NationStates Jolt Archive

Just curious. I've got lots of different impressions from chatrooms, personal experience and stories from other people. So, if you're American, could you help give me a better idea of what you guys really know and don't know?

I think these are the sort of questions that most of us could answer about you guys.

What is the first line of our national anthem?

Who is our Prime Minister? Which party does he represent?

How many provinces and territories do we have? How many can you name?

Can you name five of our major cities?

How does our electoral system work?

Guess how many unversities/colleges we have per city.

What's our population?

Name at least five of our past Prime Ministers.




Sorry if these are insultingly easy to anyone. I'm just curious as to how many Americans can answer these. Please don't use the net, I'm curious as to what people actaully know.

1 Oh Canada my home and native land
2 Sorry, I forgot.
3 I don't know the exact number here are some names Northwest territory, Alberta, British Columbia, Sascatchewan (sp) Shit, that's all I can remember.
4 ottawa, toronto, montreal, calgary, Shit, stumped again
5 got me
6 don't know
7 Beats me
8 This is embarrasing

I guess I for one don't know too much about Canada.

I think these are fair questions, considering that as Canadians, the majority of us can answer them about the Americans. I would have liked you to not have included the title Prime Minister, and just ask, "What is the title of our elected national leader?" just to see if anyone knew he wasn't a President. :D

Thx for posting Joey! So, basically you know some stuff but not a lot. Btw, do you guys take any canadian history in schools? We take at least a little American history, which is one reason we know about you guys. Also, we get American TV.

I think this are fair questions, considering that as Canadians, the majority of us can answer them about the Americans. I would have liked you to not have included the title Prime Minister, and just ask, "What is the title of our elected national leader?" just to see if anyone knew he wasn't a President. :D

Maybe I should have...

too late now though.

Thx for posting Joey! So, basically you know some stuff but not a lot. Btw, do you guys take any canadian history in schools? We take at least a little American history, which is one reason we know about you guys. Also, we get American TV.
No, I wasn't really taught anything about Canada except for border disputes and stuff that happened in the 1700's. Most of which I forgot

Thx for posting Joey! So, basically you know some stuff but not a lot. Btw, do you guys take any canadian history in schools? We take at least a little American history, which is one reason we know about you guys. Also, we get American TV.

We actually learn a fair amount of U.S history. We compare our separation from Britain to theirs, we look at Canadian-U.S relationships as far back as they go, we compare our political systems and we study U.S geography. That on top of the constant cultural barrage through the media, and I'd say the average Canadian is more informed about the U.S than they may be about most other parts of the world. That seems only right, considering we are neighbours. The U.S, on the other hand, doesn't seem to be interested in learning about us, perhaps because they are a little contemptuous of us. I'd say the same goes for Mexico, their other close neighbour. It seems a little short-sighted however. Just because we're not about to invade you doesn't mean our political and economic ties with the U.S are not important for both countries. Seriously...what other countries do Americans learn about besides their own (I'm not accusing, I'm actually curious)?

Just posting to keep this on the main page....

High school was a long time ago for me, but there were two basic sections of history: American (as in U.S.) history and world (essentially European) history. I don't remember any Canadian, African, Asian, or Central/Southern American History courses being offered. (well those that weren't Advanced Placement )

The only thing I really know about Canada is Bioware kicks ass :D

Seriously though I don't know anything on that list but the PM and I forgot his name. :( Im thinking it's Trudeau (sp) but I don't know that much about him.

edit: I wouldn't confuse contempt with indifference ;) Seriously I doubt more than half of Americans can name the capital of each state. Don't ask me to find Montana on the map :(.

Wow, Trudeau. That's a little outdated. I'm a little shocked actually, considering that everyone in Canada knows who your elected leader is. Do you know who leads the country directly to your south?

We actually learn a fair amount of U.S history. We compare our separation from Britain to theirs, we look at Canadian-U.S relationships as far back as they go, we compare our political systems and we study U.S geography. That on top of the constant cultural barrage through the media, and I'd say the average Canadian is more informed about the U.S than they may be about most other parts of the world. That seems only right, considering we are neighbours. The U.S, on the other hand, doesn't seem to be interested in learning about us, perhaps because they are a little contemptuous of us. I'd say the same goes for Mexico, their other close neighbour. It seems a little short-sighted however. Just because we're not about to invade you doesn't mean our political and economic ties with the U.S are not important for both countries. Seriously...what other countries do Americans learn about besides their own (I'm not accusing, I'm actually curious)?

england.and only upto our seperation from it.american history is BS.

Just curious. I've got lots of different impressions from chatrooms, personal experience and stories from other people. So, if you're American, could you help give me a better idea of what you guys really know and don't know?

I think these are the sort of questions that most of us could answer about you guys.

What is the first line of our national anthem?

Who is our Prime Minister? Which party does he represent?

How many provinces and territories do we have? How many can you name?

Can you name five of our major cities?

How does our electoral system work?

Guess how many unversities/colleges we have per city.

What's our population?

Name at least five of our past Prime Ministers.




Sorry if these are insultingly easy to anyone. I'm just curious as to how many Americans can answer these. Please don't use the net, I'm curious as to what people actaully know.

