Why did Canada suddenly make states? Just to copy the USA?

Question

I see on an up-to-date map that Canada is now divided into states - it looks like about nine of them. They used to be one big area. Do they have to copy the USA in everything?

Answer 1

Were you watching the news on the Disney Channel or what?

Answer 2

They are not states. Some of them are provinces, and some of them are territories, and they've all been around for a very long time. In having provinces, Canada is not copying the US, but France and lots of other countries.

Cartographers (I used to be one professionally) have varying levels of detail for what they draw on a map. If it is a map of the US, they might put state lines in, but marking the boundaries of the states in Mexico or the provinces of Canada would just be distracting. Likewise, if the map was of Canada, they might just fill in the boundaries of the US with a solid color and not put the state lines in. You are just used to seeing maps of the US with Canada labelled. Sounds like you may be seeing a map of Canada specifically for the first time.

Don't feel bad. When I was a kid, I thought Canada was the biggest state in the USA!

Answer 3

Try paying a little more attention in school. There are many types of maps. Some show just an outline. Some show political divisions. Some include topographical features. However, as other responders pointed out, Canada has had provinces for hundreds of years. Note Canada has "provinces" not "states".

Answer 4

I am Canadian and yes I agree we try and copy the States (pun intended) all too often.Hollywood, Collimbine etc etc But 10 provinces and 2 territories hardly follows fifty states when you
consider that Canada is approximately three times the size of the USA. Find that on the map eh !!!

Answer 5

I don't know what map you are looking at, but as a citizen of Canada, we still live in provinces. 10 of them and 2 territories. And we have been divided that way for over 100 years (with a couple of changes over the years).

Answer 6

Suddenly? As early as 1867, it had four provinces, all of which had existed as separate colonies for most of a century. Canada added provinces in the late 1800s as settlers settled in the west, and as the remaining two eastern colonies joined up (1870s and 1949).

The two (and later three) territories were made up of lands that would never reach the population thresholds to provide the services expected on the provincial level.

The only recent boundary change was in the north territories, in 1999, when Nunavut was carved out of the Northwest Territories.

Answer 7

Post the URL of this up-to-date map of Canada with states, not provinces. I'd like the see it and have a good laugh.

Long live the United States of Canada! lol

Answer 8

Watching too much South Park? Sorry but we still have provinces in Canada. Other countries are divided into certain areas as well. Pay more attention in Social Studies class.

Answer 9

Perhaps it was a map made in the USofA?

Canada still has ten PROVINCES. In addition it used to have two DISTRICTS; but those TWO have, a few years ago, been divided into THREE

The "one big area"? Perhaps you are referring to the North West Territories (NWT). It was divided into the NWT and Nunavut

Answer 10

sure you can throw the conservatives out. the trouble is that with so many left wing parties the vote gets split and the conservatives get a majority. just look at the last election. everyone voted for liberals, NDP, Bloc and so on. None of them got a huge number of votes, but the conservatives did even though they did not win an outright majority. the voters need to chose the liberals as the only way to get the conservatives out!!! I dont like the liberals but at least the liberals are open to coalitions with NDP and the Bloc

Answer 11

Some of the Canadians also need a geography class.

We have TEN provinces and THREE territories. Since 1999. When Nunavut became a territory.