A random question for my Canadian friends ...

[badnarik]

Most Americans don't have a practical use for Canadian geography.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

Ok in fairness,

Who knows how many provinces (or is it states or territories) that Mexico has?

Other than Mexico City, Cancun, and Tijuana name 5 Mexican cities.

It's easy enough to google the anwers, but if you don't know without looking them up, is it really fair to criticize Americans for not knowing much about Canada? Shouldn't we in theory know the basics about the other North American country, and a key player in our free trade agreements?

If not, why should the United States know so much about Canada? That in itself is an interesting debate.

[flip]

Originally Posted by ken0042

I'd be curious to see what percentage of Canadians aren't good with math- specifically fractions.

yeah wasn't it 1 in 5 i think that might be 20%.

about the war of 1812 though it is interesting because both the British (before they were canadians) and the americans believe that they won that war. the reason is that we invaded burned stuff down and then left. but according to american military doctrine if they didn't lose then they won. and since we just left without making them surrender they consider it a victory. even though we won. weird.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by Maritime Q-Scout

Ok in fairness,

Who knows how many provinces (or is it states or territories) that Mexico has?

Other than Mexico City, Cancun, and Tijuana name 5 Mexican cities.

It's easy enough to google the anwers, but if you don't know without looking them up, is it really fair to criticize Americans for not knowing much about Canada? Shouldn't we in theory know the basics about the other North American country, and a key player in our free trade agreements?

If not, why should the United States know so much about Canada? That in itself is an interesting debate.

Maybe. I think a case can be made that a basic knowledge of geography is an essential life skill--knowing where you are in relation to other people in the world is kind of important--in that it makes you more worldly and aware of events outside of your own little burg.

The fact that Canadians know little about Mexico, if indeed that's true, doesn't change the fact that Americans should know more about both of their neighbours than they do. Just my opinion, I guess. I also think they should know more about themselves and their own history. It's weird when as a Canadian, I'm teaching U.S. history to American college students--and realizing that they're hearing this stuff for the very first time.


The fact is, the Canadian public school system is better. There's no way around that. College students should know a little history and a little about literature--they should have reading skills, both interpretive and critical--and they should know how to write an argumentative paper. As it stands, these skills are frequently present in students who went to private schools and frequently not in those who went to public schools, in my experience.

[arsenal]

Exaclty. To be fair, our neighbour to the north would be Russia. How much do we know about them? Or even Nunavut? How people in Canada forget that is even a province now? Can you name a city there? I can't, mainly because I don't care enough to know. I am probably never ever going to go there. If I do, then I will find out stuff about it. Otherwise, i will just let it be.

[soulchoice]

I find most americans dont know much about Canada either. However, I also feel its not a big deal. They dont need to know that much about us. We are far more focused on US lifestyle and culture than they are with us.

[teamchachi]

Originally Posted by Drunk Skunk

This is a bit of an odd question, but it's stuck in my mind since last night. I was at the emergency room(another story all-together), and my nurse was Canadian. I got to talking to her a little bit, and she was shocked that I had actually been to Canada, and knew of cities other then Ottawa and Montreal.

My question would be - is this common? Is the general consensus that Americans don't know anything about Canada?

It really depends where you are in the US. If you're in northern Washington State then most people seem to have some understanding of Canada. If only because they used to cross the border to drink when they were 19 and 20.

However, it would be fair to say that 90+% of Americans don't have a clue about Canada, let alone being able to find it (or themselves) on a map. I've done extensive business travel throughout the States, and I'm shocked when I find somebody who knows anything about Canada.

[Byrns]

Originally Posted by arsenal

Exaclty. To be fair, our neighbour to the north would be Russia. How much do we know about them? Or even Nunavut? How people in Canada forget that is even a province now? Can you name a city there? I can't, mainly because I don't care enough to know. I am probably never ever going to go there. If I do, then I will find out stuff about it. Otherwise, i will just let it be.

I think you're the only one who know's its a province.

[arsenal]

Originally Posted by Byrns

I think you're the only one who know's its a province.

Province, territory, it's essentially the same thing, just called by a different name.

[sadora]

Originally Posted by Drunk Skunk

This is a bit of an odd question, but it's stuck in my mind since last night. I was at the emergency room(another story all-together), and my nurse was Canadian. I got to talking to her a little bit, and she was shocked that I had actually been to Canada, and knew of cities other then Ottawa and Montreal.

My question would be - is this common? Is the general consensus that Americans don't know anything about Canada?

A few years ago I worked at the Calgary Stampede's ticket office. I would take calls from places all over the world and it was the Americans that would ask the dumbest questions. I remember a lady from texas who was very concerned about finding a hotel very near the grounds because she was under the impression that we didn't have any public transportation up here. Others would ask if we had winter clothing available on the grounds because they thought that it snowed up here pretty much year round. These were some of the more decent type of questions I got, there were some that were just insulting.

