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Justice system - yes. It operates on a French-based Napoleonic legal code called the Code civil. This is different from the rest of Canada which uses British common law.
Money - no.
Quebec also has its own education system but this is not unique in Canada because all provinces run education in their own way.
It is in non-governmental aspects that Quebec really stands out: it has its own TV, music, film and publishing industries. Its own music awards, films awards, TV awards, etc. Its own civil society as with with associations and other organizations that are either parallel or separate from the broader Canadian ones.
An assembly isn't a parliament though, not as much powers if I'm not mistaken?
This reminds me of a skit from Children in Need with the 10th Doctor, David Tennant who is from Scotland
Mr. Logan- As I'm sure you're aware my name is Mr. Logan, I'm your new English teacher. Nice to meet you all. Hope you're all ready to get to grips with some Elizabethan literature. Let all turn to page fifty three, in our poetry text books. I think we'll dive straight in with the bard himself.
Lauren- Sir?
Mr. Logan- Yeah
Lauren- Are you English, sir?
Mr. Logan- No, I'm Scottish.
Lauren- So you ain't English then.
Mr. Logan- No, I'm British.
Lauren- So you ain't English then.
Mr. Logan- No I'm not but as you can see I do speak English
i think most americans know the difference between English and Scottish, they just don't understand what the word "British" means.
So if a Scot said, "No, I'm British too", this would be confusing.
I think some people in the UK are struggling to understand what it means. The southern Irish have started to lately refer to England as the UK and ignore the other three countries.
I wish people would get over it and do it right. UK does not mean England, Britain does not mean England and British does not mean English.
A lot can happen, but I dont think Europeans are anything like as ready to give up their nationalities as perhaps the good people of the USA were ready to create a nationality out of (however many at the time) different states. The thought of it sends shudders down my spine! Though as a Britain I have a feeling we wouldnt be 'invited' anyway! lol
Dport I didn't want to go into it because I don't want to start insulting Americans here on this forum but since you are pushing me here are a few of my stories. You'll probably think I'm making this up because its ridiculously stupid stuff, but I can assure you I'm not.
I am originally from Liverpool so I have what you Americans would think is 'a bit of a funny accent'.
Someone once said to me "I hear from your accent you are from Scotland". Lightheartedly I replied: "well no you're close, actually I'm English". He point blank refused to believe I wasn't Scottish. "No, you are definitely Scottish". He was being serious. As if I didn't know where I come from!!!
Another time I was on a house viewing and a few ladies were standing around discussing a full length picture window because people kept walking into it thinking it was an opening. I overheard the conversation and said "maybe put a door there". They all looked at me as if I was from Mars. Believe it or not they couldn't understand my accent when I said 'door' because I pronounce it 'dor' instead of 'dooooo-orrrr'. In end I had to pronounce it in a really American accent then said "I'm English". This was obviously a huge mistake because from the dirty looks I got, they obviously thought I was insulting the language (they were all very stuck up).
I've had other similar examples of the door story. Such as you have to say 'wadrr' instead of 'water' otherwise you might as well be speaking German.
Also I've had occasion where I've said I'm English then you have to go into a whole drawn out explanation about it whereas if you just say British, people tend to just let it go.
Don't change yourself for stuck up Americans, bring them right back down again. The aren't the lords chosen ones.
And I most certainly believe you. I have seen it all online. Its rife among the younger generation.
^ Yeah as far as I know the UK is unique in the world. It's a country made up of countries.
It's not unique. The Kingdom of the Netherlands is very similar to the UK in this regard:
Quote:
The Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden Dutch pronunciation: [ˈkoːnɪŋkrɛig dɛr ˈneːdərlɑndə(n)]; Papiamento: Reino Hulandes), commonly known as the Netherlands, is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom – Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten – are referred to as countries and participate on a basis of equality as partners in the Kingdom.[3] In practice, however, most of the Kingdom affairs are administered by the Netherlands (which comprises roughly 98% of the Kingdom's land area and population) on behalf of the entire Kingdom, with Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten being dependent on the Netherlands.
Belgium also, even if the three parts are not called "countries" they actually feel like completly different countries, more than between, say, England and Scotland. With their own parliaments, governemts, education systems, TV channels, hospitals, etc.. and of course different languages.
Quebec has a lot of powers and its assembly is a true parliament that has power from the Crown and a Lt-Governor that theoretically reports to the Queen.
Education at all levels
Health care
Welfare (the dole)
Municipalities
Police
Anything local or private in nature
Direct taxation
Crown lands and natural resources
Local works
Labour laws
Language laws
Intra-provincial transportation and business
Administration of justice Property and civil rights
Cooperatives and savings banks
Immigration
Agriculture
Pensions
It also levies both income and sales taxes, and has some leeway in international relations.
Sure, I think it is a fair comparison. Just like the UK, there are four constituent countries united under one Kingdom. Just like the UK, these countries are officially equal but in practice, one country (England/Netherlands) is dominant. The relative size of the countries is irrelevant, it's the system that matters since I was responding to Trimac's post that such a system (a country made up of countries) is unique to the UK.
@ French_user and Acajack: Wallonia, Flanders and Quebec are not officially recognized as countries though, so you still can't quite compare it to the UK.
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