1. O Canada our home and Native land.

2. Paul Martin.

3. Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward island (home of the mussels), Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon.

4. Edmonton, Iqaluit, Fredericton, Halifax, Quebec City, Toronto.

5. Style of government.

MP’s like Britain. A senate (tho I’m not sure how that works). Head of State is the Governor General, appointed by the Queen to sign bills on her behalf.

6. I wouldn't know that for the US let alone Canada, 2 maybe.

7. 30,000,000 approx.

8 John Macdonald, Alexander Mackenzie, John Abbott, David Thompson, Robert Borden.

Trudeau was PM for a few different terms in the 1970's and 1980's for those of you who don't know. Not sure of the exact dates.... a little before my time (I'm 20).

Wow, Trudeau. That's a little outdated. I'm a little shocked actually, considering that everyone in Canada knows who your elected leader is. Do you know who leads the country directly to your south?

What country would that be? :)

Err, his last name is Fox I think :confused:

Honestly I can look all this up on the internet if I wanted to. It's not really important to my every day life.

Honestly I can look all this up on the internet if I wanted to. It's not really important to my every day life.

I actually was wondering what people know without using the internet. Really just a curiosity thing:) I'm not judging you. As I said, we may know a lot more about the US than you do about us for the sole reason that we get pretty much all your TV stations.

well i look at canada like a pice of land that is just thair and thay should thank god that the us didnt make them a state by now

What country would that be? :)

Err, his last name is Fox I think :confused:

Honestly I can look all this up on the internet if I wanted to. It's not really important to my every day life.

It's Vicente Fox, and you seriously think it doesn't impact you considering the number of illegal immigrants pouring into your country (hooray for them!)? You realise that Spanish is quickly becoming the most spoken language in your country besides English? Your relationship with Mexico is pretty damn important economically too... are you unaware of the Free Trade Agreement of 1994 that has seen hundreds of American businesses move south to exploit cheaper working conditions and lack of unions? Or how about the Free Trade Zones WITHIN the U.S that are able to operate as though they were still on Mexican soil? I don't blame you personally for your ignorance (and I'm sorry that word has such a negative connotation, but none other fits), but now that you are aware of it, do you plan on changing the situation? I mean, it's not that difficult to look into these things...

What is the first line of our national anthem?

Who is our Prime Minister? Which party does he represent?

How many provinces and territories do we have? How many can you name?

Can you name five of our major cities?

How does our electoral system work?

Guess how many unversities/colleges we have per city.

What's our population?

Name at least five of our past Prime Ministers.


Well, I think it depends on the American. Some of us know quite a bit about other countries. How much does the average Canadian know about, say, Mexico? Most of us down in my part of the US know quite a bit about Mexico and even speak its national language!

I can answer your questions pretty much off the top of my head (except for universities per city and your population, I'd have to look those up) but that doesn't in any way make me somehow superior, it just means I've done a bit more study concerning our neighbors to the north.

I actually was wondering what people know without using the internet. Really just a curiosity thing:) I'm not judging you. As I said, we may know a lot more about the US than you do about us for the sole reason that we get pretty much all your TV stations.

Nah, I was explaining my (and perhaps a lot of my fellow Americans') philosophy: if I need/want to know something, I know where to go to find the info.

I'm rather embarrassed that I forgot the PM's name though. It wasn't that long ago that I read a few articles about him :( , and I hate dating myself :D

I'm a high school senior in the US and have attend private Catholic schooling my whole life. That said, in all my classes, I've learned very little of Canada's history. In my American Gov. class this year we watched Bowling For Columbine and I suppose I learned some stuff from that movie, though I'm not sure how truthful it was. Do most Canadians leave their doors unlocked? I doubt it. As for learning the history of other nations, we mainly learn about Europe and some of Asia. In my World History class we studied some of the South & Central American issues of the 80s, but other than that, it's US and Europe. Even in English class...I don't believe I've ever learned about (or heard of) a great Canadian author (not to deny the existence.)

It's Vicente Fox, and you seriously think it doesn't impact you considering the number of illegal immigrants pouring into your country (hooray for them!)? You realise that Spanish is quickly becoming the most spoken language in your country besides English? Your relationship with Mexico is pretty damn important economically too... are you unaware of the Free Trade Agreement of 1994 that has seen hundreds of American businesses move south to exploit cheaper working conditions and lack of unions? Or how about the Free Trade Zones WITHIN the U.S that are able to operate as though they were still on Mexican soil? I don't blame you personally for your ignorance (and I'm sorry that word has such a negative connotation, but none other fits), but now that you are aware of it, do you plan on changing the situation? I mean, it's not that difficult to look into these things...


I'm aware of those issues. I live in California. His name, however is not that relevant to me. ;)

well i look at canada like a pice of land that is just thair and thay should thank god that the us didnt make them a state by now

I'd like to see you try. We tend to be fairly polite, but I can guarantee you that would change if your crossed our border with ill intentions. You'd be amazed what can be hidden in our vast hinterland.

