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That depends where you live in Europe. If I drive for six hours I will reach Denmark. Berlin is 13 hours from me by car, Paris over 18 hours, Barcelona 27 hours.
Actually, the Norwegian cities Oslo and Tromsø are over 21 hours apart by car.
Traveling overseas is quite common in Norway. Three of my colleagues have spent their summer vacation in Florida and New York.
That's great! I know a lot of Americans who vacation overseas every year. I'm one of them, in fact.
I have no idea where you live, but let's just put it this way. If you live in Oslo, you are just a few hours from Denmark and Sweden - wow, that's two countries already!
Now - if you're up in Karasjok - well, I can't help you.
To put some perspective on this, it would take me thirteen hours to drive to Atlanta - and I'd still be in the US. It would take me 18 hours to drive to West Virginia - and I'd still be in the US. It would take me 27 hours to drive to California - and, you guessed it - I'd still be in the US.
Of course the extreme areas of either Europe or the US are going to be out of the way when it comes to traveling. I'm speaking generally - and the majority of Europeans live within a few hours' drive of a "whole other country" - or two - or seven.
That's great! I know a lot of Americans who vacation overseas every year. I'm one of them, in fact.
I have no idea where you live, but let's just put it this way. If you live in Oslo, you are just a few hours from Denmark and Sweden - wow, that's two countries already!
Now - if you're up in Karasjok - well, I can't help you.
To put some perspective on this, it would take me thirteen hours to drive to Atlanta - and I'd still be in the US. It would take me 18 hours to drive to West Virginia - and I'd still be in the US. It would take me 27 hours to drive to California - and, you guessed it - I'd still be in the US.
Of course the extreme areas of either Europe or the US are going to be out of the way when it comes to traveling. I'm speaking generally - and the majority of Europeans live within a few hours' drive of a "whole other country" - or two - or seven.
Where I lived in Scotland I was 3 hours drive from England.
Where I live now in AndalucÃa I am 13 hours drive from the French border, 4 hours from Portugal, 2 hours drive, and a ferry ride to the African continent (Morocco)
Right, because that's the definition of nationality. That's what it means. You can't make up your own definition because it suits you.
No, it's a definition of citizenship and that's what border guards are primarily interested in. You can be born in a totally different nation - say India, but if you have Canadian citizenship, that's the part the border guards want to know.
I suspect that in the old world ( at least in many parts of it) definition of nationality corresponds with what Americans identify as "ethnicity," and term "ethnicity" is reserved for smaller groups/subgroups.
Therefore the nationality of an Arab living in France would be Moroccan/Tunisian, but his citizenship would be still French. That sets the French apart as a nation that they originally were meant to be, vs American nation, that's comprised of all kind of people, as it meant to be.
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This is europe's problem - when the demonym for a country is the same as the main/indigenous ethnic group of that country.
That's not "Europe's problem" - it's European heritage, because "main/indigenous ethnic group" ( to put it in American terms) is precisely what makes every European country distinctively European - be that Germany, France or Italy. These are all nations, with their distinctive languages, cultures and history. They were never meant to be "mixed" nations, as the US/Canada/Australia. So it's rather American problem to project "things American" onto Europe.
Where I lived in Scotland I was 3 hours drive from England.
Where I live now in AndalucÃa I am 13 hours drive from the French border, 4 hours from Portugal, 2 hours drive, and a ferry ride to the African continent (Morocco)
So you are within one days' drive of four countries (Algeria included). That's really cool!
That's not "Europe's problem" - it's European heritage, because "main/indigenous ethnic group" ( to put it in American terms) is precisely what makes every European country distinctively European - be that Germany, France or Italy. These are all nations, with their distinctive languages, cultures and history. They were never meant to be "mixed" nations, as the US/Canada/Australia. So it's rather American problem to project "things American" onto Europe.
I don't think that the settlers of the US or Canada or Australia "meant" to be "mixed nations" - history just unfolded that way. The natives of those countries didn't "mean" for them to be "mixed nations," that's for sure.
