In your opinion, do Americans have more knowledge of Canada, or do Canadians have more knowledge of the U.S.A?

<laughing>

^^^See, apparently @glacial knows a lot about America.

Average American’s or hockey fans? Laughs as well. We’re an ignorant nation,

Canada? That company that makes Canada Dry?

(In California, we talk about cañada, which is Spanish for glen).

People in the US know little about Canada beyond hockey and snow.

Is Canada a country? I thought they were one of our cold weather states.

Having grown up near Buffalo, I used to be more aware of things happening in Canada. We would even watch CBC news sometimes. Now I only know what small bits end up on the internet. (Like that poor steer who was disqualified in the Calgary Stampede because of an “aspirin like substance” found in his blood sample.)

As for Canadians being more aware of what is happening in America, I have no idea. My guess is it might have something to do with how close their cities/towns are to the United States.

Also TV most TV channels are American,so we are flooded with American news,yes we do have Canadian channels but the American one’s far out number them.

I know next to nothing about Canada, but you guys are kinda like a red-headed step child, don’t really get a lot of attention here (no offense.)

Since about 90% of the Canadian population lives within less than a 2 hour drive of the Border and most Americans don’t, it makes sense that Canadians know more about the USA.

That said, when I was regularly making trips to Winnipeg and Morris, I knew more about Manitoba than most Canadians.

If it is on CNN then most Canadians know it.

Americans know next to nothing about Canada. They have funny accents, it’s cold there, hockey is a top sport, and they love maple syrup.

I would imagine Canadians know more about the United States because most countries actually care about what’s going on in the world, and the United States is a prominent figure. I can’t say that’s true for Canada because as an American, I know next to nothing about Canada.

I’ve never given it a moment’s thought.

My degree happens to be in Canadian / American Logistics, and I can assure you that most Americans have a continuing high interest in and knowledge of our neighbors to the north, and all of their prominentses.

- Saskatoon, Saskatchewan will always be fun to say.
– Ontario….Neil Young is from there, right ?
– New Brunswick. Something to do with bowling….
– British Columbia…I knew a great guy who lived there, but can’t remember his name, or what the hell was so great about him anyway….
– Quebec. For the love of God, just let them secede and be done with it.

And moose. A LOT of fuckin’ moose….

Are we talking about Satan’s little neighbor?

Can’t speak for the US, but Canadians know a lot about the US. It’s always on the news, for one. But not just that, a lot of big Canadian corporations deal with the States, so it becomes almost inevitable.

@WestRiverrat I lived in Winnipeg for 12 years. It’s got a bad reputation in Canada for being a crummy city, but I liked it. But I like Montréal better.

@OneBadApple The Québec cessation thing is so lame, I believe. It is custom here to hate everything that isn’t Québec, but as I’m not a born Quebecois, guess I don’t have that mentality. Also if that DID happen, Québec would be in a heap of shit. I’d move elsewhere in Canada.

I’ve always considered it embarrassing how little Americans typically know about Canada.

I remember being shocked when I told a friend that my father was from New Brunswick and he said, “Really? My mother is from New Jersey too.”

I’m no longer so shocked, but I still feel ashamed of our collective ignorance.

Canadian jellies, I apologize.

Many years ago on some sitcom, the main character is walking down the street in Manhattan. A guy approaches him and asks for help with some very minor issue.

The reply was “Do I look like I’m from Winnipeg ?”

( I would also apologize to our Canadian friends, but they might be overall better people than we are, and already know this….)

@Jeruba Don’t apologize for me, they gave us Bieber and Robin Thicke, etc…they should apologize to US! lol

Who cares? This obviously depends on the knowledge of the person, not of a country!

I did not apologize “on behalf of” anybody. I don’t make it a habit to speak for others.

@Jeruba I was just playin, thus the lol and reference to (bad) singers, no worries.

I think that in general, Canadians would know more about America than the other way around. Canadian history is not really taught in American public schools. It wasn’t until college that I could name the provinces and I still cannot conjure the capitals off the top of my head. That’s simple geography. I still don’t know much about Canadian politics, economy, or popular culture. I do wish to know more about Canada, particularly because I am considering studying there for my PhD.

@muppetish A secret about Canada is that we pretend to be nice, until you let your guard down and then we strike. Or at least that what my fair weather friends from university did.

Most Americans are barely aware of the rest of America, as far as I can see (or maybe I should say “as far as they can see”.)

@Jeruba, considering that your correspondent probably wasn’t from New Jersey himself, but only knew of “Brunswick, NJ”, he may simply have thought that “New Brunswick” is just another nearby town. He may have even thought you meant Brunswick County, North Carolina, I suppose. On the other hand, if you had said “He’s from The Maritimes” or “He’s from PEI”, then there would have been no excuse.

