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What's the difference?: 1/13/2020 21:28:00


goodgame
Level 57
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Just a thread I'd like to use to find and discuss any cultural and lifestyle differences between Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom... if there are any. These countries just seem so similar, not counting climate and such.
What's the difference?: 1/13/2020 21:36:10


Dullahan
Level 49
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a fockin leaf
What's the difference?: 1/13/2020 22:24:14


DanWL 
Level 63
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The UK usually has rain all year round. When it "snows" only very inland towns and cities get a decent amount, while everywhere else gets between none and 2 feet, on average an inch. Snow just doesn't come in December, more likely in June/July (unless it's not a rain or a storm). In summary, weather (rain:cloud:sun) is 40:40:20.

UK is generally very safe. I've only seen the result of a car crash and an attempt of someone to drive over someone intentionally (wasn't there in person, was in the early hours of a morning) in my area. However, these events are very rare. People would rather steal cheese from supermarkets. Most common natural disaster is heavy flooding and high winds. There's free healthcare (provided by the NHS).

UK has the correct spelling of words. No 'u' missing from colour, 's' not replaced by 'z' in real[-ise]. UK has many accents. I can understand most, while some are too difficult to follow. Most conversations start with the weather.

There's frequent use of sarcasm. Everyone apologies for basically everything (including sorry for being sorry) and if you hold the door open for someone and that someone doesn't thank you, they're very welcome. Same for queue jumping and letting others out before others come in. Always start a queue if a one doesn't exist, else join the existing queue at the back. Never apologise for saying "your welcome".

Most common sports are football and rugby. Where rugby is "American football" without the protection (excluding gum-shields) and football is "soccer". For the reference, both sports started in the UK. Football was originally kicking a pig's bladder. Rugby originated in Rugby, England when someone decided to pick up the ball and kick it while playing football.

Most commonly aired programs are sitcoms, panel shows/stand-ups, quiz shows, news, sports and soaps.

The area of the counties resemble that of USA being the dad, Canada being the mother and UK being the little baby.

You're welcome.
What's the difference?: 1/15/2020 06:30:45


AyanM 
Level 61
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The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US), the States or simply America, is a country comprising 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles (9.8 million km2), it is the world's third or fourth-largest country by total area[d] and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe. Most of the country is located in central North America between Canada and Mexico. With an estimated population of over 328 million people, the U.S. is the third most populous country. The capital is Washington, D.C., and the most populous city is New York City.

Paleo-Indians migrated from Siberia to the North American mainland at least 12,000 years ago.[20] European colonization began in the 16th century. The United States emerged from the thirteen British colonies established along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the colonies led to the American Revolutionary War lasting between 1775 and 1783, leading to independence.[21] The United States embarked on a vigorous expansion across North America throughout the 19th century—gradually acquiring new territories,[22] displacing Native Americans, and admitting new states—until by 1848 it spanned the continent.[22] During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the abolition of slavery in the United States.[23][24] The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the country's status as a global military power.

The United States emerged from World War II as a global superpower. It was the first country to develop nuclear weapons and the only country to have used them in warfare. During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union competed in the Space Race, culminating with the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, the spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. The end of the Cold War and collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the world's sole superpower.[25]

The United States is a federal republic and a representative democracy. It is a founding member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States (OAS), NATO, and other international organizations. It is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

A highly developed country, the United States is the world's largest economy by nominal GDP, the second-largest by purchasing power parity, and accounts for approximately a quarter of global GDP.[26] The United States is the world's largest importer and the second-largest exporter of goods, by value.[27][28] Although its population is 4% of the world total,[29] it holds 29.4% of the total wealth in the world, the largest share of global wealth concentrated in a single country.[30] Despite income and wealth disparities, the United States continues to rank very high in measures of socioeconomic performance, including average wage, median income, median wealth, human development, per capita GDP, and worker productivity.[31][32] It is the foremost military power in the world, making up more than a third of global military spending,[33] and is a leading political, cultural, and scientific force internationally.[34]
What's the difference?: 1/15/2020 06:31:01


AyanM 
Level 61
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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK or U.K.)[14] or Britain,[note 11] is a sovereign country located off the north­western coast of the European mainland. The United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, the north­eastern part of the island of Ireland, and many smaller islands.[15] Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state, the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border, the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea to the east, the English Channel to the south and the Celtic Sea to the south-west, giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world. The Irish Sea separates Great Britain and Ireland. The United Kingdom's 242,500 square kilometres (93,600 sq mi) were home to an estimated 66.0 million inhabitants in 2017.

