AmericaandCanadamakeuptwo-thirdsofthecontinentofNorthAmerica.Theyarelargeandpowerfulcountriesthatsharemorethanaborder.TheyarebothsodifferentinculturethatitisdifficulttodifferbetweenaCanadianandanAmerican.Buthowdothecitizensofthesecountriesviewtheirneighbor?
First,youneedtounderstandthecountries’similarities.TheywerebothBritishcolonies(殖民地).TorontoandNewYorkarebiginternationalcities.Canadianslovetheirnationalsport:icehockey.Americanslovetheirnationalsport:baseball.Theborderbetweenthecountriesisheavilytraveled,asbothnationsdoalotofbusinesstogether.
However,therearebigdifferences.Canadaisgenerallyconsideredsafer.ThemurderrateofTorontoismuchlowerthanDetroiteventhoughthetwocitiesareonlythreehours’driveaway.Yet,eventhoughthecountriesarealmostthesamesize,theUShasninetimesthepopulationofCanada.
Thenationshavesomuchincommonandyettherearesomanydifferencesbetweenthem.SincetheSeptember11,2001attacksonAmerica,thetwocountrieshavehadoppositeviewsonsomethings,likethewarinIraq.
Americahastighteneditsborders,makingitmoredifficulttogetintothecountryfromCanada.
Butintheend,thesetwoneighborsarelikebrothers.Sometimestheyfightbutwhenitisallsaidanddone,theylivetogether.Whoistheolderandstrongerbrother,well,thatdependsonwhoyouask.(253)