I thought it was just North US but most people don’t go there cause it’s too cold and they have bagged milk.

The sad thing is that I’d wager a bet to say most Canadians know more about current affairs regarding the US than US citizens do.

@uberbatman What’s bagged milk? Like bagged wine?

@Jeruba Aw don’t take it to hard we are used to being ignored.

@CWOTUS, New Brunswick is the name of a city in New Jersey. Obviously my classmate had heard of that and not of the Canadian province.

@uberbatman Bagged milk is epic. Lol.

The Canadians I know are fairly aware of the U.S., it’s geography and history, and surprisingly well aware of current events. They (like a lot of the world) get U.S. dominated news. The U.S. is the tail that wags the rest of the planetary dog.

Most U.S. citizens I know don’t know much about Canada except where they have hosted Olympics in the past, and that there is some extra-large (XL) tar or sand or something like that up there that someone wants to put in a pipe to send to Texas.

@KNOWITALL Haha, yeah our milk was in bags when I was growing up. I remember thinking my friends who had milk in cartons were weird. There was a guy who devoted a website to this a few years ago – I’ll see if I can dig it up.

But in case not, here’s an instructional video!
Although, her technique is flawed in that it’s way easier to pour if you also cut a small corner from the handle side of the bag.

Here it is @symbeline, you should check this out. :)

I can only speak for myself, I know NOTHING about Canada aside from the fact that I have always wanted to go to Banff NP and probably a lot of other beautiful places too.

@Gada Ah, was there a reason? That’s interesting. Now what is it in?

@KNOWITALL You can still get it in bags, but I think it’s less common now. Cartons are more prevalent. As to the reason… I don’t know. Probably because they produced less garbage – they would have appeared before there was any recycling, so when people stopped getting glass bottles from a milkman, plastic bags must have seemed like a very logical choice. Now… not sure which would be considered more environmentally friendly. But also, people are more conscious about keeping open containers and transferred smells in the refrigerator.

Ours are plastic but local dairys use glass & recycle them. Makes me wonder about other differences!

You’re right, of course, @Jeruba. It must have been Brunswick, Georgia that I was thinking of. Or Augusta. Or Albany. Or Gainesville. I always get confused by those cities that belong in other states.

Can we just move the darned thing to Australia, @CWOTUS?
Brunswick
Clear the air.

As an American, I will admit to knowing very little about Canada outside of colonial history. I try to stay pretty informed about most regions of the world, but I get most of my information from various news outlets and, quite frankly, Canada doesn’t make it into the news very often (with the exception of this guy). I would say that, in general, Canadians definitely know more about America than the other way around.

I get the impression that most Americans know very little about Canada from Jeopardy. There’s often a question and sometimes a whole category dealing with Canadian geography, history or politics, and contestants rarely get them – occasionally, to Trebek’s mild but evident consternation (he is Canadian).

And I get the impression that Canadians know a lot more about America from our discussions here on Fluther.

@KNOWITALL You can get bagged milk in parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin, at the Kum & Go (or maybe it’s the Kwik-something; I get the regional gas stations all mixed up).

@wildpotato Bagged milk at the Kum & Go…..kinky….

@ucme I’m a little disappointed in that. A lot of Canadians fought to defend your nation in WWII, including the RAF, and there’s Dieppe, which cost a lot of Canadian blood bought gave the rest of the Allies some real lessons in amphibious warfare.

@Adirondackwannabe Yeah but the question asks for US/Canadian relations, nothing to do with British history.

Okay, valid point. I was just surprised by your answer, but in that context yeah, I see your angle.

Ooh, do you now? You naughty boy, is it a-cute angle, or am I being obtuse? :)

“The sad thing is that I’d wager a bet to say most Canadians know more about current affairs regarding the US than US citizens do.”

I agree.

During our ‘Journey Around America’ in May we were on a tour bus in Chicago. The young tour guide pointed out the John Hancock Building, and one of the Canadian tourists sitting next to us asked her who John Hancock was (a reasonable question from a Canadian).

She responded that she wasn’t sure, but he was probably some guy with a lot of money….

At least that answer was accurate to that extent, @OneBadApple.

During the whole tour, she kept referring to “that weird-looking building over there”, and pointed-out several drugstores and chain restaurants, for some reason.

She also did not know her left from her right, and at every scheduled stop, said….

“I hope you enjoyed your tour. A ‘tip’ jar is located near the stairs, and my name was Maria”.

My wife and I just looked at each other and said, “It WAS ?.....Well, what is it now ??”

When we got off, the Canadians all turned and smiled at us and said, “Oh, come on, you CAN’T get off now…this is WAY too much fun…”

It really was….