros working on the rancho and their families 

Post-conquest era
After the American conquest of California, Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which gave Mexicans and Californios living in state certain unalienable rights  U S  government sovereignty in California began on February 2, 1848 
In the 1870s, the Los Angeles and Independence Railroad connected Santa Monica with Los Angeles, and a wharf out into the bay  The first town hall was an 1873 brick building, later a beer hall, and now part of the Santa Monica Hostel  By 1885, the town's first hotel was the Santa Monica Hotel Amusement piers became popular in the first decades of the 20th century and the extensive Pacific Electric Railway brought people to the city's beaches from across the Greater Los Angeles Area 
Around the start of the 20th century, a growing population of Asian Americans lived in and around Santa Monica and Venice  A Japanese fishing village was near the Long Wharf while small numbers of Chinese lived or worked in Santa Monica and Venice  The two ethnic minorities were often viewed differently by White Americans, who were often well-disposed toward the Japanese but condescending to the Chinese  The Japanese village fishermen were an integral economic part of the Santa Monica Bay community 
Donald Wills Douglas Sr  built a plant in 1922 at Clover Field (Santa Monica Airport) for the Douglas Aircraft Company  In 1924, four Douglas-built planes took off from Clover Field to attempt the first aerial circumnavigation of the world  Two planes returned after covering 27,553 miles (44,342 km) in 175 days, and were greeted on their return September 23, 1924, by a crowd of 200,000  The Douglas Company (later McDonnell Douglas) kept facilities in the city until the 1970s The Great Depression hit Santa Monica deeply  One report gives citywide employment in 1933 of just 1,000  Hotels and office building owners went bankrupt  In the 1930s, corruption infected Santa Monica (along with neighboring Los Angeles)  The federal Works Project Administration helped build several buildings, most notably City Hall  The main Post Office and Barnum Hall (Santa Monica High School auditorium) were also among other WPA projects 

Modern era
Douglas's business grew with the onset of World War II, employing as many as 44,000 people in 1943  To defend against air attack, set designers from the Warner Brothers Studios prepared elaborate camouflage that disguised the factory and airfield  The RAND Corporation began as a project of the Douglas Company in 1945, and spun off into an independent think tank on May 14, 1948  RAND acquired a 15-acre (61,000 m2) campus across the street from the Civic Center and is still there today 
The completion of the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in 1958 eliminated Belmar, the first African American community in the city, and the Santa Monica Freeway in 1966 decimated the Pico neighborhood that had been a leading African American enclave on the Westside 
Beach volleyball is believed to have been developed by Duke Kahanamoku in Santa Monica during the 1920s Santa Monica has two hospitals: Saint John's Health Center and Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center  Its cemetery is Woodlawn Memorial 
Santa Monica has several local newspapers including Santa Monica Daily Press, Santa Monica Mirror, and Santa Monica Star 

Geography
Santa Monica rests on a mostly flat slope that angles down toward Ocean Avenue and toward the south  High bluffs separate the north side of the city from the beaches  Santa Monica borders the L A  neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades to the north and Venice to the south  To the west, Santa Monica has a 3-mile coastline fronting Santa Monica Bay, and to the east of the city are the L A  communities of West Los Angeles and Brentwood 

Climate
Santa Monica has a coastal Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb)  It enjoys an average of 310 days of sunshine a year  It is in USDA plant hardiness zone 11a  Because of its location, nestled on the vast and open Santa Monica Bay, morning fog is a common phenomenon in May, June, July and early August (caused by ocean temperature variations and currents)  Like other inhabitants of the greater Los Angeles area, residents have a particular terminology for this phenomenon: the "May Gray", the "June Gloom" and even "Fogust"  Overcast skies are common on June mornings, but usually the strong sun burns the fog off by noon  In the late winter/early summer, daily fog is a phenomenon too  It happens suddenly and it may last some hours or past sunset time  Nonetheless, it will sometimes stay cloudy and cool all day during June, even as other parts of the Los Angeles area enjoy sunny skies and warmer temperatures  At times, the sun can be shining east of 20th Street while the beach area is overcast  As a general rule, the beach temperature is from 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit (3 to 6 degrees Celsius) cooler than it is inland during summer days, and 5 to 10 degrees warmer during winter nights 
It is also in September that the highest temperatures tend to be reached  It is winter, however, when the hot, dry winds of the Santa Anas are most common  In contrast, temperatures exceeding 10 degrees below average are rare 

The rainy season is from late October through late March  Winter storms usually approach from the northwest and pass quickly through the Southland  There is very little rain during the rest of the year  Yearly rainfall totals are unpredictable as rainy years are occasionally followed by droughts  There has never been any snow or frost, but there has been hail 
Santa Monica usually enjoys cool breezes blowing in from the ocean, which tend to keep the air fresh and clean  Therefore, smog is less of a problem for Santa Monica than elsewhere around Los Angeles  However, from September through November, the Santa Ana winds sometimes blow from the east, bringing smoggy and hot inland air to the beaches 
The hottest temperature ever reported in Santa Monica was 100 °F (38 °C) on November 1, 1966, while the lowest is 33 °F (1 °C) on March 1, 1945, and again on March 21, 1952  The highest minimum temperature is 72 °F (22 °C) on October 24, 2007, and the lowest maximum temperature is 51 °F (11 °C) on 4 dates in February 2001 and again March 10, 2006  The snowiest months on record are January 1954 and March 1955, both with trace amounts  They are the only months to ever report snowfall  Many months have reported no rainfall at all  Conversely, the wettest month on record is January 1995 with a total of 17 82 inches (453 mm) of rainfall  The wettest year on record is 1998, with a total of 25 4 inches (650 mm) of rainfall; the driest is 1989, with a total of 4 04 inches (103 mm) of rainfall 

Environment
The city first proposed its Sustainable City Plan in 1992 and in 1994, was one of the first cities in the nation to formally adopt a comprehensive sustainability plan, setting waste reduction and water conservation policies for both public and private sector through its Office of Sustainability and the Environment  Eighty-two percent of the city's public works vehicles run on alternative fuels, including most of the municipal bus system, making it among the largest such fleets in the country  Santa Monica fleet vehicles and buses source their natural gas from Redeem, a Southern California-based supplier of renewable and sustainable natural gas obtained from non-fracked methane biogas generated from organic landfill waste Santa Monica adopted a Community Energy Independence Initiative, with a goal of achieving complete energy independence by 2020 (vs  California's already ambitious 33% renewables goal)  The city exceeded that aspiration when, in February 2019, it switched over to electricity from the Clean Power Alliance, with a citywide default of 100% renewably sourced energy   That same year, the Santa Monica City Council adopted a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan aimed at achieving an 80% cut in carbon emissions by 2030, and reaching community-wide carbon neutrality by 2050 or sooner 
An urban runoff facility (SMURFF), the first of its kind in the US, catches and treats 3 5 million US gallons (13,000 m3) of water each week that would otherwise flow into the bay via storm-drains and sells it back to end-users within the city for reuse as gray-water, while bioswales throughout the city allow rainwater to percolate into and replenish the groundwater  The groundwater supply plays an important role in the city's Sustainable Water Master Plan, whereby Santa Monica has set a goal of attaining 100% water independence by 2020  The city has numerous programs designed to promote water conservation among residents, including a rebate for those who convert lawns to drought-tolerant gardens that require less water 
Santa Monica has also instituted a green building-code whereby merely constructing to code automatically renders a building equivalent to the US Green Building Council's LEED Silver standards  The city's Main Library is one of many LEED certified or LEED equivalent buildings in the city  It is built over a 200,000 gallon cistern that collects filtered stormwater from the roof  The water is used for landscape irrigation 
Since 2009, Santa Monica has been developing the Zero Waste Strategic Operations Plan by which the city will set a goal of diverting at least 95% of all waste away from landfills, and toward recycling and composting, by 2030  The plan includes a food waste composting program, which diverts 3 million pounds of restaurant food waste away from landfills annually  As of 2013, 77% of all solid waste produced citywide is diverted from landfills Environmentally focused initiatives include curbside recycling, curbside composting bins (in addition to trash, yard-waste, and recycle bins), farmers' markets, community gardens, garden-share, an urban forest initiative, a hazardous materials home-collection service, and a green business certification As in other coastal beach communities, coastal erosion due to coastal infrastructure and high human usage is an increasing challenge, and will become worse due to sea level rise  Starting in 2016, local environmental groups began dune and beach restoration projects 

Demographics
2020
The  2020 United States Census reported Santa Monica had a population of 93,076
Context 3: Passage 1:
List of territorial entities where English is an official language
The following is a list of countries and territories where English is an official language—that is, a language used in citizen interactions with government officials  As of 2020, there were 58 sovereign states and 28 non-sovereign entities where English was an official language  Many administrative divisions have declared English an official language at the local or regional level 
Most states where English is an official language are former territories of the British Empire  Exceptions include Rwanda and Burundi, which were formerly German and then Belgian colonies; Cameroon, where only part of national territory was under British mandate; and Liberia, the Philippines, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau, which were American territories  English is the sole official language of the Commonwealth of Nations and of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)  English is one of the official languages of the United Nations, the European Union, NAFTA, the African Union, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Caribbean Community, the Union of South American Nations, and many other international organisations  Although English is not de jure an official language at the national level in the United States, most states and territories within the United States have English as an official language, and only Puerto Rico uses a language other than English as a primary working language The United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, where the overwhelming majority of native English speakers reside, do not have English as an official language de jure, but English is considered their de facto official language because it dominates in these countries 

Sovereign states
Countries where English is a de jure official language
Countries where English is a predominant language conventionally spoken by both the government and main population, despite it having no de jure official status at national level
Countries where English is a de facto working language in government or education, but it is not recognized as de jure official, nor a primary language spoken by the main population
Non-sovereign entities
Non-sovereign entities where English is a de jure official language
Non-sovereign entities where English is a de facto official language
Non-sovereign entities where English is a de facto official, but not a primary language
Country subdivisions
In these country subdivisions, English has de jure official status, but English is not official in their respective countries at the national level 

See also
English-only movement
Anglo-America
Commonwealth of Nations
Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations
British Overseas Territories
English-speaking world
List of countries by English-speaking population
List of languages by total number of speakers
British Empire

Footnotes
Passage 2:
Politika
Politika (Serbian Cyrillic: Политика, lit  'Politics') is a Serbian daily newspaper, published in Belgrade  Founded in 1904 by Vladislav F  Ribnikar, it is the oldest daily newspaper still in circulation in the Balkans 

Publishing and ownership
Politika is published by Politika novine i magazini (PNM), a joint venture between Politika a d  and East Media Group  The current director of PNM is Mira Glišić Simić PNM also publishes:

Sportski žurnal
Politikin Zabavnik
Svet kompjutera
Ilustrovana Politika
Bazar

Editorial history
Vladislav F  Ribnikar (1904–1915)
Miomir Milenović i Jovan Tanović (1915–1941)
Živorad Minović (1985–1991)
Aleksandar Prlja (1991–1994)
Boško Jakšić (1994)
Dragan Hadži Antić (1994–2000)
Vojin Partonić (2000–2001)
Milan Mišić (2001–2005)
Ljiljana Smajlović (2005–2008)
Radmilo Kljajić (2008)
Dragan Bujošević (2008–2013)
Ljiljana Smajlović (2013–2016)
Žarko Rakić (2016–2021)
Marko Albunović (since 2021)

