Why is the US always overshadowing Canada? Political, Cultural, economic-wise? (Minnesota, states)

[Alama25]

I always wondered, why is Canada overshadowed by the USA?

[jambo101]

Maybe it has something to do with Americas 350 million residents and Canada's 35 Million residents

[Icy Tea]

South Park has a pretty good cultural interpretation of Canada and canadians.
But if they wanted to become part of the US we have room for a few more states.
They do have one thing on the US, though. They don't touch Mexico.

[Fred314X]

Originally Posted by jambo101

Maybe it has something to do with Americas 350 million residents and Canada's 35 Million residents

D'oh! I hate when that happens.

[Frank_Carbonni]

A few reasons:

1) The natural harbors of the East Coast and the cash crops of the South made the British colonies that became part of the US develop quicker than the British colonies that became Canada.

2) The US has more arable land and a warmer climate on average (yes, North Dakota and Minnesota are actually colder than many part of Canada, but most of the mainland US is temperate or subtropical while more than half of Canada is tundra or arctic).

3) The US was more willing to except mass immigration for a longer period of its history than British Canada.

Those three reasons are why the US has a much larger population than Canada. Regardless of any cultural factors that influence economics or politics or culture, a developed nation with 300 million people will by default have more influence and power than a developed nation of 30 million people.

[Ferd]

Population and economic world power. Nothing else.

Canadians are wonderful people.

[HurricaneDC]

Frank nailed it.

Canada is really just a smaller America. The East (up to Quebec anyway) and West are pretty liberal, the middle parts are more rural and conservative.

I like Canada but it's damn cold and they have even worse cell phone carriers than we do.