Because America is a world power and many people know about us,we're "The Great America!",and that's kind of a stereotype,not all Americans know nothing about the outside world.

I grew up listening to CBC because we lived near the border, so knew a lot about Canada. I was always amazed at how little my classmates knew. I don't live close enough anymore. I remember the FLQ kidnappings, Saga, and I am currently a HUGE fan of The Tragically Hip. Went to a few concerts at the Montreal Forum. Many trips to Montreal with my parents as a kid. Used to make regular Brador runs as soon as I turned 18 (when 18 was the legal age). Did that for years. Until some store owner introduced me to Okeefe Special. Do they make that anymore? Then there were the BBC radio shows: The Goon Show (with Marty can't remember his last name), Just a Minute, Monty Python (before the TV show). Wow! does that bring me back! Oh yeah! What was Corporal Renfrue's dog's name (Royal Canadian Air Farce)? "When I regained consiousness..." Wow...

I really don't think it's anything personal. It's not like Americans purposely go about trying to know as little as possible about Canada. Or at least I hope they don't. But really, there's no reason for them to. The U.S has a population ten times the size of Canada, plus any number of domestic and international problems to contend with at any one moment. And you can't argue that as America goes, the world goes. Like it or not, you can't ignore the U.S. With Canada, that's a lot easier to do. And why do we know so much about our neighbours? That's easy too. Just flip on the TV. Our media is saturated by cheap American programming. Even the CBC shows the Simpsons. Canada is very dependant on the U.S. Look at how our population is spread out. All of our major cities are strung out along the border. Canada needs the U.S, which is not say the U.S doesn't need Canada, because they do, but it's just a lot easier for them not to realise it.

They do?? I chat with people in Canada and they don't know much about the U.S.

I'm sorry, but I don't fit into your generalization about this subject. I am an American, who has been to Canada no less than 30 times in the past 20 years. I have been all over Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick on vacation. I have traveled to Toronto and Montreal on business. I went to Niagara Falls to do a little gambling and to visit a "Gentlemen's Club." A company I worked for had four of the ten largest banks in Canada as clients (CIBC, Scotia Bank, Bank of Montreal and Toronto Dominion). I have filed Canadian tax returns, GST returns and VAT tax returns. I have family in Yarmouth and in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I have friends in Summerside, PEI. I have family in Newfoundland (who I expect to visit when my kids get a little older). I know that the "Fathers of Confederation" met at Province House in Charlottetown, PEI to form the alliance that became Canada. I know that the seperatists in Quebec (the Quebecois) couldn't quite get a majority on succession. I know about the Canadian Health Care System. I know the Canadian form of government. I have been pulled over by the RCMP for driving 80 in a 50, and talked my way out of a ticket. I know that the Confederation Bridge is the longest continuous span bridge in North America. I know that a one dollar coin is called a Looney because of the loon on the back. I know that a two dollar coin is called a tooney (twoney?) I know that the price of gasoline is regulated, and the last price decrease was on September 14th, by $0.054 per liter, bringing the price down to $0.939 per liter. I know that Canadians say Zed when they mean Z.

It's simple. USA is bigger and more powerful. As for Canada... well, we Canadians are still into sucking up to the England Queen and all about nature and protecting the beavers and polar bear.

well I think because they think they are the center of the universe and probably they take us for granted economically, strategically and honestly who cares. We have the world's best reputation as a peaceful, democratic and compasionnate country. LET'S NOT FORGET, CANADA HAS ALWAYS BEEN PART OF THE G7, which is the 7 most industrialised countries on the planet, with a population of just 33 MILLION PEOPLE, quite an accomplishment and speaks for itself. I famous saying goes:''CANADIANS ARE UNARMED AMERICANS WITH HEALTHCARE...,love that phrase and pisses off americans too with their '' medical insurance'', we are so fortunate with the perks of being canadian:UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE FOR EVERYONE, SUBSUDIZED DAYCARES, 1 FULL PAID YEAR OFF FOR WORKING MOTHERS WHO JUST GAVE BIRTH, the list goes on and on... the difference is America puts its money and energy on destroying and invading other nations, we put our wealth towards our citizens... GO CANADA!!!

canadians are very modest and I don't know any canadian that would want to move to the states, your news is filled with crime, poverty and war, our government although not perfect works for us, not to invade foreign nations

I'm from Everett Washington. I've lived in Canada for 9 years. Even when I say I'm from "Washington State" everyone (not most people...EVERYONE) asks me how far did I live from the White House. They don't know the geography. Canadians are obsessed with U.S. politics. They ignore what their own government is doing. If more canadians would turn around, stop looking South, Canada could be a much better place to live.

I know a lot about Canada. I grew up about 30 minutes away from Fort Erie, Ont. Generalizations like that are just totally erroneous and very faulty in their reasoning.

I've never found that. I've found that Americans tend to know little about Canada (of course there are always exceptions) but on the whole, Canadians tend not know very much about America, besides the basics that the heavily American influenced popular culture in Canada tells them. Canadians know a few tidbits about American politics, but no more than you'd expect from anyone in the world, considering America's role in the political world. I find Canadians to be just as poor as US geography as Americans are to Canadian. Basically, as a whole, both groups are pretty ignorant about each other, but it only seems to be Canadians that get upset about it.

While I disagree with the premise of your question, I'd have to say Canadians know so much about the United States because there are more media outlets broadcasting into Canada from the US than they other way around.