History
Ever since its launch in January 1904, Politika was published daily, except for several periods:

Due to World War I, there were no issues from 14 November 1914 to 21 December 1914, and again from 23 September 1915 to 1 December 1919
Due to World War II, there were no issues from 6 April 1941 to 28 October 1944
In protest against government's intentions to turn Politika into a state-owned enterprise, a single issue was not published in the summer of 1992The launch issue had only four pages and a circulation of 2,450 copies, and its record high circulation was the 25 December 1973 issue (634,000 copies) 

Reporting during the Yugoslav Wars
In the run-up to and during the breakup of Yugoslavia and the Yugoslav Wars, Politika was under the control of Slobodan Milošević and the League of Communists of Serbia and was used for political purposes  It was used to publish controversial things such as the "Vojko i Savle" article, as well as an information guide to show what was allegedly happening to the Serbs in other republics, together with the Radio Television of Serbia  It blamed the local Kosovo Albanians for sodomizing Đorđe Martinović, and published fabricated reader letters claiming that the Albanians were "raping hundreds of Serbian women"  Before and during the Croatian War of Independence, it published opinions on how "blood may shed again" in Croatia because of World War II, published claims on how the Vatican funded Croatia to break up Yugoslavia  At the end of the Battle of Vukovar, it ran the fabricated story of the Vukovar children massacre  The article was however retracted with a statement published the following day 
Passage 3:
List of territorial entities where German is an official language
The following is a list of the countries and territories where German is an official language (also known as the Germanosphere)  It includes countries that have German as (one of) their nationwide official language(s), as well as dependent territories with German as a co-official language 

German as an official language
German is the official language of six countries, all of which lie in central and western Europe  These countries (with the addition of South Tyrol of Italy) also form the Council for German Orthography and are referred to as the German Sprachraum (German language area)  Since 2004, Meetings of German-speaking countries have been held annually with six participants: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and Switzerland:

Subdivisions of countries
While not official at the national level, German is a co-official language in subdivisions of the countries listed below  In each of these regions, German is an official language on the administrative level 

Other legal statuses
There are other political entities (countries as well as dependent entities) which acknowledge other legal statuses for the German language or one of its dialects  While these may cover minority rights, support of certain language facilities (schools, media, etc ), and the promotion of cultural protection/heritage, they do not encompass the establishment of German as an "official" language, i e , being required in public offices or administrative texts 
These countries include:

Brazil (German is a statewide cultural language in Espírito Santo and Rio Grande do Sul; Standard German official in 2 municipalities and non-standard German dialects official in 16 others)
Czech Republic (national minority language)
Denmark (minority language in Syddanmark, established with the Bonn-Copenhagen declarations, 1955)
Hungary (national minority language)
Namibia (national language; co-official language 1884–1990)
Poland (national minority language; also auxiliary language in 31 communes)
Romania (national minority language)
Russia (minority language in the Azovo German National District)
Slovakia (regional minority language)Although in France, the High German varieties of Alsatian and Moselle Franconian are identified as "regional languages" according to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages of 1998, the French government has not yet ratified the treaty, and therefore those varieties have no official legal status Due to the German diaspora, other countries with sizable populations of (mostly bilingual) German L1 speakers include Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Paraguay, as well as the United States  However, in none of these countries does German or a German variety have any legal status 

International institutions
German is an official language of the following international institutions:

International sports associations:
European Handball Federation (EHF)
Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (FIBT)
Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)
Fédération Internationale de Luge de Course (FIL)
Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS)
International Biathlon Union (IBU)
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)

Notes
See also
German language in the Basic Law
Passage 4:
Serbian language
Serbian (српски / srpski, pronounced [sr̩̂pskiː]) is the standardized variety of the Serbo-Croatian language mainly used by Serbs  It is the official and national language of Serbia, one of the three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina and co-official in Montenegro and Kosovo  It is a recognized minority language in Croatia, North Macedonia, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic 
Standard Serbian is based on the most widespread dialect of Serbo-Croatian, Shtokavian (more specifically on the dialects of Šumadija-Vojvodina and Eastern Herzegovina), which is also the basis of standard Croatian, Bosnian, and Montenegrin varieties and therefore the Declaration on the Common Language of Croats, Bosniaks, Serbs, and Montenegrins was issued in 2017  The other dialect spoken by Serbs is Torlakian in southeastern Serbia, which is transitional to Macedonian and Bulgarian 
Serbian is practically the only European standard language whose speakers are fully functionally digraphic, using both Cyrillic and Latin alphabets  The Serbian Cyrillic alphabet was devised in 1814 by Serbian linguist Vuk Karadžić, who created it based on phonemic principles  The Latin alphabet used for Serbian (latinica) was designed by the Croatian linguist Ljudevit Gaj in the 1830s based on the Czech system with a one-to-one grapheme-phoneme correlation between the Cyrillic and Latin orthographies, resulting in a parallel system 

Classification
Serbian is a standardized variety of Serbo-Croatian, a Slavic language (Indo-European), of the South Slavic subgroup  Other standardized forms of Serbo-Croatian are Bosnian, Croatian, and Montenegrin  "An examination of all the major 'levels' of language shows that BCS is clearly a single language with a single grammatical system " It has lower intelligibility with the Eastern South Slavic languages Bulgarian and Macedonian, than with Slovene (Slovene is part of the Western South Slavic subgroup, but there are still significant differences in vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation to the standardized forms of Serbo-Croatian, although it is closer to the Kajkavian and Chakavian dialects of Serbo-Croatian) 

Geographic distribution
Figures of speakers according to countries:

Serbia: 6,540,699 (official language)
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 1,086,027 (co-official language)
Germany: 568,240
Austria: 350,000
Montenegro: 265,890 (language in official use)
Switzerland: 186,000
United States: 172,874
Sweden: 120,000
Italy: 106,498
Kosovo: est  70 000–100 000 (co-official language)
Canada: 72,690
Australia: 55,114
Croatia: 52,879 (recognized minority language)
Slovenia: 38,964
North Macedonia: 24,773 (recognized minority language)
Romania: 22,518 (recognized minority language)

Status in Montenegro
Serbian was the official language of Montenegro until October 2007 when the new Constitution of Montenegro replaced the Constitution of 1992  Amid opposition from pro-Serbian parties, Montenegrin was made the sole official language of the country, and Serbian was given the status of a language in official use along with Bosnian, Albanian, and Croatian In the 2011 Montenegrin census, 42 88% declared Serbian to be their native language, while Montenegrin was declared by 36 97% of the population 

Differences between standard Serbian and standard Croatian and Bosnian
Writing system
Standard Serbian language uses both Cyrillic (ћирилица, ćirilica) and Latin script (latinica, латиница)  Serbian is a rare example of synchronic digraphia, a situation where all literate members of a society have two interchangeable writing systems available to them  Media and publishers typically select one alphabet or the other  In general, the alphabets are used interchangeably; except in the legal sphere, where Cyrillic is required, there is no context where one alphabet or another predominates 
Although Serbian language authorities have recognized the official status of both scripts in contemporary Standard Serbian for more than half of a century now, due to historical reasons, the Cyrillic script was made the official script of Serbia's administration by the 2006 Constitution The Latin script continues to be used in official contexts, although the government has indicated its desire to phase out this practice due to national sentiment  The Ministry of Culture believes that Cyrillic is the "identity script" of the Serbian nation However, the law does not regulate scripts in standard language, or standard language itself by any means, leaving the choice of script as a matter of personal preference and to the free will in all aspects of life (publishing, media, trade and commerce, etc ), except in government paperwork production and in official written communication with state officials, which have to be in Cyrillic 

Usage
To most Serbians, the Latin script tends to imply a cosmopolitan or neutral attitude, while Cyrillic appeals to a more traditional or vintage sensibility In media, the public broadcaster, Radio Television of Serbia, predominantly uses the Cyrillic script whereas the privately run broadcasters, like RTV Pink, predominantly use the Latin script  Newspapers can be found in both scripts 
In the public sphere, with logos, outdoor signage and retail packaging, the Latin script predominates, although both scripts are commonly seen  The Serbian government has encouraged increasing the use of Cyrillic in these contexts  Larger signs, especially those put up by the government, will often feature both alphabets; if the sign has English on it, then usually only Cyrillic is used for the Serbian text 
A survey from 2014 showed that 47% of the Serbian population favors the Latin alphabet whereas 36% favors the Cyrillic one Latin script has become more and more popular in Serbia, as it is easier to input on phones and computers 

Alphabetic order
The sort order of the ćirilica (ћирилица) alphabet:

Cyrillic order called Azbuka (азбука): А Б В Г Д Ђ Е Ж З И Ј К Л Љ М Н Њ О П Р С Т Ћ У Ф Х Ц Ч Џ ШThe sort order of the latinica (латиница) alphabet:

Latin order called Abeceda (абецеда): A B C Č Ć D Dž Đ E F G H I J K L Lj M N Nj O P R S Š T U V Z Ž

Grammar
Serbian is a highly inflected language, with grammatical morphology for nouns, pronouns and adjectives as well as verbs 

Nouns
Serbian nouns are classified into three declensional types, denoted largely by their nominative case endings as "-a" type, "-i" and "-e" type  Into each of these declensional types may fall nouns of any of three genders: masculine, feminine or neuter  Each noun may be inflected to represent the noun's grammatical case, of which Serbian has seven:

Nominative
Genitive
Dative
Accusative
Vocative
Instrumental
LocativeNouns are further inflected to represent the noun's number, singular or plural 

Pronouns
Pronouns, when used, are inflected along the same case and number morphology as nouns  Serbian is a pro-drop language, meaning that pronouns may be omitted from a sentence when their meaning is easily inferred from the text  In cases where pronouns may be dropped, they may also be used to add emphasis  For example:

Adjectives
Adjectives in Serbian may be placed before or after the noun they modify, but must agree in number, gender and case with the modified noun 

Verbs
Serbian verbs are conjugated in four past forms—perfect, aorist, imperfect, and pluperfect—of which the last two have a very limited use (imperfect is still used in some dialects, but the majority of native Serbian speakers consider it archaic), one future tense (also known as the first future tense, as opposed to the second future tense or the future exact, which is considered a tense of the conditional mood by some contemporary linguists), and one present tense  These are the tenses of the indicative mood  Apart from the indicative mood, there is also the imperative mood  The conditional mood has two more tenses: the first conditional (commonly used in conditional clauses, both for possible and impossible conditional clauses) and the second conditional (without use in the spoken language—it should be used for impossible conditional clauses)  Serbian has active and passive voice 
As for the non-finite verb forms, Serbian has one infinitive, two adjectival participles (the active and the passive), and two adverbial participles (the present and the past) 

Vocabulary
Most Serbian words are of native Slavic lexical stock, tracing back to the Proto-Slavic language  There are many loanwords from different languages, reflecting cultural interaction throughout history  Notable loanwords were borrowed from Greek, Latin, Italian, Turkish, Hungarian, English, Russian, German, Czech and French 