You're lucky we don't come over there and whack you on the head with a dictionary. Thair? I mean, really. :eek:

Oh, and by the way, an interesting fact:

Britain wanted to trade the whole of what is now Canada for a tiny, sugar producing island in the Carribbean called Martinique. The French owned it, and were making money hand over fist from the sugar harvest, so they said, "Non, non et non, chienes britanniques!" Fools...now look at all the gold, diamonds and OIL we have...

I'm aware of those issues. I live in California. His name, however is not that relevant to me. ;)

Oh. Okay, that's fine:).

Wow, Trudeau. That's a little outdated. I'm a little shocked actually, considering that everyone in Canada knows who your elected leader is. Do you know who leads the country directly to your south?

Wish I had seen this before I posted....Anyhow, people around the world know the US president because the "influence" of US is all over the world. I don't know the name of the ruler in Haiti and I doubt most other people on this board. If I mention the name Junichiro Koizumi, will everyone know who he is? Not likely. If I mention George Bush everyone knows who that is. People from around the world are not making an extra effort to know who he is, they just know. I know who Vicente Fox is because my grandparents used to live in Southern Texas, about an hour from the border so when I visited I name from the TV. In regards to Paul Martin, you could have told me any name and I would have beliveved you. Why? That answer is easy...Canada is not in the frontline of world politics to the degree the US is. I doubt many Europeans know Paul Martin.

In regards to Paul Martin, you could have told me any name and I would have beliveved you. Why? That answer is easy...Canada is not in the frontline of world politics to the degree the US is. I doubt many Europeans know Paul Martin.

You. Live. Right. Next. To. Us. The Europeans don't! Are you seriously justifying your lack of knowledge because of 'global political import'? Do you think anyone in France is unaware of who leads neighbouring Luxembourg, Belgium, Switzerland or Italy? It's not like we've been away on vacation and haven't been home for the past couple of decades...my lord, even President Bush (before he got "elected" in 2000) thought that Prime Minister Chrétien's name was Prime Minister Poutine (a delicious dish of fries, cheese curds and gravy). As a politician, he should be aware of who the heads of state are in the countries RIGHT NEXT DOOR! Even if the U.S was insignificant in the global scene, we would still learn about you, because you are our neighbour! (stops, brushes back hair and takes a deep breath)

my lord, even President Bush (before he got "elected" in 2000) thought that Prime Minister Chrétien's name was Prime Minister Poutine (a delicious dish of fries, cheese curds and gravy).

Ah, but George Bush in a total moron. :p

Alas, I do not see eye-to-eye with you, but perhaps I will make a better effort to learn the leaders of the neighbors.

The general consensus so far seems to be that unless a citizen of the U.S makes an effort to learn about Canada, they will learn next to nothing passively throughout their schooling. Not even geography. I mean...what the heck do you guys learn in school? Do you know the geography of Europe, Asia, or Africa? Seriously, how can you study a few hundred years of history over and over and over again... at least in Canada we admit our history is a speck in the timeline of global happenings...and you aren't all that older than us... aren't you curious about the rest of the world?

OKay... I'm Canadian, always have been, and I have no damn idea what the answer to that question about Universities is.

OKay... I'm Canadian, always have been, and I have no damn idea what the answer to that question about Universities is.
Yeah, that one is a little obscure. I wouldn't fault an American who knew all the rest but not that.

I think these are the sort of questions that most of us could answer about you guys.

What is the first line of our national anthem?

--O Canada, or home and native land...

And now for the rest of the Canadian national anthem...without looking it up...

True patriot love in all thy sons' command
With glowing hearts, we see thee rise
The True North strong and free
From far and wide, O Canada, we stand on guard for thee
God keep our land glowious and free
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee

Who is our Prime Minister? Which party does he represent?

--I believe it's Paul Martin, a Liberal.

How many provinces and territories do we have? How many can you name?

--Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island...umm, two others I can't recall...plus Northwest Territory and Yukon Territory, with one other I can't recall...

Can you name five of our major cities?

--Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and the capital city of Ottawa. Easy for a hockey fan.

How does our electoral system work?

--Single member district first-past-the-post representative democracy. The House of Commons is effectively the legislature; they select a Prime Minister, who acts as the Head of State. Not quite sure what the Senate does, though the members are allowed to serve life terms...well, until they turn 75.

Guess how many unversities/colleges we have per city.

--Two and a half? I don't know.

What's our population?

--About 32 million or so.

Name at least five of our past Prime Ministers.

--I know Jean Chretien and Pierre Trudeau...sorry, none beyond that.

Not quite sure what the Senate does, though the members are allowed to serve life terms...well, until they turn 75.

Don't worry. None of us know what the Senate does. Mostly, I figure they have keggers and rubber-stamp the bills that get passed up to them for approval. Anyone remember the last time they blocked one?

I'd like to see you try. We tend to be fairly polite, but I can guarantee you that would change if your crossed our border with ill intentions. You'd be amazed what can be hidden in our vast hinterland.