The United Kingdom is a unitary parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy.[16][17] The current monarch is Queen Elizabeth II, who has reigned since 1952, making her the world's longest-serving current head of state.[18] The United Kingdom's capital and largest city is London, a global city and financial centre with an urban area population of 10.3 million.[19] Other major cities include Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Leeds and Liverpool.

The United Kingdom consists of four constituent countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.[20] Their capitals are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Belfast, respectively. Apart from England, the countries have their own devolved governments,[21] each with varying powers,[22][23] but such power is delegated by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which may enact laws unilaterally altering or abolishing devolution. The nearby Isle of Man, Bailiwick of Guernsey and Bailiwick of Jersey are not part of the UK, being Crown dependencies with the British Government responsible for defence and international representation.[24] The medieval conquest and subsequent annexation of Wales by the Kingdom of England, followed by the union between England and Scotland in 1707 to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the union in 1801 of Great Britain with the Kingdom of Ireland created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Five-sixths of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922, leaving the present formulation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.[note 12] There are fourteen British Overseas Territories,[25] the remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in the 1920s, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's landmass and was the largest empire in history. British influence can be observed in the language, culture and political systems of many of its former colonies.[26][27][28][29][30]

The United Kingdom is a developed country and has the world's sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP and ninth-largest economy by purchasing power parity. It has a high-income economy and has a very high Human Development Index rating, ranking 14th in the world. It was the world's first industrialised country and the world's foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries.[31][32] The UK remains a great power, with considerable economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence internationally.[33][34] It is a recognised nuclear weapons state and is sixth in military expenditure in the world.[35] It has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946. It has been a leading member state of the European Union (EU) and its predecessor, the European Economic Community (EEC), since 1973. A referendum in 2016 resulted in 51.9% of the turnout being in favour of leaving the EU, which is scheduled to take place on or before 31 January 2020. The United Kingdom is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the Council of Europe, the G7, the G20, NATO, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Interpol and the World Trade Organization (WTO).
What's the difference?: 1/15/2020 06:31:10


AyanM 
Level 61
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Canada is a country in the northern part of North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering 9.98 million square kilometres (3.85 million square miles), making it the world's second-largest country by total area. Its southern border with the United States, stretching some 8,891 kilometres (5,525 mi), is the world's longest bi-national land border. Canada's capital is Ottawa, and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

As a whole, Canada is sparsely populated, with most of its land area dominated by forest and tundra. Its population is highly urbanized, with over 80 percent of its inhabitants concentrated in large and medium-sized cities, and 70 percent residing within 100 kilometres (62 mi) of the southern border. Canada's climate varies widely across its vast area, ranging from Arctic climate in the north to hot summers in the southern regions, with four distinct seasons.

Various indigenous peoples inhabited what is now Canada for thousands of years before European colonization. Beginning in the 16th century, British and French expeditions explored and later settled along the Atlantic coast. As a consequence of various armed conflicts, France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763. In 1867, with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation, Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces. This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom. This widening autonomy was highlighted by the Statute of Westminster of 1931 and culminated in the Canada Act of 1982, which severed the vestiges of legal dependence on the British parliament.

Canada is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy in the Westminster tradition, with a monarch and a prime minister who serves as the chair of the Cabinet and head of government. The country is a realm within the Commonwealth of Nations, a member of the Francophonie and officially bilingual at the federal level. It ranks among the highest in international measurements of government transparency, civil liberties, quality of life, economic freedom, and education. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many other countries. Canada's long and complex relationship with the United States has had a significant impact on its economy and culture.

A developed country, Canada has the sixteenth-highest nominal per-capita income globally as well as the twelfth-highest ranking in the Human Development Index. Its advanced economy is the tenth-largest in the world, relying chiefly upon its abundant natural resources and well-developed international trade networks. Canada is part of several major international and intergovernmental institutions or groupings including the United Nations, NATO, the G7, the Group of Ten, the G20, the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
What's the difference?: 1/15/2020 06:31:46


AyanM 
Level 61
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you are welcome.
What's the difference?: 1/15/2020 06:55:36


Master Cowboy 
Level 60
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UK has the correct spelling of words. No 'u' missing from colour, 's' not replaced by 'z' in real[-ise].