Serbian literature
Serbian literature emerged in the Middle Ages, and included such works as Miroslavljevo jevanđelje (Miroslav's Gospel) in 1186 and Dušanov zakonik (Dušan's Code) in 1349  Little secular medieval literature has been preserved, but what there is shows that it was in accord with its time; for example, the Serbian Alexandride, a book about Alexander the Great, and a translation of Tristan and Iseult into Serbian  Although not belonging to the literature proper, the corpus of Serbian literacy in the 14th and 15th centuries contains numerous legal, commercial and administrative texts with marked presence of Serbian vernacular juxtaposed on the matrix of Serbian Church Slavonic 
By the beginning of the 14th century the Serbo-Croatian language, which was so rigorously proscribed by earlier local laws, becomes the dominant language of the Republic of Ragusa  However, despite her wealthy citizens speaking the Serbo-Croatian dialect of Dubrovnik in their family circles, they sent their children to Florentine schools to become perfectly fluent in Italian  Since the beginning of the 13th century, the entire official correspondence of Dubrovnik with states in the hinterland was conducted in Serbian In the mid-15th century, Serbia was conquered by the Ottoman Empire and for the next 400 years there was no opportunity for the creation of secular written literature  However, some of the greatest literary works in Serbian come from this time, in the form of oral literature, the most notable form being epic poetry  The epic poems were mainly written down in the 19th century, and preserved in oral tradition up to the 1950s, a few centuries or even a millennium longer than by most other "epic folks"  Goethe and Jacob Grimm learned Serbian in order to read Serbian epic poetry in the original  By the end of the 18th century, the written literature had become estranged from the spoken language  In the second half of the 18th century, the new language appeared, called Slavonic-Serbian  This artificial idiom superseded the works of poets and historians like Gavrilo Stefanović Venclović, who wrote in essentially modern Serbian in the 1720s  These vernacular compositions have remained cloistered from the general public and received due attention only with the advent of modern literary historians and writers like Milorad Pavić  In the early 19th century, Vuk Stefanović Karadžić promoted the spoken language of the people as a literary norm 

Dialects
The dialects of Serbo-Croatian, regarded Serbian (traditionally spoken in Serbia), include:

Šumadija–Vojvodina (Ekavian, Neo-Shtokavian): central and northern Serbia
Eastern Herzegovinian (Ijekavian, Neo-Shtokavian): southwestern Serbia, western half of Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia
Kosovo–Resava (Ekavian, Old-Shtokavian): eastern central Serbia, central Kosovo
Smederevo–Vršac (Ekavian, Old-Shtokavian): east-central Serbia
Prizren–Timok (transitional Torlakian): southeastern Serbia, southern Kosovo
Zeta–Raška (Ijekavian, Old-Shtokavian): eastern half of Montenegro, southwestern Serbia

Dictionaries
Vuk Karadžić's Srpski rječnik, first published in 1818, is the earliest dictionary of modern literary Serbian  The Rječnik hrvatskoga ili srpskoga jezika (I–XXIII), published by the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts from 1880 to 1976, is the only general historical dictionary of Serbo-Croatian  Its first editor was Đuro Daničić, followed by Pero Budmani and the famous Vukovian Tomislav Maretić  The sources of this dictionary are, especially in the first volumes, mainly Štokavian  There are older, pre-standard dictionaries, such as the 1791 German–Serbian dictionary or 15th century Arabic-Persian-Greek-Serbian Conversation Textbook 

Standard dictionaries
Dictionary of Serbo-Croatian Literary and Vernacular Language (Rečnik srpskohrvatskog književnog i narodnog jezika) is the biggest dictionary of Serbian (and Serbo-Croatian as a whole) and still unfinished  Starting in 1959, 21 volumes were published as of 2020 and about 40 are expected by the time it is finished 
Dictionary of Serbo-Croatian Literary Language (Rečnik srpskohrvatskoga književnog jezika) in six volumes in 1967–1976, started as a common project of Matica srpska (published in Cyrillic) and Matica hrvatska (published in Latin)  Only the first three volumes were published by Matica hrvatska due to negative feedback from Croatian linguists 
Dictionary of the Serbian language (Rečnik srpskoga jezika; ISBN 978-86-7946-004-2) in one volume, published in 2007 by Matica srpska, which on more than 1500 pages in A4 format explains more than 85,000 entries 

Etymological dictionaries
The standard and the only completed etymological dictionary of Serbian is the "Skok", written by the Croatian linguist Petar Skok: Etimologijski rječnik hrvatskoga ili srpskoga jezika ("Etymological Dictionary of Croatian or Serbian")  I-IV  Zagreb 1971–1974 
There is also a new monumental Etimološki rečnik srpskog jezika (Etymological Dictionary of Serbian)  So far, two volumes have been published: I (with words on A-), and II (Ba-Bd) 
There are specialized etymological dictionaries for German, Italian, Croatian, Turkish, Greek, Hungarian, Russian, English and other loanwords (cf  chapter word origin) 

Dialectal dictionaries
Kosovsko-resavski dialect dictionaries:
Gliša Elezović, Rečnik kosovsko-metohiskog dijalekta I-II  1932/1935 
Prizren-Timok (Torlakian) dialect dictionaries:
Brana Mitrović, Rečnik leskovačkog govora  Leskovac 1984 
Nikola Živković, Rečnik pirotskog govora  Pirot, 1987 
Miodrag Marković, Rečnik crnorečkog govora I-II  1986/1993 
Jakša Dinić, Rečnik timočkog govora I-III 1988–1992 
Jakša Dinić, Timocki dijalekatski recnik, (Institut za srpski jezik, Monografije 4; ISBN 978-86-82873-17-4) Beograd 2008,
Momčilo Zlatanović, Rečnik govora južne Srbije  Vranje, 1998, 1–491 
East-Herzegovinian dialect dictionaries:
Milija Stanić, Uskočki rečnik I–II  Beograd 1990/1991 
Miloš Vujičić, Rečnik govora Prošćenja kod Mojkovca  Podgorica, 1995 
Srđan Musić, Romanizmi u severozapadnoj Boki Kotorskoj  1972 
Svetozar Gagović, Iz leksike Pive  Beograd 2004 
Zeta-Pešter dialect:
Rada Stijović, Iz leksike Vasojevića



ground_truth: Andrew Scheer

prompt_front: Answer the question based on the given passages. Only give me the answer and do not output any other words.

Question: When did the explorer reach the headquarters location of the group Con-Test's record label is part of?

The following are given passages.
Context 2:  This corresponds to density of 11,067 3 people per square mile  The racial makeup of Santa Monica was 63,383 (68 1%) white, 8,602 (9 2%)  Asian, 3,776 (4 1%) Black or African American, 539 (0 6%) American Indian and Alaska Native, 123 (0 1%) Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 5,347 (5 7%) some other race, and 11,306 (12 1%) people were of two or more races Including all responses for people of two or more races, 73,996 (79 5%) were white alone or in combination with one or more other races, 11,864 (12 7%) were Asian alone or in combination with one or more other races, 5,459 (5 9%) were Black or African American alone or in combination, 1,877 (2 0%) were American Indian and Alaska Native alone or in combination, 415 (0 4%) were Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander alone or in combination, and 11,619 (12 5%) were some other race alone or in combination with one or more other races 13,544 (14 6%) were  Hispanic or  Latino of any race  Of those, 2,729 (2 9% of the total population) were white alone, 153 (0 2%) were Black or African American alone, 410 (0 4%) were American Indian and Alaska Native alone, 136 (0 1%) were Asian alone, 14 (0 0%) were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, 4,542 (4 9%) were some other race alone, and 5,560 (6 0%) were two or more races The census reported that Santa Monica had 52,389 housing units  Of those, 47,438 (90 5%) were occupied  12,856 (27 1%) of the occupied units were owner-occupied and 34,582 (72 9%) were renter-occupied  Of the vacant units, 2,540 (4 8% of total) were for rent, 230 (0 4%) were rented but not occupied, 183 (0 3%) were for sale only, 205 (0 4%) were sold but not occupied, 693 (1 3%) were for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use, and 1,100 (2 1%) were otherwise vacant  94 8% of households had a computer between 2017 and 2021, and 91 0% had broadband internet access 

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported Santa Monica had a population of 89,736  The population density was 10,662 6 inhabitants per square mile (4,116 9/km2)  The racial makeup of Santa Monica was 69,663 (77 6%) White (70 1% Non-Hispanic White), 3,526 (3 9%) African American, 338 (0 4%) Native American, 8,053 (9 0%) Asian, 124 (0 1%) Pacific Islander, 4,047 (4 5%) from other races, and 3,985 (4 4%) from two or more races  Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11,716 persons (13 1%), with Mexican Americans, Spanish Americans, and Argentine Americans making up 64 2%, 6 4%, and 4 7% of the Hispanic population respectively The Census reported 87,610 people (97 6% of the population) lived in households, 1,299 (1 4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 827 (0 9%) were institutionalized 
There were 46,917 households, out of which 7,835 (16 7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 13,092 (27 9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 3,510 (7 5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,327 (2 8%) had a male householder with no wife present  There were 2,867 (6 1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 416 (0 9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships  22,716 households (48 4%) were made up of individuals, and 5,551 (11 8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older  The average household size was 1 87  There were 17,929 families (38 2% of all households); the average family size was 2 79 
The population was spread out, with 12,580 people (14 0%) under the age of 18, 6,442 people (7 2%) aged 18 to 24, 32,552 people (36 3%) aged 25 to 44, 24,746 people (27 6%) aged 45 to 64, and 13,416 people (15 0%) who were 65 years of age or older  The median age was 40 4 years  For every 100 females, there were 93 2 males  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91 2 males 
There were 50,912 housing units at an average density of 6,049 5 per square mile (2,335 7/km2), of which 13,315 (28 4%) were owner-occupied, and 33,602 (71 6%) were occupied by renters  The homeowner vacancy rate was 1 1%; the rental vacancy rate was 5 1%  30,067 people (33 5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 57,543 people (64 1%) lived in rental housing units 
According to the 2010 United States Census, Santa Monica had a median household income of $73,649, with 11 2% of the population living below the federal poverty line 

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 84,084 people, 44,497 households, and 16,775 families in the city  The population density was 10,178 7 inhabitants per square mile (3,930 0 inhabitants/km2)  There were 47,863 housing units at an average density of 5,794 0 per square mile (2,237 1/km2)  The racial makeup of the city was 78 29% White, 7 25% Asian, 3 78% African American, 0 47% Native American, 0 10% Pacific Islander, 5 97% from other races, and 4 13% from two or more races  13 44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race 
There were 44,497 households, out of which 15 8% had children under the age of 18, 27 5% were married couples living together, 7 5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 62 3% were non-families  51 2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10 6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older  The average household size was 1 83 and the average family size was 2 80 
The city of Santa Monica is consistently among the most educated cities in the United States, with 23 8 percent of all residents holding graduate degrees The population was diverse in age, with 14 6% under 18, 6 1% from 18 to 24, 40 1% from 25 to 44, 24 8% from 45 to 64, and 14 4% 65 years or older  The median age was 39 years  For every 100 females, there were 93 0 males  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91 3 males 
According to a 2009 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $71,095, and the median income for a family was $109,410  Males had a median income of $55,689 versus $42,948 for females  The per capita income for the city was $42,874  10 4% of the population and 5 4% of families were below the poverty line  Out of the total population, 9 9% of those under the age of 18 and 10 2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line 

