What is Canada like? Is it anything like America?(Please don't link to Wikipedia!)?

Answer 1

In many ways Canada is a lot like the United States. It is a democracy. It is a collection of provinces (similar to states) with a central government. It was settled by europeans, but like the U.S. still has a significant aboriginal population (which, also sadly like the U.S. tend to be part of the underclass). But in many ways, Canada is different. THere are two official languages in Canada, English and French. It is a parliamentary government, similar to that found in the UK. Canada tends to be more liberal when it comes to social issues. There are very strong gun control laws (and a whole lot fewer murders). There is no death penalty. Gay marriage is allowed. Canada did not support the war in Iraq (but currently has troops in Afghanistan). There is universal medical care - Canadians don't have to pay for most healthcare costs. The geography is similar, but of course as Canada is so far north, it is a lot colder than the U.S. Like the U.S., it is a huge country with lots of natural resources and lots of open space. Canada is a great country.

Answer 2

Canadians are often unsure exactly what Canada is like, but ask any Canadian and they will tell you that they are NOT American. "American" in this case refers to the USA of course since everybody knows that America is a continent with many countries on it from Canada in the north to Argentina and Chile in the south.

Canadians like to think of themselves as the mild-mannered democracy to the north of the USA. They still have a queen, but she is more of a distant figurehead than anything else and has precious little to do with actual government. (Well, they had to put somebody on the coins!)

Even Canadians are unsure about their culture but below you will find a link to a website that is making a really respectable attempt to change that. In a university paper I had to write on the subject recently, it was the best resource I found on Canadian Culture.

Answer 3

Senlin is correct, plus: Canada has a lot less violent crime, a lot less income disparity, somewhat higher taxes (that pays for our free healthcare). Life is less of a rat race in Canada with less of an emphasis on money as the prime objective of life. With exception of some foods most things cost more here. Canada also has twice the percentage of immigrants as the USA, but they tend to congregate in just 3 metropolitan areas instead of fanning out as they do in the USA, and our titular head of state at present is a mulatto immigrant citizen. With exception of an obnoxious "notwithstanding clause" (never used Federally, thank God) our constitution guarantees more freedom than does the American. Most of Canada is more libertine and sexually tolerant and less hypocritical than in much of the USA. Not only is same sex marriage legal and generally accepted but so are opposite sex (and same sex) legal espousalments without marriage. As yet, we have been resistant to infection of the Christian religious crazies that have so much influence in the USA, even in our most conservative, American-like province (Alberta).

Answer 4

canada is not like america do you know how i know this? i moved to america two years ago..both great countries and they share the same trends and society beliefts, Canada is much more open and polite, and they have more of an english feel the country due to it being a comonwealth county of britian.
canadian silke beer and hockey. Our immigrantion policies are more leniant and have better visas!
you can only know the differance when you visit both places!

Answer 5

I can tell you that it is alot colder, and the people look the same and are friendly, and mostely do not have an accent. But alot lot lot colder in some area's. But of course, it has shops, malls, museums, restaraunts, parks, schools, banks, and things that we do, but it can be a ton different. And I am with u with the wikipedia thing.

Answer 6

i know this wont help but just funny
You might be canadian if.....

-You can repeat the entire Molson’s Canadian ’The Rant’.
-You know all the words to "If I had a million dollars" by The Barenaked Ladies, including the inter-stanza banter between Steven and Ed.
-You dismiss all beers under 6% as "for children and the elderly"
-You know that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) don’t always look like that
-You watch MuchMusic constantly, in the hopes of occasional fleeting glimpses of The Tragically Hip
-You think Peter Mansbridge is sexy. -You think Lloyd Robertson is sexy. -You think Peter Kent is sexy.
-You think Matt Damon is so-so -You can do the hand actions to Sharon, Lois and Bram’s "Skin-a-marinki-dinki-do".
-You know why "killerwhaletank" is funny
-You had a crush on Joey Jeremiah from Degrassi Junior High.
-You know that a "Premier" isn’t a baby born a few months early
-You think -10 C is mild weather
-You substitute beer for water when cooking.
-You carry empty beer cans from your camping trips home with you in your backpack so you can recycle them when you reach civilization.
-You know that the ’Extra Creamy’ in Kraft Extra Creamy Dinner is ’add more milk.’
-You know what "Canuba" is. You think it’s pretty damn funny
-You die a little inside if you can’t get your Tim’s double-double every morning.
-You know the difference between real snow and "television" snow -- the white stuff that passes for snow on tv and in films. You scream, "For Christsake! That should be sticking to their pants!" and "Lookit, it’s not melting! That’s *so* not snow!" when watching ’Winter’ scenes
-You’ve actually said, "Stay where yer at, ’till I gets where yer to"
-Can Complete the phrase: "The good old ____ game is the best ____ you can ____."
-You find it difficult to explain "milk in a bag" to non-Canadians, and even more difficult to describe the "snippy-thing" used on bag corners. (Bonus points if your collected snippy-things are stuck to your fridge.)
-You’re pretty sure you can see Alex Trebek smirking when Jeopardy contestants get the "Canada questions" wrong. Even if you weren’t sure of the answer yourself, you consider yourself a hundred times smarter than the idiots who always guess, "What is .. uh, Toronto?"
-Your Saturday nights in the Atlantic provinces include eating beans and brown bread as you watch Hockey Night in Canada
-Your local zoo is mainly flamingoes, giraffes and sad elephants freezing their asses off against a backdrop of pine trees, grey skies, and precambrian shield formations
-You know that a pike is a type of fish, not part of a highway
-You drive on a highway, not a freeway -You have Canadian Tire money in your kitchen drawers
-You cried when you heard that "Mr Dress Up" died recently.
-You get excited whenever an American television show mentions -You live in a house with no front step, but the door is one meter up from the ground
-You perk up when you hear the theme song from "Hockey Night in Canada."
-"Eh?" is a very important part of your vocabulary, and is more polite than, "Huh?"
-You’ve ever had your tongue frozen to something.
-You know that in Canada the mosquitoes have landing lights
-You have more miles on your snow blower than your car
-You know that Canadian Tire on any Saturday is busier than the toy stores before Christmas.
-You’ve taken your kids trick-or-treating in a blizzard.
-Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled in with snow
-You can play road hockey on skates
-You have memorized the Heritage Foundation’s Heritage Moments, including your favourites, "Burnt Toast!", "You know I canna read a word...",
-You are moved to tears by those Bell Canada phone commercials they show around Remembrance Day, where the grandson calls his granddad from Dieppe. You understand the manipulative nature of the advertisement, but continue to be moved, nonetheless
-You spit angrily when Americans say "ruff" instead of the correct "roof".

YOU MIGHT BE A LIL TOO CANADIAN IF.....
-You read rather than scanned this list

Answer 7

We have alot better sence of humour,and don't have a complex like they do,our beer is better and our babes are hotter(don't pick up chicks at bingo though)Not as much violence and you can leave your keys in the car and not worry(not in Toronto) Our TV shows stink and our McDonalds suck just like the rest of the world.Now we have Wal-Mart to help the chinese get enen more powerful.Things are indeed looking up here.

Answer 8

Canada is the USA's little brother. We are very much the same but we are also very different. People in Canada are more friendly. We love our hockey, beer, and coffee.

Answer 9

i hate when people says "America" reffering just to the USA only , come on!!! dont you know america its a continent from Alaska to the land of fire in Argentina ??? so yes !! canada is "america" also !!!

www.worldatlas.com


cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrssssssss!!!!!!!

Answer 10

You have to buy your guns and liquor in different stores.