USA vs Canada: Similarities and Differences Compared
At first glance, you may think of the US and Canada as being similar. And one may assume so because both countries are located on the same continent and share the longest international border in the world. But if you take a better look at things, you will notice that little could be more different about them. But just how different are these two nations? Short answer, very. Long answer, well, let's begin. Because there are far fewer similarities between the two countries, we will start with those.
Both countries are on the same continent
That being the continent of North America. And, as if it needed to be said, both countries take up huge parts of the continent.
Both countries speak the same languages
English, obviously, is the cornerstone staple for both countries. But other languages exist as well. French is spoken in Québec and somewhat spoken in Maine, New Hampshire, and Louisiana. Officially, Canada’s languages are English and French. The US, however, has no official language, although English is the primary one, with Spanish coming in second and several other languages spoken here and there, not including Indigenous languages. Canadian English is also a mix of American and British English. Canadians will spell English words the British way ("centre," "humour," "harbour," etc.) but retain an accent that sounds American.
Both countries share a common ancestor
That being Great Britain, hence English being the majority language in both countries.
Both countries are very large
They rank #3 and #2 in country size, after Russia.
Both countries celebrate independence in July
1st for Canada (assuming we’re celebrating the 1867 Independence Day), 4th for USA, even though the declaration of independence was signed on August 2, 1776.
Both countries are patriotic
Speaking of national holidays, many Americans take pride in their country of origin. And the same can be said for those above the US.
Both countries’ national anthems start with the same word
And letter, for that matter: “O.” If you didn't know or had forgotten, the first verse of the American national anthem is "O say can you see..." while the first verse of Canada's anthem is "O Canada."
Both countries are founding NATO members
Even though Canada was not attacked on land during the Second World War, it is still a founding NATO member. With the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and the Japanese invasion of Alaska, the US was attacked on land during the war.
Both countries drive on the same side of the road
That being the right side of the road. Canada actually differs from other Commonwealth nations in this regard, since countries like Australia and New Zealand drive on the left.
The citizens of both countries love to barbecue
But there is some difference behind this similarity. American barbecue focuses on regional rubs, sauces, and other variations. Canadian barbecue is also more influenced by European, Middle Eastern, and Caribbean meat cooking methods. American barbecue, however, focuses on different regions. Texas alone is an outstanding example. Memphis dry rub and Kansas City sweet sauce are also contenders. Nevertheless, it doesn't take much to convince an American or a Canadian to fire up the grill.
Differences
Now time for the longer part of this list. 10 differences made the list, but if you dig even deeper, you'll find even more differences. But let's have a look at the differences that made the list.
Government
Parliament under constitutional monarchy vs Democratic republic. Though this could change in the coming years, as more and more Canadians want Canada to become an independent republic
Division
That is, in the sense of how our countries are divided. The US has states; Canada has provinces and territories. There are also far more states than provinces or territories. To be exact, there are 10 times more states than provinces and almost 17 times as many states as territories.
Political Parties
There are 2 major American political parties, those being Democrat and Republican, while Canada has four to choose from: Conservative, new Democratic, Green, and Liberal. And, it has to be said, there need to be more major American parties. Even George Washington warned against having a two-party system.
Currency
While the currencies are named the same thing (they're both called the dollar), they are different in a few ways. First, Canadian dollar bills are more colorful and have braille on them. Canadian $10 are also vertical on the back. American bills are less colorful. In addition, Canada stopped minting pennies on February 4, 2013. It took the US 13 years to catch up in that regard, since pennies will stop being minted in 2026.
System of Measurement
In Canada (and every other country except the US, Myanmar, and Liberia), the metric system of measurement is used, as are the Celsius temperature scale and day/month/year format for dates. This is something we, as a world superpower, should have done a long time ago. We even converted to metric with the 1975 metric conversion act, which was unfortunately repealed in 1982 by the Reagan administration. And that's not counting the things in the picture above, like temperature and date format.
Coffee
In terms of a warm beverage in the morning, both countries have their own ways. Starbucks (and, to a certain extent, Dunkin' Donuts) are outstanding examples. Tim Hortons is commonly known as the place where Canadians will go for a donut and coffee, among other things. Though there are Starbucks in Canada and Tim Hortons in the US, each side likes to keep its chain to itself.
Healthcare
In Canada, you don't need health insurance, because healthcare there is free. In the states, the same cannot be said. Again, something we are lacking that, as a developed nation, really should not be lacking
Population
38 million vs 334 million. For its size, Canada has a small population. In fact, from 1984 until June of 2023, California alone had more people than all of Canada, despite California being 23 times smaller.
Sports
American football (which, if you ask me, should be referred to as gridiron or pigskin) vs ice hockey. Now, granted, there are American professional hockey teams, but we’ve lost to Canada a fair number of times. (I’d also rather not talk about the times we won against them because it didn’t end too well in 1994 and 2011)
Spelling
As you might have already guessed, Canadians will spell words the British way, while Americans will almost always forgo that "u" in words like "color," or "humor." Americans will also spell words like "traveler" with one "L" instead of two, the way Canadians and Brits do.
Were you aware of these many differences? Or were you like me and you assumed the two countries were similar until you took a better look at things? Leave a comment!
Sources: Lingoda, TheTravel, Diffen,
https://www.lingoda.com/blog/en/differences-between-canada-and-the-united-states/
Jillian Zacchia