Crime
In 2006, crime in Santa Monica affected 4 41% of the population, slightly lower than the national average crime rate that year of 4 48%  The majority of this was property crime, which affected 3 74% of Santa Monica's population in 2006; this was higher than the rates for Los Angeles County (2 76%) and California (3 17%), but lower than the national average (3 91%)  These per-capita crime rates are computed based on Santa Monica's full-time population of about 85,000  However, the Santa Monica Police Department has suggested the actual per-capita crime rate is much lower, as tourists, workers, and beachgoers can increase the city's daytime population to between 250,000 and 450,000 people Hate crime has typically been minimal in Santa Monica, with only one reported incident in 2007  The city experienced a spike of anti-Islamic hate crime in 2001 after the September 11 attacks, but hate crime levels returned to their minimal 2000 levels by 2002 
Gang activityThe Pico neighborhood of Santa Monica (south of the Santa Monica Freeway) experiences some gang activity  The city estimates there are about 50 gang members based in Santa Monica, although some community organizers dispute this claim  Gang activity has been prevalent for decades in the Pico neighborhood 
In October 1998, alleged Culver City 13 gang member Omar Sevilla of Culver City was killed  A couple of hours after the shooting of Sevilla, German tourist Horst Fietze was killed  Several days later Juan Martin Campos, a Santa Monica city employee, was shot and killed  Police believe this was a retaliatory killing in response to Sevilla's killing  Less than 24 hours later, Javier Cruz was wounded in a drive-by shooting outside his home on 17th and Michigan In 1998, there was a double homicide in the Westside Clothing store on Lincoln Boulevard  During the incident, Culver City gang members David "Puppet" Robles and Jesse "Psycho" Garcia entered the store masked and began opening fire, killing Anthony and Michael Juarez  Police say the incident was in retaliation for a shooting committed by the Santa Monica 13 gang days before the Juarez brothers were shot down 

Homeless population
In 2022, there were 826 homeless individuals in Santa Monica 

Economy
Santa Monica is home to the headquarters of many notable businesses, such as Beachbody, Fatburger, Hulu, Illumination, Otter Media, Lionsgate, Macerich, Miramax, CBS Media Ventures, the RAND Corporation, Saban Capital Group, The Recording Academy (which presents the annual Grammy Awards), TOMS Shoes, and Universal Music Group  Atlantic Aviation is at the Santa Monica Airport  The National Public Radio member station KCRW is on the Santa Monica College campus  VCA Animal Hospitals is just outside the eastern city limit A number of game development studios are based in Santa Monica, making it a major location for the industry  These include:

Activision Blizzard (which includes Activision)
Cloud Imperium Games (Creators of Star Citizen)
Naughty Dog (Creators of Crash Bandicoot (1996–1999), Jak & Daxter, Uncharted and The Last of Us franchises)
PUBG Corporation (North American station, developed Miramar map in PUBG)
Riot Games, the creator of League of Legends, is just outside the eastern city limit 
TreyarchRecently, Santa Monica has emerged as the center of the Los Angeles region called Silicon Beach, and serves as the home of hundreds of venture capital funded startup companies 
Former Santa Monica businesses include Douglas Aircraft (now merged with Boeing), GeoCities (which in December 1996 was headquartered on the third floor of 1918 Main Street in Santa Monica), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and MySpace (now headquartered in Beverly Hills) 

Top employers
According to the city's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city were:

Arts and culture
The Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome (carousel) is a National Historic Landmark  It sits on the Santa Monica Pier, which was built in 1909  The La Monica Ballroom on the pier was once the largest ballroom in the US and the source for many New Year's Eve national network broadcasts 
The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium was an important music venue for several decades and hosted the Academy Awards in the 1960s  McCabe's Guitar Shop is a leading acoustic performance space as well as retail outlet  The Santa Monica Playhouse is a popular theater in the city 
Bergamot Station is a city-owned art gallery compound that includes the Santa Monica Museum of Art  The city is also home to the California Heritage Museum and the Angels Attic dollhouse and toy museum 

The New West Symphony is the resident orchestra of Barnum Hall  They are also resident orchestra of the Oxnard Performing Arts Center and the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza 
Santa Monica hosts the annual Santa Monica Film Festival The city's oldest movie theater is the Majestic  Opened in 1912 and also known as the Mayfair Theatre, it has been closed since the 1994 Northridge earthquake  The Aero Theater (now operated by the American Cinematheque) and Criterion Theater were built in the 1930s and still show movies 
Notable restaurants have included Madame Wu's Garden, Batterfish, Stout Burgers and Beers, and The Misfit 

Shopping districts
Santa Monica has three main shopping districts: Montana Avenue on the north side, the Downtown District in the city's core, and Main Street on the south end  Each has its own unique feel and personality  Montana Avenue is a stretch of luxury boutique stores, restaurants, and small offices that generally features more upscale shopping  The Main Street district offers an eclectic mix of clothing, restaurants, and other specialty retail 
The Downtown District is the home of the Third Street Promenade, a major outdoor pedestrian-only shopping district that stretches for three blocks between Wilshire Blvd  and Broadway  Third Street is closed to vehicles for those three blocks to allow people to stroll, congregate, shop and enjoy street performers 
The Santa Monica Place, featuring Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom in a three-level outdoor environment, is at the Promenade's southern end  After a period of redevelopment, the mall reopened in the fall of 2010 as a modern shopping, entertainment and dining complex with more outdoor space 

Public library system
The Santa Monica Public Library consists of a Main Library in the downtown area, plus four neighborhood branches: Fairview, Montana Avenue, Ocean Park, and Pico Boulevard 

Sports
The men's and women's marathon ran through parts of Santa Monica during the 1984 Summer Olympics  The Santa Monica Track Club has many prominent track athletes, including many Olympic gold medalists  Santa Monica is the home to Southern California Aquatics, which was founded by Olympic swimmer Clay Evans and Bonnie Adair  Santa Monica is also home to the Santa Monica Rugby Club, a semi-professional team that competes in the Pacific Rugby Premiership, the highest-level rugby union club competition in the United States 
During the 2028 Summer Olympics, Santa Monica will host beach volleyball and surfing 

Parks and recreation
Palisades Park stretches out along the crumbling bluffs overlooking the Pacific and is a favorite walking area to view the ocean  It includes public art, a totem pole, camera obscura, benches, picnic areas, pétanque courts, and restrooms 
Tongva Park occupies 6 acres between Ocean Avenue and Main Street, just south of Colorado Avenue  The park includes an overlook, amphitheater, playground, garden, fountains, picnic areas, and restrooms 
The Santa Monica Stairs, a long, steep staircase that leads from north of San Vicente down into Santa Monica Canyon, is a popular spot for outdoor workouts  Some area residents have complained that the stairs have become too popular, and attract too many exercisers to the wealthy neighborhood of multimillion-dollar properties Ishihara Park opened to the public in 2017 and acts as a buffer between the Los Angeles Metro Rail and the surrounding residential community 

Government
Local government
Santa Monica is governed by the Santa Monica City Council, a Council-Manager governing body with seven members elected at-large  The mayor is Gleam Davis, and the Mayor Pro Tempore is Lana Negrete  The other five council members are Phil Brock, Christine Parra, Oscar de la Torre, Jesse Zwick and Caroline Torosis 

Representation
In the California State Legislature, Santa Monica is in the  26th Senate District, represented by Democrat María Elena Durazo, and in the  50th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Eloise Reyes In the United States House of Representatives, Santa Monica is in California's  36th congressional district, represented by Democrat Ted Lieu 

Education
Public schools
The Santa Monica–Malibu Unified School District provides public education at the elementary and secondary levels  In addition to the traditional model of early education school houses, SMASH (Santa Monica Alternative School House) is "a K–8 public school of choice with team teachers and multi-aged classrooms"  The district maintains eight elementary schools, three middle schools, and three high schools in Santa Monica 

Private schools
Private schools in the city include Crossroads School and Saint Monica Catholic High School 
Asahi Gakuen, a weekend Japanese supplementary school system, operates its Santa Monica campus (サンタモニカ校･高等部 Santamonika-kō kōtōbu) at Webster Middle in the Sawtelle neighborhood of Los Angeles  All high school classes in the Asahi Gakuen system are held at the Santa Monica campus 

Post-secondary
Santa Monica College is a community college founded in 1929  Many SMC graduates transfer to the University of California system  It occupies 35 acres (14 hectares) and enrolls 30,000 students annually  The Frederick S  Pardee RAND Graduate School, associated with the RAND Corporation, is the U S 's largest producer of public policy PhDs  The Art Institute of California – Los Angeles is also in Santa Monica near the Santa Monica Airport 
Universities and colleges within a 22-mile (35 km) radius from Santa Monica include Santa Monica College, Antioch University Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount University, Mount St  Mary's University, Pepperdine University, California State University, Northridge, California State University, Los Angeles, UCLA, USC, West Los Angeles College, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Occidental College (Oxy), Los Angeles City College, Los Angeles Southwest College, Los Angeles Valley College, and Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Medicine 

Infrastructure
Transportation
Bicycles
Santa Monica has a bike action plan and launched a bicycle sharing system in November 2015  The city is traversed by the Marvin Braude Bike Trail  Santa Monica has received the Bicycle Friendly Community Award (Bronze in 2009, Silver in 2013) by the League of American Bicyclists  Local bicycle advocacy organizations include Santa Monica Spoke, a local chapter of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition  Santa Monica is thought to be one of the leaders for bicycle infrastructure and programming in Los Angeles County although cycling infrastructure in Los Angeles County in general remains very poor compared to other major cities The city implemented a 5-year and 20-year Bike Action Plan with a goal of attaining 14 to 35% bicycle transportation mode share by 2030 through the installation of enhanced bicycle infrastructure throughout the city   In 2023, Santa Monica scored near the 90th percentile of cities surveyed in the PeopleForBikes City Ratings, which measures the quality of a city’s bike network In terms of number of bicycle accidents, Santa Monica ranks as one of the worst (#2) out of 102 California cities with population 50,000–100,000, a ranking consistent with the city's composite ranking 
In 2007 and 2008, local police cracked down on Santa Monica Critical Mass rides that had become controversial, putting a damper on the tradition 

Highways
The Santa Monica Freeway (Interstate 10) begins in Santa Monica near the Pacific Ocean and heads east  The Santa Monica Freeway between Santa Monica and downtown Los Angeles has the distinction of being one of the busiest highways in all of North America  After traversing the Greater Los Angeles area, I-10 crosses seven more states, terminating at Jacksonville, Florida  In Santa Monica, there is a road sign designating this route as the Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway  State Route 2 (Santa Monica Boulevard) begins in Santa Monica, barely grazing State Route 1 at Lincoln Boulevard, and continues northeast across Los Angeles County, through the Angeles National Forest, crossing the San Gabriel Mountains as the Angeles Crest Highway, ending in Wrightwood  Santa Monica is also the western terminus of Historic U S  Route 66  Close to the eastern boundary of Santa Monica, Sepulveda Boulevard reaches from Long Beach at the south, to the northern end of the San Fernando Valley  Just east of Santa Monica is Interstate 405, the San Diego Freeway, a major north–south route in Los Angeles and Orange counties 

Motorized vehicles
Santa Monica has purchased the first ZeroTruck all-electric medium-duty truck  The vehicle will be equipped with a Scelzi utility body, it is based on the Isuzu N series chassis, a UQM PowerPhase 100 advanced electric motor and is the only US built electric truck offered for sale in the United States in 2009 

Bus
The city of Santa Monica runs its own bus service, the Big Blue Bus, which also serves much of West Los Angeles and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)  A Big Blue Bus was featured prominently in the action movie Speed 
The city of Santa Monica is also served by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (Metro) bus lines  Metro also complements Big Blue service, as when Big Blue routes are not operational overnight, Metro buses make many Big Blue Bus stops, in addition to MTA stops 