You're lucky we don't come over there and whack you on the head with a dictionary. Thair? I mean, really. :eek:

Oh, and by the way, an interesting fact:

Britain wanted to trade the whole of what is now Canada for a tiny, sugar producing island in the Carribbean called Martinique. The French owned it, and were making money hand over fist from the sugar harvest, so they said, "Non, non et non, chienes britanniques!" Fools...now look at all the gold, diamonds and OIL we have...
I thought it was the other way round, didn't the French own Canada first, hence the existence of French Canadians and Britain trade the rich little islands for it in order to strengthen our hold on North America? Of course, I could be wrong....

8 John Macdonald, Alexander Mackenzie, John Abbott, David Thompson, Robert Borden.
That's John Thompson, actually. Not David. He's pretty obscure though: I don't know if most Canadians could name him or not.

I think the previous poster who stated that it has more to do with geography hit the nail on the head. I grew up across from Sarnia, Ontario. I know the Canadian national athem and could've answered most of those questions (most, but not all). But I couldn't tell you squat about Mexico, how its government operates, its regions, etc. There are multitudes of things to learn about in life...Mexican civics is just not on my "to do" list.

I thought it was the other way round, didn't the French own Canada first, hence the existence of French Canadians and Britain trade the rich little islands for it in order to strengthen our hold on North America? Of course, I could be wrong....
England traded nothing for Canada. Conquered Quebec in the 7 years war.

Is it unfair for a Canuck to provide the answers?

What is the first line of our national anthem?

O Canada, our home and native land

Who is our Prime Minister? Which party does he represent?

Paul "the fucking asshole from Quebec" Martin of the Liberal Party

How many provinces and territories do we have? How many can you name?

10 provinces and 3 terroritories. West to East:
British Columbia
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
(terrirtories:
Yukon
Northwest Territories
Nunavut)
Ontario
Quebec
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Prince Edward Island
Newfoundland and Labradour


Can you name five of our major cities?

Here are all the major centres:

Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Halifax, St. John's, Quebec City, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, London, Hamilton, Windsor, Ottawa, Moncton, Charlottetown, Regina, Saskatoon, Whitehorse, Yellowknife, Iqaluit

How does our electoral system work?

Some asshole from Quebec gets elected because he is bilingual... ;) Actually, we have a parliamentary multi-party system. The Prime Minister, incumbant MPs and candidate run in one of the 306 ridings across Canada, 103 of which are in Ontario. Each MP is elected by a majority of more than 50% and this gives them a seat in the House of Commons. The party with the most elected MPs is the ruling party. In order to be a majority government, you need more than 50% of all the seats in parliament.

Guess how many unversities/colleges we have per city.

It depends on the size of the city. On average, in our bigger cities, usually 2 and at least one college.

What's our population?

At the least census it was 32million.

Name at least five of our past Prime Ministers
Sir John A McDonald, Sir Wilfred Laurier, William Lyon MacKenzie King, John Diefenbaker, RB Bennet, Lester Pearon, Pierre Trudeau, John Turner, Joe Clark, Brian Mulroney, Kim Campbell, Jean Chretien...

What is the first line of our national anthem?

"o canada, our home and native land"...then something about true north, and the big finish with "o canada we stand on guard for thee" two or three times. been a while since i've been to a baseball or hockey game, sorry.

Who is our Prime Minister? Which party does he represent?

paul martin, liberal party, which is not the far left like we call liberals here.

How many provinces and territories do we have? How many can you name?

10 provinces, (ugh, i’m gonna embarrass myself here…pei, nova scotia, labrador, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Sasquachawan, Alberta, British Columbia, and i'm forgetting at least one, if i have the atlantic provinces correct...)3 territories (Yukon, northwest territory and Nunavit? Nunavut? Is that right? that last one was fairly recent, no? They didnt' have that one when I was in school.)

Can you name five of our major cities?
Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver, Regina. Can I get bonus points for screwing up the province names?

How does our electoral system work?

You elect members of parliament, whichever party carries the majority gets their leader in as Prime Minister.

Guess how many unversities/colleges we have per city.

Sorry, that's really a stupid question. Lots. And 'University' and 'College' aren't interchangeable terms the way they are down here.

What's our population?
er...30something million? 40 million?

Name at least five of our past Prime Ministers.
I'm gonna cheat and use Martin again here...Trudeau, Chretien, Mulroney, MacKenzie. And a woman who was only there for a few months, right?


how'd i do? can i come back and visit again?

The general consensus so far seems to be that unless a citizen of the U.S makes an effort to learn about Canada, they will learn next to nothing passively throughout their schooling. Not even geography. I mean...what the heck do you guys learn in school? Do you know the geography of Europe, Asia, or Africa? Seriously, how can you study a few hundred years of history over and over and over again... at least in Canada we admit our history is a speck in the timeline of global happenings...and you aren't all that older than us... aren't you curious about the rest of the world?

I think the standard high school (9-12) education requirement is: 4 years of English, 3 years of science, 3 years of math, and 2 years of history, some requirement in physical education, and the rest are electives. My electives were more science and English :).

World History was supposed to cover the beginning of "written" history until around WW2.