This is quite subjective, as in many cases it was the adoption of words that both applied, and going separate ways. Most notable is the aluminium vs aluminum debate.

In 1808, Sir Humphry Davy identified the existence of the metal in alum, which he at first named "alumium" and later "aluminum." Davy proposed the name aluminum when referring to the element in his 1812 book Elements of Chemical Philosophy, despite his previous use of "alumium." The official name "aluminium" was adopted to conform with the -ium names of most other elements. The 1828 Webster's Dictionary used the "aluminum" spelling, which it maintained in later editions. In 1925, the American Chemical Society (ACS) decided to go from aluminium back to the original aluminum, putting the United States in the "aluminum" group. In recent years, the IUPAC had identified "aluminium" as the proper spelling, but it didn't catch on in North America, since the ACS used aluminum. The IUPAC periodic table presently lists both spellings and says both words are perfectly acceptable.
What's the difference?: 1/15/2020 12:40:48


Viking1007
Level 60
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you can't trust Wikipedia!

Edited 1/26/2020 00:26:37
What's the difference?: 1/15/2020 15:25:24


IRiseYouFall 
Level 61
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the us is the land of the free, uk is the land that lost the free, canada has never been free
What's the difference?: 1/15/2020 18:31:43


Ox
Level 58
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UK has the correct spelling of words

programs

Responding here makes it obvious I read through an entire DanWales post which is a shame in and of itself, a shame perhaps only second to the irony Mr. Wales displays by not knowing the British spelling of programme.
What's the difference?: 1/16/2020 05:05:25


Rogue NK
Level 59
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The British refuse to use a decimal based money system. 20 shillings in a pound. 16 pennies in a shilling. In the real world, there are 100 cents in a dollar.

Americans refuse to use the metric system. (MURICA)

Canadians refuse to have children.
What's the difference?: 1/16/2020 07:31:16


TwistedRaven
Level 49
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Canada and the UK can't spell things for shit, basically all you need to know.
Aussies have weird version of English but it's cool, UK India & Canadian english are fat wacc tho
What's the difference?: 1/16/2020 12:11:14

(deleted)
Level 62
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Rogue NK, how old are you? British have had decimal money since 1971 (thought it was 78, but i checked).

The best money in the UK is a Scottish ONE pound note :- ) Though production was stopped in 2001 :- (
What's the difference?: 1/25/2020 18:10:29

Twitter@IanHerndon
Level 33
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UK and US are identical in the area of enabling and empowering systemic abuse orchistrated or supported by the likes of Wexner, Epstein, Maxwell, Andrew, Dubin, et al. #epsteindidntkillhimself;)
What's the difference?: 1/25/2020 19:02:35


Rogue NK
Level 59
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@Mylo. I learn something new everyday. I was not alive in 1971. lol. I must have just misheard something.
What's the difference?: 2/8/2020 19:36:00


Dave the Okay
Level 60
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Since noone else mentioned it: Canadians are much more polite than Americans. They still care about the Queen and the crown (at least the white ones). Americans couldn't care less about the Queen for the most part. Most Canadians disparage American culture but most of them live within 100 kilometres of the US border and partake in said culture. They (imo) have a bit of an inferiority complex when it comes to the US. Of course the US has a superiority complex when it comes to the rest of the world. Canadian comedy is superior. Canadian music is terrible for the most part.

Edited 2/8/2020 19:39:54
What's the difference?: 2/9/2020 04:52:22


Huitzilopochtli 
Level 57
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^I have never met another Canadian who cared about the monarchy, including 'white ones'. I honestly can't even name any of the royals except the Queen.
What's the difference?: 2/9/2020 05:12:42


AbsolutelyEthan 
Level 63
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Shout out to the dude from North Carolina giving us the definitive take on Canada.
What's the difference?: 2/11/2020 04:57:39


Pepe the Great
Level 58
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@Dave We don't care about the queen and the crown... but at the same time, we don't care enough to get rid of them either. The leader of the NDP wants to turn Canada into a republic, although I'm not sure how long he's going to remain as leader (but that's another topic).
Our culture is essentially built on not being American. This guy explains it quite well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yKzq3ueGr8
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