Light rail
Design and construction on the 6 6-mile extension (10 6 km) of the Expo Line from Culver City to Santa Monica started in September 2011, with service beginning on May 20, 2016  Santa Monica Metro stations include Downtown Santa Monica, 17th Street/SMC, and 26th Street/Bergamot  Travel time between Downtown Santa Monica station and 7th Street/Metro Center station in Downtown Los Angeles is approximately 46 minutes, while the travel time between the downtown Santa Monica station and the terminal Atlantic station in East Los Angeles is approximately 1 hour and 9 minutes 
Historical aspects of the Expo line route are noteworthy  It uses the former Los Angeles region's electric interurban Pacific Electric Railway's right-of-way that ran from the Exposition Park area of Los Angeles to Santa Monica  This route was called the Santa Monica Air Line and provided electric-powered freight and passenger service between Los Angeles and Santa Monica beginning in the 1920s  Passenger service was discontinued in 1953, but diesel-powered freight deliveries to warehouses along the route continued until March 11, 1988  The abandonment of the line spurred future transportation considerations and concerns within the community, and the entire right-of-way was purchased from Southern Pacific by Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority  The line was built in 1875 as the steam-powered Los Angeles and Independence Railroad to bring mining ore to ships in Santa Monica harbor and as a passenger excursion train to the beach 

Airport and ports
The city owns and operates a general aviation airport, Santa Monica Airport, which has been the site of several important aviation achievements  Commercial flights are available for residents at LAX, a few miles south of Santa Monica 
Like other cities in Los Angeles County, Santa Monica is dependent upon the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles for international ship cargo  In the 1890s, Santa Monica was once in competition with Wilmington, California, and San Pedro for recognition as the "Port of Los Angeles" (see History of Santa Monica, California) 

Other
Since the mid-1980s, various proposals have been made to extend the Purple Line subway to Santa Monica under Wilshire Boulevard  There are no current plans to complete the "subway to the sea," an estimated $5 billion project In August 2018, Santa Monica issued permits to Bird, Lime, Lyft, and Jump Bikes to operate dockless scooter-sharing systems in the city  As of April 2023, Lyft, Spin, Veo, and Wheels are licensed to provide micro-mobility transportation in city 

Emergency services
Two major hospitals are within the Santa Monica city limits, UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica and Saint John's Health Center  Four fire stations provide medical and fire response, staffed with six Paramedic Engines, a Truck company, a Hazardous Materials team and an Urban Search & Rescue team  Santa Monica Fire Department has its own Dispatch Center  Ambulance transportation is provided by McCormick Ambulance Services Law enforcement services are provided by the Santa Monica Police Department
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Simms/Mann Health and Wellness Center in Santa Monica  The Department's West Area Health Office is in the Simms/Mann Center 

Internet services
Santa Monica has a municipal wireless network which provides several free city Wi-Fi hotspots distributed around the city 

In popular culture
Film and television
Hundreds of moving pictures have been shot or set in part in Santa Monica 

Films
One of the oldest exterior shots in Santa Monica is Buster Keaton's Spite Marriage (1929) which shows much of 2nd Street  The comedy It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) included several scenes shot in Santa Monica, including those along the California Incline, which led to the movie's treasure spot, "The Big W"  The Sylvester Stallone film Rocky III (1982) shows Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed training to fight Clubber Lang by running on the Santa Monica Beach, and Stallone's Demolition Man (1993) includes Santa Monica settings  In Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), the theft of Pee-wee's bike occurs on the Third Street Promenade  Henry Jaglom's indie Someone to Love (1987), the last film in which Orson Welles appeared, takes place in Santa Monica's venerable Mayfair Theatre  Heathers (1988) used Santa Monica's John Adams Middle School for many exterior shots  The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996) is set entirely in Santa Monica, particularly the Palisades Park area, and features a radio station that resembles KCRW at Santa Monica College  17 Again (2009) was shot at Samohi  Other films that show significant exterior shots of Santa Monica include Fletch (1985), Species (1995), Get Shorty (1995), and Ocean's Eleven (2001)  Richard Rossi's biopic Aimee Semple McPherson opens and closes at the beach in Santa Monica  Iron Man features the Santa Monica pier and surrounding communities as Tony Stark tests his experimental flight suit 
The documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001) and the related dramatic film Lords of Dogtown (2005) are both about the influential skateboarding culture of Santa Monica's Ocean Park neighborhood in the 1970s 
Santa Monica (and in particular the Santa Monica Airport) was featured in Roland Emmerich's disaster film 2012 (2009)  A magnitude 10 9 earthquake destroys the airport and the surrounding area as a group of survivors escape in a personal plane  The Santa Monica Pier and the whole city sinks into the Pacific Ocean after the earthquake 

Television
A number of television series have been set in Santa Monica, including Baywatch, Goliath, Pacific Blue (1996-2000), Private Practice (2007-2013), and Three's Company (1977-1984)  The Santa Monica pier is shown in the main theme of CBS series NCIS: Los Angeles  In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the main exterior set of the town of Sunnydale that includes the infamous "sun sign", was in Santa Monica in a lot on Olympic Boulevard 

Literature
Horace McCoy's 1935 novel They Shoot Horses, Don't They? is set at a dance marathon held in a ballroom on the Santa Monica Pier 
Raymond Chandler's most famous character, private detective Philip Marlowe, frequently has a portion of his adventures in a place called "Bay City", which is modeled on Depression-era Santa Monica  In Marlowe's world, Bay City is "a wide-open town", where gambling and other crimes thrive due to a massively corrupt and ineffective police force 
Tennessee Williams lived (while working at MGM Studios) in a hotel on Ocean Avenue in the 1940s  At that location he wrote the play The Glass Menagerie (that premiered in 1944)  His short story "The Mattress by the Tomato Patch" (1954) is set near Santa Monica Beach and mentions the clock visible in much of the city, high up on The Broadway Building, on Broadway near Second Street 

Music
Notable locationsThe band Linkin Park is named in homage to Santa Monica's Lincoln Park (now called Christine Emerson Reed Park) 
The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences is based in Santa Monica on Olympic Boulevard 
Universal Music Group is based in Santa Monica  Several of its labels, such as A&M Records, Aftermath Entertainment (started by Dr  Dre), G-Unit Records (created by 50 Cent & Sha Money XL), Geffen Records, Interscope (started by Jimmy Iovine), and Shady Records, are based in Santa Monica, CA 

Works
The folk Australian duo Angus and Julia Stone has a single titled "Santa Monica Dream" on its album Down the Way 
The ska/reggae band Bedouin Soundclash has a song called "Santa Monica" 
The band Everclear released a song titled "Santa Monica" in 1995, which became their first mainstream hit 
The British singer-songwriter Noel Harrison released a song and album titled Santa Monica Pier (1968) 
In 1948, bandleader Kay Kyser released a 78 record of the novelty song "When Veronica Plays the Harmonica (Down at the Pier in Santa Monica)" 
One of the few songs musical satirist Tom Lehrer has recorded since the 1970s is a tribute to the holidays of the Jewish calendar called "I'm Spending Hanukkah in Santa Monica" 
Richard Rossi released a song called "Santa Monica," celebrating the Santa Monica Pier, on his album Seasons of My Heart 
The band Savage Garden released a song titled "Santa Monica" from its album Savage Garden (1997) 
The modern rock band Theory of a Deadman's song "Santa Monica" is a first-person account of a girl leaving her significant other to start a new life in Santa Monica 
French Rapper Moha La Squale released the song "Santa Monica" in 2019 

Notable people
Sister cities
Mazatlán, Mexico
 Hamm, Germany
 Fujinomiya, Japan

See also
2013 Santa Monica shootings
Aragon Ballroom (Ocean Park, Santa Monica, California)
Arcadia Bandini de Stearns Baker, co-founder and benefactress of Santa Monica
List of cities and towns in California
List of City of Santa Monica Designated Historic Landmarks
List of people from Santa Monica, California
List of public art in Santa Monica, California
Muscle Beach
Passage 7:
The Right Stuff Records
The Right Stuff Records is an American reissue record label that was part of EMI, which is now owned by Universal Music Group and is based out of Santa Monica, California 
The label primarily released classic rock and R&B repertoire which included greatest hits collections, anthologies, boxed sets and compilations  The Right Stuff's repertoire was sourced from the various labels owned by EMI Records and also leased-in labels such as Dick Griffey's SOLAR (the Sound of Los Angeles Records), the post-1976 Philadelphia International Records, Hi Records, Tabu Records and Salsoul Records  The label also owned Leon Russell and Denny Cordell's Shelter Records and the New  York-based Laurie Records  The label also created many joint venture projects with outside brands such as Harley-Davidson, Hot Rod Magazine, Shape Magazine, and others  The label was started by former EMI and Capitol Records executive Tom Cartwright 

Selected artists on reissues
Context 3:  1990 
Drago Ćupić – Željko Ćupić, Rečnik govora Zagarača  1997 
Vesna Lipovac-Radulović, Romanizmi u Crnoj Gori – jugoistočni dio Boke Kotorske  Cetinje – Titograd, 1981 
Vesna Lipovac-Radulović, Romanizmi u Budvi i Paštrovićima  Novi Sad 1997 
Others:
Rečnik srpskih govora Vojvodine  Novi Sad 
Mile Tomić, Rečnik radimskog govora – dijaspora, Rumunija  1989 

Sample text
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Serbian, written in the Cyrillic script:
Сва људска бића рађају се слободна и једнака у достојанству и правима  Она су обдарена разумом и свешћу и треба једни према другима да поступају у духу братства 
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Serbian, written in the Latin alphabet:
Sva ljudska bića rađaju se slobodna i jednaka u dostojanstvu i pravima  Ona su obdarena razumom i svešću i treba jedni prema drugima da postupaju u duhu bratstva 
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in English:
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights  They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood 

See also
Passage 5:
Official Languages Act (Canada)
The Official Languages Act (French: Loi sur les langues officielles; colloquially the Act) is a Canadian law that came into force on September 9, 1969, which gives French and English equal status in the government of Canada  This makes them "official" languages, having preferred status in law over all other languages  Although the Official Languages Act is not the only piece of federal language law, it is the legislative keystone of Canada's official bilingualism  It was substantially amended in 1988  Both languages are equal in Canada's government and in all the services it controls, such as the courts 

Summary of main features
The Act  provides, among other things,

that Canadians have the right to receive services from federal departments and from Crown corporations in both official languages;
that Canadians will be able to be heard before federal courts in the official language of their choice;
that Parliament will adopt laws and to publish regulations in both official languages, and that both versions will be of equal legal weight;
that English and French will have equal status of languages of work within the federal public service within geographically defined parts of the country that are designated bilingual (most notably in the National Capital Region, Montreal and New Brunswick), as well as in certain overseas government offices and in parts of the country where there is sufficient demand for services in both official languages  In remaining geographical areas, the language of work for federal public servants is French (in Quebec) and English (elsewhere);The Federal government has set in place regulations establishing linguistic categories (anglophone, francophone, bilingual) for some job functions within the public service  Departments and agencies of the federal government are required to fill these positions with individuals who are capable of serving the public in English, in French, or in both languages   Unilingual public servants are given incentives to learn the other official language, and the government provides language training and offers a "bilingualism bonus" 
Part VI of the Act mandates that English-speaking Canadians and French-speaking Canadians not be discriminated against based on ethnic origin or first language learned when it comes to employment opportunities and advancement The law also created the Commissioner of Official Languages, an officer of Parliament charged with receiving complaints from the public, undertaking inquiries, and making recommendations regarding the status of the two official languages 
Section 32 of the Official Languages Act authorizes the Governor in Council (i e , the federal cabinet) to issue regulations defining the geographic regions in which services will be offered by the federal government in the relevant minority language (English in Quebec and French elsewhere)   This provides a legal definition for the otherwise vague requirement that services be provided in the minority official languages wherever there is "significant demand " The definition used in the regulations is complex, but basically an area of the country is served in both languages if at least 5,000 persons in that area, or 5% of the local population (whichever is smaller), belongs to that province's English or French linguistic minority population   The regulations were first promulgated in 1991 