I'm curious about the rest of the world, but it's not a sustained curiosity. Once I find out what I'm looking for I tend to lose interest. To horrify you further, I'd say a good deal of what I know I learned from pop culture. For example, I've read Shakespeare while in high school, but to be honest I really didn't care for the plays until I saw Brannagh's Henry V. Since then I think I've read most of them and even a few sonnets. Some of my favorite writers are British (Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore) and it's because of them I know who Guy Fawkes was :). Currently I'm reading about Walsingham (really interesting character). Alan Moore's "From Hell" (the graphic novel, not the sucky movie) was a very interesting read. Even though it's about Jack the Ripper, the reader learns a lot about people like Nicholas Hawksmoor and Boadicea. It kind of reminds me of an observation Gaiman made: In America 60 years is a long time. In England (his word not mine :p) 60 miles is a long way.

And on it goes: I've read a smattering of Chinese poetry, Robert Service (that's been awhile though) Arabian Nights, and a bit on African History.

I thought it was the other way round, didn't the French own Canada first, hence the existence of French Canadians and Britain trade the rich little islands for it in order to strengthen our hold on North America? Of course, I could be wrong....

No, the French did not 'own' Canada first. They fought the British for Canada at first, but after the Battle on the Plains of Abraham (1759), the French pretty much lost their foothold here. You're right on one thing though... I did get that information mixed up. France actually did trade Canada for Martinique in the Treaty of Paris, 1763 to end the Seven Year War. They weren't saying, "Canada is ours, and here it is," they were saying, "Zut alore...what ze heck do we need zat stupeed country for anyway? Go ahead and keep it!" It was an official ending to the hostilities in Canada. Sorry 'bout that!

How much do Canadians know about...Boney I? Let's see the names of five of his best - or, rather - most well known Marshals, and which was the "Bravest of the Brave", the "Iron Marshal", and the "Marshal of France".

Or how about a dissertation on the Battle of Eylau in regards to wether the massed cavalry charge executed by Napoleon (which consisted of 80 squadrons of cavarly, numbering nearly 10,000 strong) was the act of a desperate man or a brilliant insight into the ability of massed cavalry to break enemy lines.

My point? Most people don't care about things that don't impact their own lives. I don't know the per capita income of Djbouti. Or how to spell it. Nevertheless, the point remains. I don't bother myself with the differences in textures, hues, uses, and chemical nature of oils as opposed to acryllics. Why? My world centers around history and physics.

That being said, Canada doesn't really matter to most Americans. Yes, we are neighbors. Sure, part of our ICBM early warning system is based in Canada. But, aside from small factors like that, Canada isn't really "important" to the average American. Why? Just because, I suppose. That being said, yes it is rather insulting (though, to me, it is comical) to continue on with these questions - questions which have raged since the forum was new, some two years ago.

Tell me, if you will, why people continue to use the term "centrifugal force" even though there is no such thing - it's inertia, not a force. Tell me why centripital acceleration actually manifests itself as the inertia we wrongly call centrifugal force. Or why that acceleration, which draws things towards the center of rotation, has the reverse effect of "pushing" things towards the outside of the rotating object?

Sure, it's all about angular momentum and the conservation thereof; Newton's second and third Laws of motion, etc. etc., but does it really matter to you? To most, it won't.

So here's the bottom line. Drop it. When we're at a state of war with our benevolent, sleep neighbors to the north, there might be some interest. Until then, I would surmise that Canada will continue to remain a cold, slumbering enigma.

P.S., kudos to you and your students for doing so well in various scholastic fields such as math and science where you equal and surpass the average American student.

"Veni, vidi, dormivi"

How much do Canadians know about...Boney I? Let's see the names of five of his best - or, rather - most well known Marshals, and which was the "Bravest of the Brave", the "Iron Marshal", and the "Marshal of France".

Or how about a dissertation on the Battle of Eylau in regards to wether the massed cavalry charge executed by Napoleon (which consisted of 80 squadrons of cavarly, numbering nearly 10,000 strong) was the act of a desperate man or a brilliant insight into the ability of massed cavalry to break enemy lines.

My point? Most people don't care about things that don't impact their own lives.

You are seriously comparing the knowledge of a smattering trivia questions (name of Prime Minister, number of Provinces and Territories etc) to these complex issues? This isn't freakin' brain surgery...it's Jeopardy! And you all go home empty handed!

I'm British, attend school in London, and have been taught very little about North American history. Anything I do know about your histories I have learnt independantly (from books etc..), as it is not a compulsory topic covered in English schools. We mainly learn ancient history at a young age, then medieval British history and Franco-British relations, and then modern history, completely skipping out the major section of Britain's colonial past (which, to avoid offending anyone, I strongly disapprove of). Although I realise that there is a limit of what can be taught in schools, I simply think it's a shame that we don't get to learn more about other cultures.

ps i'm european and i know who paul martin is ;) :)

oops *independently* not that it matters... :rolleyes:

You are seriously comparing the knowledge of a smattering trivia questions (name of Prime Minister, number of Provinces and Territories etc) to these complex issues? This isn't freakin' brain surgery...it's Jeopardy! And you all go home empty handed!

No knowledge is just "trivia". No knowledge is trivial. All knowledge, no matter how simple or complex, is wonderful. Whether it is important or not, that is what matters.

