Can anyone compare the United states to cananda? Some history? differences/simularities?

Answer 1

There were 15 British colonies; 13 rebelled, 2 didn't.

The United States "broke away" from Britain with the American Revolution. Canada took a slower path, a string of legislation know as the the British North American Act. It started with the Constitution Act, or Articles of Confederation in 1867, and culminated in the Canada Act (aka the Patriation of the Constitution) in 1981. Or to put it another way, the US became independent by rebellion, Canada by legislation.

The United States started as a loose confederation of "states" (which originally gave the connotation of mostly- or semi-autonomous areas, like "nations") and has gradually come to have a very centralized government with limited "states rights". Canada started with very limited & specific powers given to the provinces, with everthing else to be governed centrally, and has been gradually been moving more and more powers and responsiblities away from the federal government, creating a great deal of regionalism.

Both countries have a bi-cameral representiave governement. In the United States it is a Federal Republic; whereas Canada is a nominative Constitutional Monarchy (although technically, the Queen is queen in name only - she is a figurehead, and the Governor General is only a cermonial representative of the Head of State. Contrary to one of the answers here, she is Queen of Canada, quite separately from being Queen of England. She could (technically) be deposed as Queen of England and still be Queen of Canada. Canadian citizens are NOT British subjects and have not been since the 1930s). To put it another way, the United States Chief Executive is its Head of State (the President) not its Head of Governement (The Speaker of the House); Canada's Chief Executive is its Head of Government (the Prime Minister) not its Head of State (the Queen/Governor General).

Canada has two official languages: English and French. This reflects a unique part of Canadian history: only in Canada, of all of North America, did one European power (England) *defeat* another (France) - on the Plains of Abraham. The British, and then the Americans *bought* territory from the Dutch, the Spanish, and the Russians, but did not defeat them in a war. British concessions to their conquered subjects included langauge rights (for instance, school would still be taught in French). Quebec continues to hold that close: their license plates read "Je me souviens" ("I remember").

If the US ever goes to second official language, it will probably be Spanish.

The US is mad about football; Canada is mad about hockey.


Similarities: Both countries insist that *they* won the War of 1812 :)

Both have a primarily English heritage, both are nations of immigrants, both have struggled with their relationship with their respective native peoples (The United States usually calls them "Indians", "Native Americans" or "Amerindians", Canada refers to them as the "First Nations" or "First Nations Peoples"; the US calls territory set aside for them "Reservations"; Canada calls them "Reserves").

Finally a Canadian joke:
Q: What is the equivalent of "As American as apple pie?"
A: "As Canadian as possible under the circumstances."
(background: the assumption is that Americans are fiercely patriotic about everything, including their desert, whereas Canadians are lower-key, to the point of being self-depreciating)

Answer 2

Well, both countries are on the same continent. They both are democracies, they both enjoy a pretty common average standard of living. Canada has a federally regulated health care system while the US healthcare system is mostly private with the exception of welfare systems. The US had a revolution and fought for independence from Britain where Canada was granted its independence. In the US an individual is elected to office, where in Canada, it is the party that is elected. The American currency is worth more than Canadian on a world scale, however, the cost of living is not much different in each country.

Answer 3

I know that the goverment s are very different, like in Canada health care is provided by the gov't. When you are born in Canada you get a social insurance card rather that a social security card. Money is different also, Canada has a looney and a tooney( one dollar and two dollar coin)

Answer 4

The folks in the United States are CITIZENS. Our government is of the people, by the people and for the people.

Canadians are SUBJECTS of the English Crown who have been deluded into thinking they enjoy citizenship "just like the US" but they really don't.