Canada on Tuesday became the first Group of Seven nation to raise interest rates since the global financial crisis, but said any further hikes would depend on global economic conditions.

The Bank of Canada increased its key interest rate by a quarter point to .50 percent from a record-low rate of .25 percent.

The bank said the impact of Europe's sovereign debt crisis in Canada has largely been limited to a modest fall in commodity prices.

It said the decision to raise rates still leaves considerable monetary stimulus in place.

Economists widely expected the central bank to raise rates after the country's economy grew 6.1 percent in the first three months of this year, emerging from the global downturn faster than the U.S.

Canada has not experienced the failure of any major financial institution, and there has been no crippling mortgage meltdown or banking crisis due to greater regulation.