Unless it's about child-birth. *shudder*. I don't care what people say, what doctor's spout. Child-birth is absolutely unnatural. It's like watching a scene from Alien. But with more blood, screaming, and expunged bodily fluids. Eww.

chevalier- vous etes francais(e)? bah je cherche quelqu'un qui parle le francais ici mais jusqu'a present je n'en ai pas trouvé....

No knowledge is just "trivia". No knowledge is trivial. All knowledge, no matter how simple or complex, is wonderful. Whether it is important or not, that is what matters.

Unless it's about child-birth. *shudder*. I don't care what people say, what doctor's spout. Child-birth is absolutely unnatural. It's like watching a scene from Alien. But with more blood, screaming, and expunged bodily fluids. Eww.

:D What a hoot!

Hey, I did it twice, but I sure as hell didn't want to see it happening!

chevalier- vous etes francais(e)? bah je cherche quelqu'un qui parle le francais ici mais jusqu'a present je n'en ai pas trouvé....

I know I'm not chevalier mais...je suis désolé que je ne parle pas français bien. Mauvais Canadienne ! Mauvais ! Je parle espagnol et cree. Si quieres hablar en uno de eses idiomas, estoy lista.

Alright for the Canadians who read the thread:
Can you answer the same questions for Denmark or Russia? They are after all, our neighbour to the east and the west. For example, did you know that we were almost at war to Denmark last year for a piece of rock no bigger than your house?

You'll find that the average Canadian may know a lot from the US but not a whole more from our other trading partners and neighbours. Just food for thought.

(P.S.: I wouldn't be able to answer all these question for either Russia or Denmark, too.)

Okay, maybe it's a farce at this point to bother answering (since so many people have posted answers), but I can't help it... I'm a compulsive quiz-taker.

What is the first line of our national anthem?

"O Canada, our home and native land
True patriot love in all our sons command
With glowing hearts we see the rise
The true north proud and free
From far and wide, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee
God keep our land glorious and free
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee"

Because I'm a hockey fan and a musician. When we played the Canadian national anthem for a band performance (along with the SSB), I had to learn the words too (or the music wouldn't mean as much). Plus, it helped when I was trying to explain the "phrasing" to the rest of the section.

Who is our Prime Minister? Which party does he represent?

Paul Martin
Liberal Party

How many provinces and territories do we have? How many can you name?

Ten provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, *pauses and wrenches brain*, uuuh, Newfoundland, Ontario, Qubec, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island (is that a province?? I can't remember)... *counts* That's ten... is it right?

There are three territories, I think (unless it's just that I'm only remembering three names) Yukon, Northwest, and Nonavot... (sp?)


Can you name five of our major cities?

Montreal (Canadiens), Toronto (Maple Leafs), Vancouver (Canucks), Calgary (Flames), Winnipeg (Jets...?), Edmonton (Oilers), Ottowa..., Quebec city... eh, it all gets fuzzy from there (no hockey team, no rating... sorry).

How does our electoral system work?

The parliment votes on the candidates (I think). I do know the candidate has to have half (or more) of the vote to be elected to the House of Commons. I don't thinnk it's entirely unlike British government... It's all so confusing!

Guess how many unversities/colleges we have per city.

Wow... that's a pretty random question. Some have two, some don't have any.

What's our population?

Numbers?! I'm expected to remember NUMBERS?! Good grief!

Name at least five of our past Prime Ministers

Trudeau... Turner... Clark... *brain beginning to fail* Bennett? Something with a "D" and a "B" in it? Ah, it's no use... I don't remember five. If it's any consolation, I'm normally pretty bad with names anyway. I can give you the US Presidents since my birth, but unless there was a huge emphasis on them in school (FDR, Lincoln, Washington, Madison, etc.) I don't remember them (of course, it helps to have all the streets named after them... you see them every day and it refreshes your memory.

Did I pass? Am I socially conscious?

Je parle espagnol et cree.

merci - c quoi la cree?

Alright for the Canadians who read the thread:
Can you answer the same questions for Denmark or Russia? They are after all, our neighbour to the east and the west. For example, did you know that we were almost at war to Denmark last year for a piece of rock no bigger than your house?

You'll find that the average Canadian may know a lot from the US but not a whole more from our other trading partners and neighbours. Just food for thought.

(P.S.: I wouldn't be able to answer all these question for either Russia or Denmark, too.)

I'll try for Russia:

What is the first line of our national anthem?
Beats me.

Who is our nation's leader? Which party does he represent?
Vladimir Putin. Don't know the party.

How many provinces and territories do we have? How many can you name?
Russia has like over a hundred administrative zones. Can't name any.

Can you name five of our major cities?
Moscow, St. Petersburg, Smolensk, Stalingrad, Kaliningrad

How does our electoral system work?
Eh, I'm not sure. From what I know, its similar to the American system.

Guess how many unversities/colleges we have per city.
1

What's our population?
Approximately 300 million.

Name at least five of our past national leaders.
Yeltsin, Gorbaczav, Stalin, Lenin, Gorki.

Can you name five of our major cities?