Things change. I guess that's the American projection onto the question of "Europeans."
By the way, it wasn't our idea for Europeans to form the European Union. Just sayin'.
I don't think that the settlers of the US or Canada or Australia "meant" to be "mixed nations" - history just unfolded that way. The natives of those countries didn't "mean" for them to be "mixed nations," that's for sure.
I don't think that "it just unfolded this way." The constitution of the newly-created nation was written in 1788? and already in 1790 it was followed by the United States Naturalization law, granting naturalization to "free white persons" of "good moral character." No more French or Englishmen - just "free white persons" - that was the official beginning of the mixed nation.
By the way, it wasn't our idea for Europeans to form the European Union. Just sayin'.
I hear you, but my guess is that European Union was created as defensive mechanism against American dominance in the world economy may be.
America had big homogenous market ( in terms of language and targeted population, ) where European markets, divided by the different languages/different law regulations couldn't compete with the US economy separately. At least I see it as one of the reasons, so it hasn't been done without the US being taken into equation.
I have no idea where you live, but let's just put it this way. If you live in Oslo, you are just a few hours from Denmark and Sweden - wow, that's two countries already!
Now - if you're up in Karasjok - well, I can't help you.
To put some perspective on this, it would take me thirteen hours to drive to Atlanta - and I'd still be in the US. It would take me 18 hours to drive to West Virginia - and I'd still be in the US. It would take me 27 hours to drive to California - and, you guessed it - I'd still be in the US.
Of course the extreme areas of either Europe or the US are going to be out of the way when it comes to traveling. I'm speaking generally - and the majority of Europeans live within a few hours' drive of a "whole other country" - or two - or seven.
I live in Oslo. The Danish border is 6 hours by car from Oslo. Not that far but still more than a few hours.
I see you live in Texas. Mexico cannot be that far away. It is under 6 hours by car to the border from Houston but I guess Nuevo Laredo is not your typical tourist destination .
Remember, a car trip to Strömstad from Oslo is not considered "going abroad".
That's great! I know a lot of Americans who vacation overseas every year. I'm one of them, in fact.
I have no idea where you live, but let's just put it this way. If you live in Oslo, you are just a few hours from Denmark and Sweden - wow, that's two countries already!
Now - if you're up in Karasjok - well, I can't help you.
To put some perspective on this, it would take me thirteen hours to drive to Atlanta - and I'd still be in the US. It would take me 18 hours to drive to West Virginia - and I'd still be in the US. It would take me 27 hours to drive to California - and, you guessed it - I'd still be in the US.
Of course the extreme areas of either Europe or the US are going to be out of the way when it comes to traveling. I'm speaking generally - and the majority of Europeans live within a few hours' drive of a "whole other country" - or two - or seven.
Its not like that everywhere in Europe. Infact from my house it would take me something like 3 days to drive to the north of spain for example.
I hear you, but my guess is that European Union was created as defensive mechanism against American dominance in the world economy may be.
The model Pioneer talking again. EU was created with the concourse of the US..and there was no need to compete with the US since market and demand was no problem.
I don't think that the settlers of the US or Canada or Australia "meant" to be "mixed nations" - history just unfolded that way. The natives of those countries didn't "mean" for them to be "mixed nations," that's for sure.
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Catalina
We are mixed here too. In fact, there are regions in the US (I lived there) that are far less mixed than most Europe.
Take Catalonia, a "little country with no army and no state" (as a clown here puts it). Only 23,5 % of the population are Catalans (most coming from France 300 to 400 years ago since most of the population here died of from five consecutives plagues of black plague 500 years ago).
So a person with two Catalan sounding last names is almost like a Comanche here, a minority.
We are all mixed here, more so after many wars, rapes, invasions, exterminations, massive expulsions....
In fact, there have been so many killings and rapes here, that most ancestors from European americans would have been dead if they had stayed. Many Americans comes from ethnic or religious groups that do not exist anymore because they were exterminated.
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