Political context
The Official Languages Act was one of the cornerstones of the government of Pierre Trudeau  The law was an attempt to implement some of the policy objectives outlined by the federally commissioned Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism, which had been established in 1963 and since that time had been issuing periodic reports on the inequitable manner in which Canada's English-speaking and French-speaking populations were treated by the federal administration  At that time, only 9% of jobs within the federal public service were occupied by Francophones, even though French-speakers formed a quarter of the Canadian population  The proportion of jobs designated bilingual grew to 14% in 1978, and to 25% in 2004 One of the most important features of the 1969 act was to ensure that federal government services would be provided in both official languages, wherever population size warranted it 
Its principles were later incorporated into the Constitution of Canada, in Section 16 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms 
A new Official Languages Act was enacted in 1988 in order to achieve two objectives 
First, it was necessary to update the 1969 law to take into account the new language-related obligations that the federal government had undertaken under Sections 16-23 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which had been enacted in 1982  For example,  Section 20 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the right of the Canadian public to communicate in English and French with any central government office or with regional offices where there is "a significant demand for communication with and services from that office " Significant demand is not defined in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms  One of the purposes of the Official Languages Act of 1988 was to remedy this omission Second, the new law included provisions for the promotion by the government of Canada of Quebec's English-speaking minority and of the French-speaking minorities in the rest of the country  The programs that fall under the "promotion" umbrella are often designed to encourage each provincial government to offer services to its official-language minority community, and contain a mechanism for transferring funds to the provincial governments in order to finance a part of these programs  Under Canada's federal constitution, many important services, such as education and health, fall under provincial jurisdiction and are therefore off-limits to any direct federal spending  The transfer of federal funds, conditional upon the fulfilment by each provincial government of detailed conditions laid out in a funding agreement, is a constitutionally permitted method of dodging this jurisdictional constraint 
This would suggest that the Official Languages Act and Quebec's Charter of the French Language (also known as "Bill 101") are fundamentally at cross-purposes with each other  However, that perspective is not universally accepted  For example, former Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has stated that "Bill 101 and the Official Languages Act are not in opposition, they are complementary "

Reactions
Provincial legislatures
In 1969, the law was adopted with all-party support in the House of Commons of Canada  Despite this, there was not universal support for the law  The premiers of the three Prairie provinces requested, early in 1969, that the Official Languages Bill be referred to the Supreme Court of Canada to determine its constitutionality  They maintained, along with JT Thorson, the former president of the Exchequer Court of Canada, that the bill was outside the powers of the Parliament of Canada  The reference to the court was never made, but the legal question was resolved in 1974, when the Supreme Court ruled, in Jones v  Attorney General of New Brunswick, that the subject matter of the bill was within federal jurisdiction 
In subsequent decades the response from provincial governments to the example set by the federal government has been mixed:

New Brunswick, which is home to Canada's second-largest French-speaking minority population, adopted the federal government policy and adopted its own Official Languages Act on April 18, 1969  The bilingual status of New Brunswick was strengthened in 1993 by the addition of section 16 1 to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms 
Ontario, which is the home to Canada's largest French-speaking minority, opted instead to enact a law (the French Language Services Act) which provides for services of the provincial government to be made available in certain geographically designated regions, but which does not give the French language either a symbolic or an authoritative status as an equal "official" language of Ontario  However, the English and French versions of statutes and regulations that are enacted or made in both languages are equally authoritative 
Manitoba, which is home to Canada's third-largest French-speaking minority, refused to overturn its ban on the use of French in both the provincial legislature and its courts (which had been in effect since 1890), until it was forced to do so in 1985 by a ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada (Reference re Manitoba Language Rights) that the province was under a constitutional obligation to enact laws in French as well as in English 
Quebec, which is home to an English-speaking minority of over half a million, had traditionally been the only province which was generous in its treatment of its minority-language population, and for this reason had been cited by the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism as the model to be emulated by other provinces  But in the 1970s, the provincial legislature adopted two laws, the Official Language Act (also known as "Bill 22") and the Charter of the French Language (also known as "Bill 101"), reducing the access of Quebecers to English-language services, preventing immigrants and Francophones from enrolling their children in English schools, requiring that French be made the language of the workplace, and restricting the use of English on commercial signs 

Public reactions
Public support for bilingual services had dramatically increased between the mid-1960s and the end of the 1970s  There was no direct polling on the popularity of the Official Languages Act itself at the time, but poll data on related questions gives an indication of a significant shift in the attitudes of English-speaking Canadians  A 1965 poll showed that 17% of Canadians living outside Quebec favored the use of public funds to finance French-language schools  This proportion had risen to 77% by 1977 (albeit in response to a slightly different question about support for provincial governments offering services in French "where possible") Within Quebec, changes to the treatment of French-speakers within the federal public service were met with approval mixed with skepticism that this actually helped the unilingual French-speaking majority of Quebecers, who continued to be excluded from all federal jobs designated "bilingual", since by definition a "bilingual" job requires the use of English 
However, the changes found some opposition in English Canada  Toronto Telegram columnist Braithwaither sums up the position of the opponents of the bill like this: "We are not afraid of any aspect of the language bill, we simply regard it as unnecessary, politically-motivated, costly to implement, divisive, and, as it affects the non-English, non-French third of the population, wholly discriminatory "As per the bill, some positions in the public sector were designated as bilingual  At the implementation of the bill, if a bilingual position was held by a unilingual anglophone, this person was allowed to keep their position on the condition that they attempted to learn French, and all subsequent holders of this position must be bilingual  Under these circumstances, there were fears that, because of the higher rate of bilingualism among Francophones, people whose first official language is French would become overrepresented in the public sector  However, this has not become the case  The ratio of French first official language speakers to English first official language speakers in the public sector is almost the same as in the general population At any rate, the adoption of official bilingualism at the federal level did almost nothing to slow the rise of the sovereignist movement  The nationalist Parti Québécois made its first significant electoral breakthrough less than a year after the Official Languages Act was adopted, winning 23% of the vote in Quebec's 1970 provincial election and replacing the Union Nationale as the main electoral vehicle for Quebec nationalism  Six years later, the Parti Québécois came to power in the 1976 provincial election 

Failure to implement all provisions of the Official Languages Act
From time to time, the Official Languages Commissioner draws attention to the fact that federal agencies subject to the law are failing to live up to their legal obligations regarding official languages  In a report published in 2004 on the 35th anniversary of the Official Languages Act, Commissioner Dyane Adam noted that only 86% of posts designated "bilingual" in the federal public service were occupied by persons who had effectively mastered the two official languages  This nevertheless was an increase over the comparable figure of 1978, when only 70% of the incumbents in posts that had been designated "bilingual" were capable of speaking both languages at accepted levels 

Opinion polls
According to a poll conducted in 2002, 98% of Quebecers consider official bilingualism to be "very important" or "somewhat important"  This proportion drops to 76% in the Atlantic provinces, 72% in Ontario, 67% in the Prairie provinces, and 63% in British Columbia  Another poll, conducted in 2000, shows that more than half of Canadians outside Quebec believe that too much effort has gone into promoting bilingualism  By contrast, only 26% of Quebecers shared this view  A poll conducted in 2012 found that 63% of Canadians were in favour of bilingualism for all of Canada, a 9% increase since that same poll was last conducted in 2003 In 2016, another poll was conducted, showing increasing support for official bilingualism in every province  Among telephone respondents, 88% of Canadians said they "strongly support" or "somewhat support" the aims of the Official Languages Act: 91% in the Atlantic, 94% in Quebec, 87% in Ontario, 83% in the Prairies, 90% in Alberta and 84% in British Columbia  84% of telephone respondents also said they personally "strongly support" or "somewhat support" official bilingualism   The results were more mixed in the online portion of the poll, where 78% of respondents said they "strongly support" or "somewhat support" the aims of the Official Languages Act, and 73% said they personally "strongly support" or "somewhat support" official bilingualism  In another poll conducted on this topic in the same year, 67% of respondents across Canada answered "yes" to the question "Are you personally in favour of bilingualism for all of Canada?" while 31% said "no" 

Reform proposals
2021 OLA modernisation bill
In June 2021 the Government of Canada introduced a parliamentary bill to modernize the Official Languages Act in a changing and more digital society 

Bill C-13
In 2022, the Government of Canada tabled Bill C-13 which amends the Official Languages Act and other related legislation  As of June 15, 2023, Bill C-13 passed third reading in the Senate and is awaiting royal assent 

Including more languages
The Official Languages Act applies to English and French, but does not include formal protections any other languages spoken in Canada, Indigenous or otherwise  In a Winnipeg allocution during his first term, Pierre Elliott Trudeau said that French was selected as an official language mostly because of the important demographic weight within Canada  As such, if and when Ukrainian would represent the mother tongue of, say, 10% of the population, Trudeau assured the crowd that steps would be taken to make Ukrainian an official language of Canada as well More recently, Romeo Saganash, the NDP Member of Parliament for Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou from 2011 to 2019, proposed that every single indigenous languages still spoken today become an official language of Canada  Saganash also advocates for the right to speak indigenous languages in the House of Commons and the Senate 

See also
Official bilingualism in Canada
Official Bilingualism in the Public Service of Canada
Official Language Act (Quebec)
Charter of the French Language
Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism
Languages of Canada
Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (includes list of commissioners 1970–present)

Notes
External links
Déjà Vu: 40 Years of Language and Laughter in Political Cartoons (Commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Official Languages Act)
Canadian Department of Justice - Official Languages Act text
Analysis of section 41 of the act

Related link
List of Acts of Parliament of Canada
Passage 6:
The White Suit
The White Suit (Serbian: Belo odelo / Бело одело) is a 1999 Serbian language film directed by Lazar Ristovski  It was a co-production between the United Kingdom and Federal Republic of Yugoslavia  It was Yugoslavia's official Best Foreign Language Film submission at the 72nd Academy Awards, but did not manage to receive a nomination 

Cast
Lazar Ristovski - Savo / Vuko Tiodorovic
Radmila Shchogolyeva - Karmen
Dragan Nikolić - Makro
Bata Živojinović - Gospodin
Danilo Stojković - Svestenik
Bogdan Diklić - Masinovodja
Radoš Bajić - Vlasnik
Passage 7:
Swedish Sign Language
Swedish Sign Language (SSL; Svenskt teckenspråk) is the sign language used in Sweden  It is recognized by the Swedish government as the country's official sign language, and hearing parents of deaf individuals are entitled to access state-sponsored classes that facilitate their learning of SSL  There are fewer than 10,000 speakers, making the language officially endangered 