Montreal (Canadiens), Toronto (Maple Leafs), Vancouver (Canucks), Calgary (Flames), Winnipeg (Jets...?), Edmonton (Oilers), Ottowa..., Quebec city... eh, it all gets fuzzy from there (no hockey team, no rating... sorry).
What, you never heard of the Ottawa Senators? Shame on you. :)

How does our electoral system work?

The parliment votes on the candidates (I think). I do know the candidate has to have half (or more) of the vote to be elected to the House of Commons. I don't think it's entirely unlike British government... It's all so confusing!
Not quite, he needs to have more than any other. If, for example he has 33% of the vote but the other 3 competitiors have 32%, 30% and 5% respectively, the 33% guy gets in and the other guys whine about the plurality of candidates stealing votes from them. You know, like the whole Nader scenario in the US.

What, you never heard of the Ottawa Senators? Shame on you. :)

Or the Quebec Nordiques, the greatest team in NHL history.

You'll find that the average Canadian may know a lot from the US but not a whole more from our other trading partners and neighbours. Just food for thought.


I agree. Most Canadians don't even think about Mexico and Greenland as part of North America, let alone St. Pierre et Miquelon. Mexico is one of Canada's main business partners and most Canadians don't know squat about it.

Just one note I want to make... the College/Universities question is pretty unfair because Nova Scotia has a freakish amount of them, many of which are part of the Halifax Regional Municipality. It's one of those things that varies.

What, you never heard of the Ottawa Senators? Shame on you. :)

*Sob!* I can't believe I forgot the Ottawa Senators! Fie! I shall never show my face in public again! *sob sob*


Not quite, he needs to have more than any other. If, for example he has 33% of the vote but the other 3 competitiors have 32%, 30% and 5% respectively, the 33% guy gets in and the other guys whine about the plurality of candidates stealing votes from them. You know, like the whole Nader scenario in the US.

Huh... thought it was run by true majority. Interesting. A touch of misinformation from my youth, then, I guess. Thanks for the corrections :)

Or the Quebec Nordiques, the greatest team in NHL history.

Shoot me. Please, please shoot me. I forgot to list both teams for Quebec since one of them isn't playing there any longer. :( How can I show my face at a family picnic again? I'm so humiliated!

[QUOTE=Stannia]Just curious. I've got lots of different impressions from chatrooms, personal experience and stories from other people. So, if you're American, could you help give me a better idea of what you guys really know and don't know?

I think these are the sort of questions that most of us could answer about you guys.

What is the first line of our national anthem?

(( Oh Candy Ass...!! [..that's how I heard it, but the crowd was noisy. ))


Who is our Prime Minister? Which party does he represent?

(( Charles DeGaulle. The Exiles Français Party. ))


How many provinces and territories do we have? How many can you name?

(( 4 Provinces [north,east,south,west] and 2 territiories [Anglophone,Francophone] ))


Can you name five of our major cities?

(( Nicelland, Pleasantville, Soory City, Aboot City, and Moosebutt ))


How does our electoral system work?

(( Pretty well, but it needs the menstrual blood of Jamaican virgins to work VERY well. ))


Guess how many unversities/colleges we have per city.

(( 12, but they all teach only etiquette and smiling. ))


What's our population?

(( Far too few for the territory covered. ))


Name at least five of our past Prime Ministers.

(( Goofy, Dopey, Doc, Sneezy, and Twinkerbell. ))




Sorry if these are insultingly easy to anyone. I'm just curious as to how many Americans can answer these. Please don't use the net, I'm curious as to what people actaully know.

Or the Quebec Nordiques, the greatest team in NHL history.
I don't know if I should laugh at the joke or be very disturbed that someone might think that the Nordiques are the greatest team in history. Just typing it makes me sick.

Of course, I'm a Montreal Canadiens fan so I might be a tad biased. ;)

Just curious. I've got lots of different impressions from chatrooms, personal experience and stories from other people. So, if you're American, could you help give me a better idea of what you guys really know and don't know?

I think these are the sort of questions that most of us could answer about you guys.

What is the first line of our national anthem?
"Oh, Canada"

Who is our Prime Minister? Which party does he represent?
Sorry, no clue

How many provinces and territories do we have? How many can you name?
10 -
Quebec
Ontario
Alberta
Northwest
Nova Scotia
Newfoundland
Manitoba
Yukon
Saskatchewan (sp?)
British Columbia
(there's a bunch of islands up there between Canada and Greenland that belong to Canada, but I think they belong to one or the other of the provinces/territories)

Can you name five of our major cities?
Quebec, Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, VanCouver

How does our electoral system work?
1. Better than ours
2. Direct popular vote, I think

Guess how many unversities/colleges we have per city.
Per city? One?

What's our population?
30,000,000

Name at least five of our past Prime Ministers.
Pierre Trudeaux (fairly sure, but not of the spelling)
________ Brown? (think I remember this, but...)
sorry - can't think of any more.

Pretty pathetic, when I think that I live in upstate New York and have been your neighbor for 53 years...

merci - c quoi la cree?
Je pense que "cree" est une langue de une tribe des americans native.