So yes, it has been very rare meeting an American who knows a thing or two about Canada.

[Aeneas]

In general,
"Americans are benevolently ignorant about Canada, while Canadians are malevolently well-informed about America"

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by arsenal

Province, territory, it's essentially the same thing, just called by a different name.

Not even close. You don't know the difference between a province and a territory? A province has powers, a territory doesn't.

[J pold]

My silly American story is when I was in London having a conversation with a group of girls from Florida…

Girls: “where are you from?”

Me: “Oh I live in Canada”

Girls: “Cool! Where in Canada?”

Me: “Alberta”

Girls: (with horribly confused looks on there faces): “uhhh”

Me: “Hum its right above Montana”

Girls: “Where?”

Me: “You know Montana….the State”

Girls (still horribly confused): “uhhh”

Me: “You know beside Idaho”

Girls: “Oh I have herd of Idaho…it’s a suburb of Chicago right?”

Me: “no…”

[arsenal]

the major difference between a Canadian province and a Canadian territory is that the federal government has more direct control over the territories, while the provinces are run by provincial governments empowered by the constitution.

So the fed government has more control over it, so it makes it that much more different? Is a territory really all that different from a province, besides that one thing, it's still essentially the same thing. The fed goverment still has control over provinces, just not as much. When it comes to passing laws, making laws, etc, then yes, there is a difference. But as far as sectioning off land, creating a boarder, the people that live there, cities, it's the same thing.

[Titan]

Originally Posted by Aeneas

In general,
"Americans are benevolently ignorant about Canada, while Canadians are malevolently well-informed about America"

Nice!

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by arsenal

So the fed government has more control over it, so it makes it that much more different? Is a territory really all that different from a province, besides that one thing, it's still essentially the same thing. The fed goverment still has control over provinces, just not as much. When it comes to passing laws, making laws, etc, then yes, there is a difference. But as far as sectioning off land, creating a boarder, the people that live there, cities, it's the same thing.

How about the biggest difference... territories don't get to keep ANY revenue, and don't have a way to collect revenue.

Yes, it's that much more different. It's the difference between living at home and paying all your income to your parents and having them dole out an allowance, and living on your own and doing what you want.

But you continue to try and defend your slip-up. It's okay that you made a mistake, just acknowledge it instead of trying to defend it, that's all.

[arsenal]

Originally Posted by FireFly

How about the biggest difference... territories don't get to keep ANY revenue, and don't have a way to collect revenue.

Yes, it's that much more different. It's the difference between living at home and paying all your income to your parents and having them dole out an allowance, and living on your own and doing what you want.

But you continue to try and defend your slip-up. It's okay that you made a mistake, just acknowledge it instead of trying to defend it, that's all.

You are talking legal difference between a territory and province. So yes, you are correct, and I am wrong.

I am talking in a way of dividing up land with in a country. Territory, Province, State, are different names for the same thing. In that sense, I am right.

The way they are governed is different from country to country, and not the point I was trying to make. Sorry for not clarifying.

[Staypuft]

Originally Posted by fotze

Why is the "being a neighbor" part mean that you should know about them. I don't even know my neighbors names.

and while we are patting ourselves on the back we all know the number 1 by a wide margin reason we know so much about the US is their cultural influence (i.e. television watching).

I know that Spokane's main event is called Bloomsday, not because of my worldly travels and superior education system, but because it was during commercials while I was watching Arnold say "Whatchoo talkin' bout Willis".

Fotze wins.
The only reason we feel so high and mighty because we know so much about the US is because we get almost all of our (good) TV from there. Places like Youtube that garner millions of hits a day frolm Canadians consistently have Presidential debates and other current US news on them. We're constantly bombarded with all things American, we'd have to be dense not to absorb it.

If the roles were reversed I'm sure they'd be a lot more informed about Canada...at least enough to know that Jean Poutine was gone from office years ago

[RyZ]

I was in a hot tub in Anaheim last year with a couple from Dallas and they asked me how many sled dogs I owned. They had heard of Calgary before but essentially thought we lived in igloos and rode our sled dogs to the hole in the ice where we fished for seals. Watch out for those polar bears. Needless to say, I was shocked.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by RyZ

I was in a hot tub in Anaheim last year with a couple from Dallas and they asked me how many sled dogs I owned. They had heard of Calgary before but essentially thought we lived in igloos and rode our sled dogs to the hole in the ice where we fished for seals. Watch out for those polar bears. Needless to say, I was shocked.

I'm shocked too. "Fished" for seals?


Everybody knows we CLUB our seals.


But seriously, watch out for those polar bears.