History
Swedish sign language first came into use in 1800  It does not stem from any other languages  In fact, this self-created language went on to influence Finnish Sign Language and Portuguese Sign Language  1809 marks the year of the first deaf school, Manillaskolan, in Sweden  It was not until 1981 that Swedish Sign Language was recognized as a national language of Sweden 

Handshapes
Many of the handshapes used in fingerspelling in Swedish Sign Language are similar to those in American Sign Language, even though the two languages are not related  For example, D is the same as B in ASL, G is the same as S in ASL, H is the same as F in ASL, I is the same in ASL, K is the same in ASL, M and N are very similar in ASL, O is the same in ASL, S is the same as C in ASL, and U, V & W are the same in ASL (but with a different palm orientation) 

Education and communication
Per the Education Act of 1998, deaf children are expected to be able to write in Swedish and English, in addition to expressing their thoughts in Swedish Sign Language  Thus, six state-run schools (one of which specializes in learning disabilities) have been established regionally for deaf children who cannot attend traditional comprehensive schools  Comprehensive and secondary schools in Sweden offer classes in addition to a one-year program to students to learn Swedish Sign Language as a third national language, as well as in hopes of becoming an interpreter  Interpreters are found in hospitals, and they also teach the language to the parents and siblings of deaf children  Sweden provides 240 hours of courses over four years to parents so that they may learn to communicate with their children  Additionally, weekly courses in the language are also available to the siblings of deaf children and the children of deaf parents 

Expanding the culture of the deaf
Since the recognition of Swedish Sign Language as a national language of Sweden, the Swedish government has made available to deaf individuals television shows and news broadcasts in sign language  Subtitles in sign language are also increasing  On November 29, 2001, the first Bible was translated into Swedish Sign Language  Furthermore, the Health and Medical Service Act (1982) guaranteed interpreters for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in working life, leisure, and club activities 

See also
Signed Swedish
Passage 8:
Southern Europe
Southern Europe is the southern region of Europe  It is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is marked by the Mediterranean Sea  Definitions of Southern Europe include some or all of these countries and regions: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Turkey (East Thrace), Gibraltar, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Malta,  Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal,  San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Southern France, Spain, and Vatican City (the Holy See) Southern Europe is focused on the three peninsulas located in the extreme south of the European continent  These are the Iberian Peninsula, the Apennine Peninsula, and the Balkan Peninsula  These three peninsulas are separated from the rest of Europe by towering mountain ranges, respectively by the Pyrenees, the Alps and the Balkan Mountains  The location of these peninsulas in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, as well as their mountainous reliefs, provide them with very different types of climates (mainly subtropical Mediterranean) from the rest of the continent  So, the Sirocco hot wind that originates in the heart of the Sahara blows over Italy, going up to the interior of the Alpine arc (Po Valley)  The Alps prevent the Sirocco from spreading to the rest of Europe  And, conversely, the Alps and the Pyrenees protect the Italian and Iberian peninsulas from the rains and icy winds from the south of France such as the Mistral and the Tramontane  When the Mistral and the Tramontane are blowing, this provokes an "upwelling" phenomenon on the French coast  They push the surface waters out to sea and bring deeper, cooler waters up to the seaside  Consequently, the temperature of the waters of the French coasts are therefore very cool even in summer, and not representative of the rest of the Mediterranean 
This same kind of phenomenon takes place between the two slopes of the Balkan Mountain Range  These mountains have, moreover, been a serious handicap to population displacement, focusing southern Europe mainly on the Mediterranean world  The climate and cultures are therefore very specific 
Different methods can be used to define Southern Europe, including its political, economic, historical, and cultural attributes  Southern Europe can also be defined by its natural features — its geography, climate, and flora  Politically, nine of the Southern European countries form the EU Med Group  Southern Europe also loosely corresponds to the European part of the Mediterranean Basin 

Geography
Geographically, Southern Europe is the southern portion of the European continent  This definition is relative, although largely based on history, culture, climate, and flora, which is shared across the region



ground_truth: August 3, 1769

prompt_front: Answer the question based on the given passages. Only give me the answer and do not output any other words.

Question: Where is the headquarter of the Radio Television of the country whose co-official language is the same as the one Politika is written in?

The following are given passages.
Context 3:  Southern Europe can be subdivided into three subregions:

Iberian Peninsula and the surrounding islands
Balearic Islands (Spain)
Iberian Peninsula
Andorra
French Cerdagne (France)
Gibraltar (United Kingdom)
Portugal (mainland)
Spain (mainland)
Pyrénées-Orientales (France)Italian geographic regionAlpes-Maritimes (France)
Apennine Peninsula
Central Italy
San Marino
South Italy
Vatican City (Holy See)
Corsica (France)
Gorizia (Italy)
Insular ItalySardinia
Sicily
Istria (peninsula)
Ankaran (Slovenia)
Istria County (Croatia)
Izola (Slovenia)
Koper (Slovenia)
Muggia (Italy)
Piran (Slovenia)
San Dorligo della Valle (Italy)
Malta
Monaco
Northern Italy
Northeast Italy
Northwest Italy
Ticino (Switzerland)
Trieste (Italy)Southeast Europe
Balkan Peninsula
Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia (southern mainland)
East Thrace (Turkey)
Greece (mainland)
Kosovo
Montenegro
North Macedonia
Romania (Northern Dobruja)
Serbia (Central Serbia)
Slovenia (south-western part)
Croatia (northern mainland & offshore islands)
Cyprus
Greece (islands)
Moldova
Romania (inland part)
Slovenia (north-eastern part)
Serbia (Vojvodina)The major islands in Southern Europe generally include the Balearic Islands, Corsica, Crete, Cyprus, Sardinia, and Sicily, as well as the island country of Malta 

Gallery
Climate
Southern Europe's most emblematic climate is the Mediterranean climate, influenced by the large subtropical semi-permanent centre of high atmospheric pressure found, not in the Mediterranean itself, but in the Atlantic Ocean, the Azores High  The Mediterranean climate covers Portugal, Spain, Italy, the southern coast of France, coastal Croatia, coastal Slovenia, southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, and Greece, as well as the Mediterranean islands  Those areas of Mediterranean climate present similar vegetations and landscapes throughout, including dry hills, small plains, pine forests and olive trees 
Cooler climates can be found in certain parts of Southern European countries, for example within the mountain ranges of Spain and Italy  Additionally, the north coast of Spain experiences a wetter Atlantic climate  In the highest regions of the Alps, which border Southern Europe, even ice cap climate can be found Some parts of Southern Europe have humid subtropical climates with warm and wet summers, unlike typical Mediterranean climates  This climate is mainly found in Italy and Croatia around the Adriatic Sea in cities such as Venice and Trieste, but also further north, near the Alpine foothills, in cities such as Como and Lugano 

Flora
Southern Europe's flora is mainly characterized by Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub, but also temperate broadleaf and mixed forests  The Mediterranean and Submediterranean climate regions in Europe are found in much of Southern Europe, mainly Portugal, Spain, Italy, Malta, Albania, Greece, Cyprus and all the mediterranean islands, but also in southeast France, the Balkan Mediterranean coast and part of Macedonia In the Mediterranean coastal areas, olive groves, maquis shrubland, and steppes are very common  At higher elevations, or latitudes, they are replaced by chestnut and (often coppiced) mixed forests 

History
Early history
The Phoenicians originally expanded from Canaan ports, dominating trade in the Mediterranean by the 8th century BC  Carthage was founded in 814 BC, and the Carthaginians by 700 BC had firmly established strongholds in Sicily and Sardinia (both regions in present day Italy), which created conflicts of interest with Etruria  Its colonies later reached the Western Mediterranean, such as Cádiz in Spain and most notably Carthage in North Africa, and even the Atlantic Ocean  The civilisation spread across the Mediterranean between 1500 BC and 300 BC The period known as classical antiquity began with the rise of the city-states of Ancient Greece  Greek influence reached its zenith under the expansive empire of Alexander the Great, spreading throughout Asia  The Roman Empire came to dominate the entire Mediterranean Basin in a vast empire based on Roman law and Roman legions  It promoted trade, tolerance, and Greek culture  By 300 AD the Roman Empire was divided into the Western Roman Empire based in Rome, and the Eastern Roman Empire based in Constantinople  The attacks of the Goths led to the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD, a date which traditionally marks the end of the classical period and the start of the Middle Ages  During the Middle Ages, the Eastern Roman Empire survived, though modern historians refer to this state as the Byzantine Empire  In Western Europe, Germanic peoples moved into positions of power in the remnants of the former Western Roman Empire and established kingdoms and empires of their own 
The period known as the Crusades, a series of religiously motivated military expeditions originally intended to bring the Levant back into Christian rule, began  Several Crusader states were founded in the eastern Mediterranean  These were all short-lived  The Crusaders would have a profound impact on many parts of Europe  Their sack of Constantinople in 1204 brought an abrupt end to the Byzantine Empire  Though it would later be re-established, it would never recover its former glory  The Crusaders would establish trade routes that would develop into the Silk Road and open the way for the merchant republics of Genoa and Venice to become major economic powers  The Reconquista, a related movement, worked to reconquer Iberia for Christendom  The late Middle Ages represented a period of upheaval in Europe  The epidemic known as the Black Death and an associated famine caused demographic catastrophe in Europe as the population plummeted  Dynastic struggles and wars of conquest kept many of the states of Europe at war for much of the period  In the Balkans, the Ottoman Empire, a Turkish state originating in Anatolia, encroached steadily on former Byzantine lands, culminating in the fall of Constantinople in 1453 

Post-Middle Ages
Beginning roughly in the 12th century in Florence, and later spreading through Europe with the development of the printing press, a Renaissance of knowledge challenged traditional doctrines in science and theology, with the Arabic texts and thought bringing about rediscovery of classical Greek and Roman knowledge  The Catholic reconquest of Portugal and Spain led to a series of oceanic explorations resulting in the Age of Discovery that established direct links with Africa, the Americas, and Asia  During this period, Iberian forces engaged in a worldwide struggle with Islamic societies; the battlefronts in this Ibero-Islamic World War stretched from the Mediterranean into the Indian Ocean, finally involving the islands of Southeast Asia  Eventually this ecumenical conflict ended when new players—England, Holland and France—replaced Spain and Portugal as the main agents of European imperialism in the mid-17th century 
European overseas expansion led to the rise of colonial empires, producing the Columbian Exchange  The combination of resource inflows from the New World and the Industrial Revolution of Great Britain, allowed a new economy based on manufacturing instead of subsistence agriculture  The period between 1815 and 1871 saw a large number of revolutionary attempts and independence wars  Balkan nations began to regain independence from the Ottoman Empire  Italy unified into a nation state  The capture of Rome in 1870 ended the Papal temporal power 