Let's see how many I can answer:

What is the first line of our national anthem?
O Canada! Our home and native land.


Who is our Prime Minister? Which party does he represent?
Paul Martin of the Liberal Party of Canada (I think)

How many provinces and territories do we have? How many can you name?
Two territories--Northwest Territories and the Yukon.
Provinces, can't quote a number but let me see how many I can name:

1. Saskatchewan
2. British Columbia
3. Alberta
4. Ontario
5. Quebec
6. Nova Scotia
7. Prince Edward Island
8. New Brunswick
9. Newfoundland
10. Manitoba

Ten?

Can you name five of our major cities?
That's fairly easy--
1. Ottawa
2. Montreal
3. Vancouver
4. Halifax
5. Edmonton

At one point I could name all the provincial capital cities as well. I think I covered a few of them already though.

How does our electoral system work?
Don't y'all have a single-member plurality system for parliament? The candidate with the most votes in each district becomes that district's MP (regardless of if they have an absolute majority or not). The party with the most MPs usually becomes the governing party and their leader becomes the PM who then chooses people to be in charge of the departments. What happens when one party doesn't hold an absolute majority though? Do y'all form coalitions?

Guess how many unversities/colleges we have per city.
I dunno, five? You really shoudl clarify the question--per what sized city? Is this per 100,000 people?

What's our population?
It's less than 50 million isn't it? In my defense, I'm not sure I could quote the US population with any accuracy. I think I've heard its around 300 million.


Name at least five of our past Prime Ministers.
1. Jean Chretien
2. Kim Campbell
3. Mulroney
4. Turner
5. Trudeau

Don't remember the given names on those last ones.

For the person who asked about Canadian authors, here are some of the most well known (I'm going to, off the top of my head, try to remember at least one of their books!):

Mordecai Richler - The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
Margaret Atwood - The Handmaid's Tale
Michael Ondaatje - The English Patient
Robertson Davies - Fifth Business
Douglas Copeland - Generation X
Steven Leacock - (turn of the century humorist... can't remember any)
William Gibson - Neuromancer
Farley Mowat - Never Cry Wolf
Lucy Maude Montgomery - Anne of Green Gables
W. O. Mitchell - Who Has Seen the Wind
W. P. Kinsella - Shoeless Joe
Margaret Lawrence - The Stone Angel
E. Annie Proulx - The Shipping News
Marshall McLuhan - "The medium is the message" (what's that from?)

Alright for the Canadians who read the thread:
Can you answer the same questions for Denmark or Russia? They are after all, our neighbour to the east and the west. For example, did you know that we were almost at war to Denmark last year for a piece of rock no bigger than your house?

You'll find that the average Canadian may know a lot from the US but not a whole more from our other trading partners and neighbours. Just food for thought.

(P.S.: I wouldn't be able to answer all these question for either Russia or Denmark, too.)

These guys don't share a border with us. It's not really the same. About that rock thing...really? Do tell!

[QUOTE=Stannia]Just curious. I've got lots of different impressions from chatrooms, personal experience and stories from other people. So, if you're American, could you help give me a better idea of what you guys really know and don't know?

I think these are the sort of questions that most of us could answer about you guys.

What is the first line of our national anthem?

(( Oh Candy Ass...!! [..that's how I heard it, but the crowd was noisy. ))


Who is our Prime Minister? Which party does he represent?

(( Charles DeGaulle. The Exiles Français Party. ))


How many provinces and territories do we have? How many can you name?

(( 4 Provinces [north,east,south,west] and 2 territiories [Anglophone,Francophone] ))


Can you name five of our major cities?

(( Nicelland, Pleasantville, Soory City, Aboot City, and Moosebutt ))


How does our electoral system work?

(( Pretty well, but it needs the menstrual blood of Jamaican virgins to work VERY well. ))


Guess how many unversities/colleges we have per city.

(( 12, but they all teach only etiquette and smiling. ))


What's our population?

(( Far too few for the territory covered. ))


Name at least five of our past Prime Ministers.

(( Goofy, Dopey, Doc, Sneezy, and Twinkerbell. ))



:D (howls!)

These guys don't share a border with us. It's not really the same. About that rock thing...really? Do tell!
I beg to differ. Russia may bit more of a stretch but Denmark (Greenland) is very much our neighbour.

As for the rock thing:
About 10 months ago, some Danish army vessel came to a small rock within our border and put a Denmark flag on it claiming it for them. Canada found out, removed the flag and said that the little rock belonged to us as it is in our water. Denmark said "yeah?" we said "Yeah!" we are doing diplomatic talks to see who is right.

The reason for it? Commercial fishing. See, if Denmark hold that island, their boats can come within some distance of it and start taking our fish for them. Obviously we don't want that.

Note that the rock is very, very, very small. Some people can't find it if we point it on a satelite image. But it is enough for a diplomatic and commercial dispute.

Name at least five of our past Prime Ministers.
Pierre Trudeaux (fairly sure, but not of the spelling)
________ Brown? (think I remember this, but...)
sorry - can't think of any more.

Brown wasn't actually Prime Minister, but he WAS one of the fathers of confederation (like the founding fathers).