20th and 21st century
The outbreak of World War I in 1914 was precipitated by the rise of nationalism in Southeastern Europe as the Great Powers took up sides  The Allies defeated the Central Powers in 1918  During the Paris Peace Conference the Big Four imposed their terms in a series of treaties, especially the Treaty of Versailles  The Nazi regime under Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, and along with Mussolini's Italy sought to gain control of the continent by the Second World War 
Following the Allied victory in the Second World War, Europe was divided by the Iron Curtain  The countries in Eastern and Southeastern Europe were dominated by the Soviet Union and became communist states  The major non-communist Southern European countries joined a US-led military alliance (NATO) and formed the European Economic Community amongst themselves  The countries in the Soviet sphere of influence joined the military alliance known as the Warsaw Pact and the economic bloc called Comecon  Yugoslavia was neutral  The common attribute of the eastern countries is that all of them have experiences with socialism, but nevertheless, the beginning of the 1990s was just roughly the same  For some of them becoming independent was the major challenge, while others needed to face with poverty and deep dictatorship also Economically, parallel with the political changes, and the democratic transition, – as a rule of law states – the previous command economies were transformed via the legislation into market economies, and set up or renewed the major macroeconomic factors: budgetary rules, national audit, national currency, central bank  Generally, they shortly encountered the following problems: high inflation, high unemployment, low economic growth and high government debt  By 2000 these economies were stabilized, and sooner or later between 2004 and 2013 some of them joined the European Union, and Slovenia introduced the euro Italy became a major industrialized country again, due to its post-war economic miracle  The European Union (EU) involved the division of powers, with tax, health, and education handled by the nation states, while the EU had charge of market rules, competition, legal standards and environmentalism  The Soviet economic and political system collapsed, leading to the end of communism in the satellite countries in 1989, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union itself in 1991  European Union expanded to subsequently include many of the formerly communist European countries – Romania and Bulgaria (2007) and Croatia (2013) The Gotthard, a major and direct transport axis between Northern and Southern Europe, was completed in 2016 with the Gotthard Base Tunnel  The Gotthard inscribes itself in a long history of transit across the Alps, which saw them progressively changing from an obstacle to a corridor between the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea 

Demographics
Languages
Romance languages
The most widely spoken family of languages in Southern Europe are the Romance languages, the heirs of Latin, which have spread from the Italian peninsula, and are emblematic of Southwestern Europe  (See the Latin Arch ) By far the most common Romance languages in Southern Europe are Italian (spoken by over 50 million people in Italy, southern Switzerland, Malta, San Marino, and Vatican City) and Spanish, which is spoken by over 40 million people in Spain, Andorra and Gibraltar  Other common Romance languages include Portuguese (spoken in Portugal and Andorra), French (spoken in France, Monaco, and the Aosta Valley in Italy), Catalan (spoken in eastern Spain, Andorra, Southwestern France, and the Sardinian town of Alghero in Italy), Galician (spoken in northwestern Spain), Mirandese (spoken in northeast Portugal), and Occitan, which is spoken in the Val d'Aran in Catalonia, in the Occitan Valleys in Italy and in southern France 

Other languages
The Hellenic languages or Greek language are widely spoken in Greece and Cyprus  Additionally, other varieties of Greek are spoken in small communities in parts of other European countries English is used as a second language in parts of Southern Europe  As a primary language, however, English has only a small presence in Southern Europe, only in Gibraltar (alongside Spanish) and Malta (secondary to Maltese)  English is also widely spoken in Cyprus There are other language groupings in Southern Europe  Albanian is spoken in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Greece, Serbia, Croatia and Italy (particularly by the Arbëreshë people in Southern Italy), and Serbo-Croatian is spoken in Kosovo, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Italy (in Molise)  Slovenian is spoken in Slovenia, Italy (in Friuli-Venezia Giulia) and Croatia (in Istria) and Macedonian is spoken in North Macedonia  Maltese is a Semitic language that is the official language of Malta, descended from Siculo-Arabic, but written in the Latin script with heavy Latin and Italian influences  The Basque language is spoken in the Basque Country, a region in northern Spain and southwestern France  Turkish is a Turkic language that is spoken in Turkey, Cyprus, Kosovo, Greece, North Macedonia and Bosnia, and German is spoken in Italy, particularly in South Tyrol 

Religion
The predominant religion in Southern Europe is Christianity  Christianity spread throughout Southern Europe during the Roman Empire, and Christianity was adopted as the official religion of the Roman Empire in the year 380 AD  
Due to the historical break of the Church into the western half based in Rome and the eastern half based in Constantinople, different denominations of Christianity are prominent in different parts of Europe Christians in the western half of Southern Europe — e g , Portugal, Spain, Italy — are generally Roman Catholic  Christians in the eastern half of Southern Europe — e g , Greece, Serbia and North Macedonia — are generally Eastern Orthodox  Islam is widely practiced in Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo and Turkey and Northern Cyprus  Muslims are a significant minority in several countries of Southern Europe- e g , Greece, Italy, Spain  Judaism was practiced widely throughout the European continent within the Roman Empire from the 2nd century 

Other classifications
CIA World Factbook
In the CIA World Factbook, the description of each country includes information about "Location" under the heading "Geography", where the country is classified into a region  The following countries are included in their classification "Southern Europe":
Greece
Holy See (Vatican City)
Italy
Malta
San MarinoIn addition, Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain are classified as "Southwestern Europe", while Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Turkey (the part west of the Bosporus) are described as located in "Southeastern Europe" 

EuroVoc
EuroVoc is a multilingual thesaurus maintained by the Publications Office of the European Union, giving definitions of terms for official use  In the definition of "Southern Europe", the following countries are included:
Cyprus
Greece
Holy See
Italy
Malta
Portugal
San Marino
Spain
Turkey

UN geoscheme classification
The United Nations geoscheme is a system devised by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) which divides the countries of the world into regional and subregional groups, based on the M49 coding classification  The partition is for statistical convenience and does not imply any assumption regarding political or other affiliation of countries or territories In the UN geoscheme, the following countries are classified as Southern Europe:
Albania
Andorra
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia
Greece
Holy See
Italy
Malta
Montenegro
North Macedonia
Portugal
San Marino
Serbia
Slovenia
Spainas well as the dependent territory:

Gibraltar

European Travel Commission classification
European Travel Commission divides the European region on the basis of Tourism Decision Metrics (TDM) model 
Countries which belong to the Southern/Mediterranean Europe in this classification are:Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, East Thrace (Turkey), Greece, Italy, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, and Spain 

See also
Central and Eastern Europe
Central Europe
Eastern Europe
EU Med Group
EuroVoc#Southern Europe
Mediterranean Basin
Northern Europe
Northwestern Europe
Southeast Europe
Western Europe

Notes
Passage 9:
Media in Pristina
The media in Pristina includes some of the most important newspapers, largest publishing houses and most prolific television studio  Pristina is the largest communications center of media in  Kosova  Almost all of the major media organizations in Kosova are based in Pristina The television industry developed in Pristina and is a significant employer in the city's economy  The four major broadcast networks, RTK, RTV21, KTV and Klan Kosova, are all headquartered in Pristina 
Radio Television of Kosova (RTK) is the only public broadcaster both in Pristina and in all of Kosova as well, who continues to be financed directly by the state  All of the daily newspapers in Pristina have a readership throughout Kosova An important event which affected the development of the media, is that in University of Pristina since 2005 is established the Journalism Faculty within the Faculty of Philology in which a large number of young people are registered Media in Pristina have followed all elections held in Kosova, especially a great impact was noted in Kosova local elections, 2013,where media dedicated most of their time in political debates, advertisements and political parties programs The freedom and pluralism of the media is guaranteed by the Constitution of Kosova  Censorship is forbidden, except in the cases of provocation of violence and discrimination  In according to organization Reporters without borders
in 2013 Kosova was ranked in the 85th place, after a year Kosova made progress and was ranked in the 80th place 

Newspapers
The first newspaper was "Rilindja" (Renaissance), which first came out on February 12, 1945 in Prizren, and was the first newspaper in Albanian inside Yugoslavia   It was initially printed in the State Printing Shop in Prizren during the issues 1 to 60  Since issue 61, it was printed in Pristina Regional Printing House of the People's Front of Yugoslavia In the beginning, it had only four pages, being published weekly until June 27, 1948  After that it began to be published twice a week, on Sundays and Thursdays  Then, from November 1958, it started out as a daily paper (except on Fridays)  By the year 1964, it appeared every day in a 20-page standard format, while on Saturdays and holidays in a 24-32 page format  On September 5, 1990, the Serbian government banned its publication  But with the entry of NATO forces, on June 12, 1999, it appeared again, but this time with additional pages and some of them in color It was undoubtedly one of the major sold newspapers in the Albanian sphere  Its maximum circulation was during New Year holidays, up to 234,000 copies  In 2002, the  newspaper premises were blocked by UNMIK administration, and was listed as property of Kosova Agency of Privatisation, shutting it down abruptly 
Nowadays  the two most popular newspapers are Koha Ditore and Kosova Sot  And in the absence of an official and impartial survey, both of them claim to be the most-read newspaper in Kosova  The newspapers use three systems of distribution, the most used system is Rilindja's system, but some newspapers, as Koha Ditore and Bota Sot, in their attempt to hide the correct information about readership, have developed their own systems of distribution 
Express
Bota Sot
Koha Ditore
Kosova Sot
Lajm
Epoka e re

Magazines
The first writings magazines in Kosova began in the early 40th and one of the first publications was Literary magazine of Albanians "Jeta e re"(The new life) was given in the newspaper "Rilindja"(Renaissance) on July 17, 1949 as one of the most influential magazines in the country  At that time there were many other magazines quite important, which with their work were known throughout the country 
Some of magazines were: The newspaper "Zani i rinisë" (The Journal of Pioneers)  which in 1946 was converted into Literary magazine for children "Pioneri" (Pioneers)   In 1946 magazine for cultural and social issue "Përparimi" (The Progress) which from 1955 comes as magazine for culture, Literary magazine "Jeta e re"(The New life), then health education magazine "Shëndeti" (The Health)  and some others as "Ndërtuesi" (The Builder), magazine for employees "Agimi" (The Sunrise), "Zora"-Women's Antifascist Front, "Bujku i ri"(The Young Farmer), whereas today most popular magazines are listed in this table:

Radio
Radio Pristina started transmission immediately after the World War II in Prizren 1945 (later to be transferred to Pristina) and it was founded by Parliament of Kosovo province  Radio transmitted in Albanian, Serbian and Turkish language  October 1999 OSCE transfers the resurrected public radio station Radio Pristina to RTK  It is re-launched as Radio Kosovo 
Radio Kosova is the first radio that transmitted news in English language, news edition called 'Live at Five' is still transmitted at 17:00 

Radio stations
Television
Television in Pristina has its beginnings on 26 November 1975, Radio Television of Pristina or RTP (Albanian: Radio Televizioni i Prishtinës, Serbian: Радио-телевизија Приштина, Radio-televizija Priština) was the first Albanian television channel in Kosova, and it was part of JRT and had its building in Kosova's capital Pristina (then a Yugoslav Autonomous Province)  Both radio and television transmitted in Albanian, Serbian and Turkish language  Television discontinued transmission on 10 June 1999 and was relocated to Central Serbia, later it was dissolved  After the Kosova war, material and buildings of Radio Television Pristina are under the administration of Radio Television of Kosova, and have been established two other television RTV21 and KTV  

List of TV stations
Cable and Internet
Internet coverage is widespread but it experiences frequent outages  As of December 2013, the number of internet subscribers was 156,408 or 52 65% household penetration rate   In an effort to harmonize existing audiovisual media legislation with EU directives, Kosova's Independent Media Commission (IMC) issued regulations on licensing fees, cable operators, and protection of minors  Expansion of cable operators increased media diversity by bringing local and national TV stations, as well as special cable stations, to the public The following are some of the main internet providers:

Online media



ground_truth: Pristina