# Do Any Neighboring Nations Have a Better Relationship Than The U.S. and Canada? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 30, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-neighboring-nations-have-a-better-relationship-than-the-u-s-and-canada/576543 "2011-03-30T19:11:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-neighboring-nations-have-a-better-relationship-than-the-u-s-and-canada/576543/81 "2011-07-27T18:57:21Z")
Interesting thread. Learned a new word: “exclave.” Aren’t diplomatic consulates exclaves, then? Also, to what nation is the Chunnel “territorial”? ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-neighboring-nations-have-a-better-relationship-than-the-u-s-and-canada/576543/82 "2011-07-28T09:45:53Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Learned a new word: “exclave.” Aren’t diplomatic consulates exclaves, then? I wouldn’t think so as they are not parts of their homelands’ territories, whatever people think. > [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Also, to what nation is the Chunnel “territorial”? Just a guess, half of it is French, the other British. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-neighboring-nations-have-a-better-relationship-than-the-u-s-and-canada/576543/83 "2011-07-28T17:14:13Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > father was a Glasweigan (Blantyre) Mr Livingstone, I presume? ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-neighboring-nations-have-a-better-relationship-than-the-u-s-and-canada/576543/84 "2011-07-28T18:02:55Z")
> [@kaltkalt](#): > > It’s very unfortunate we do this sort of thing, but it was not done because he was Canadian. Being from Canada, and having a Canadian passport had absolutely nothing to do with it. Whether he really was a terrorist or other sort of security threat, who knows. But it was not animosity towards canadians. This is why now when applying for a Canadian passport you have the option of having the “Country of Birth” omitted. None of this, “he’s a Canadian citizen, but according to this he was _born_ in Syria, so let’s deport him to there.” ---
**Author:** ![BarryB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BarryB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarryB)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2011, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-neighboring-nations-have-a-better-relationship-than-the-u-s-and-canada/576543/85 "2011-07-29T02:02:34Z")
> [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](#): > > Belgium has historically been a part of the Netherlands. Given the continued political chaos in Belgium I don’t understand why the Dutch army hasn’t marched into their renegade province and liberated their wayward countrymen already. Belgium has been, for lack of a better word, a “country” for 500 years, and for only 15 of those has it been part of a Holland led “Netherlands”. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-neighboring-nations-have-a-better-relationship-than-the-u-s-and-canada/576543/86 "2011-07-30T01:44:06Z")
Recognizing that this is a semi-zombie (being only about 3 or 4 months old) I’m going to insert some comments, anyway… > [@Terra1041](#): > > So, what happens if a US citizen goes to Canada, forgets their passport, and is allowed to enter Canada? Are they just stuck in Canada forever since they have no passport? As I understand (IANAL), under US law, you can’t be prohibited from entering. BUT (and a really big BUT it is) INS can leave you in Canada while you do months worth of paperwork establishing your right to enter. If Canada wants to deport you in the meantime, they have to figure out where to send you, while the two countries Department of State (or equivalent) negotiate. In other words, regardless of which direction you were going, you might wind up in something roughly analogous to a jail, in a cell, sleeping on a crappy cot, and shitting in a crappy toilet for awhile, with nothing good to read. Try to avoid this situation. 😃 > [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > … > [Estcourt Station](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estcourt_Station,_Maine) isn’t even a real town, it’s a part of Pohénégamook that happens to be on the American side of the border. According to this article it has a population of 4. And the incident is described there. Reading that, and the various things it linked to, and being a dual-citizen besides, I’m thinking much unpleasantness could have been avoided if he was also a dual-citizen, and had passports appropriate to that status. I’m thinking it’s _ **really** _ time for me to apply for my Canadian passport. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-neighboring-nations-have-a-better-relationship-than-the-u-s-and-canada/576543/87 "2011-07-30T03:08:22Z")
> [@Cheshire\_Human](#): > > BUT (and a really big BUT it is) INS can leave you in Canada while you do months worth of paperwork establishing your right to enter. If you come in by land\* or from an airport without pre-clearance, they can’t “leave you in Canada.” They would have to remove you _to_ Canada first, and once you make an declaration of US citizenship, you’re entitled to a hearing before a judge before removal. \*At least at every port of entry that I’ve been through. It’s possible the US has an agreement with Canada to put some on Canadian territory, as they’ve done at some airports. ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-neighboring-nations-have-a-better-relationship-than-the-u-s-and-canada/576543/88 "2011-07-31T00:33:35Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > I think Germany has fought everyone apart from Tristan de Cuena so they are out. If you look closely, I think you will find that Germany has indeed fought [Tristan da Cunha](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tristan_da_Cunha#History). ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-neighboring-nations-have-a-better-relationship-than-the-u-s-and-canada/576543/89 "2011-07-31T00:37:54Z")
> [@R.P.McMurphy](#): > > - The US spends millions (billions) protecting the sovereignty of Canada which in turn helps to protect the US. I acknowledge the second part of your sentence, but its first half stills sounds awfully patronising. May I ask how so? ---
**Author:** ![Molesworth\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9dc877/32.png) [@Molesworth\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Molesworth_2)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-neighboring-nations-have-a-better-relationship-than-the-u-s-and-canada/576543/90 "2011-07-31T10:37:39Z")
As an Aussie, I basically see New Zealanders as being my fellow Australians. /apart from their sheep-loving sexual tendencies and their ongoing obsession with taking the Ring to Mordor despite not knowing the way, they are just like us ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-neighboring-nations-have-a-better-relationship-than-the-u-s-and-canada/576543/91 "2011-07-31T13:08:52Z")
> [@Fish\_Cheer](#): > > I acknowledge the second part of your sentence, but its first half stills sounds awfully patronising. May I ask how so? I think Canada supplies most of the tanks to the Afghan theatre if I’m not mistaken. (How that’s protecting America is a matter for debate, but it still shows the alliance isn’t one way） ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-neighboring-nations-have-a-better-relationship-than-the-u-s-and-canada/576543/92 "2011-08-01T00:00:29Z")
The times I’ve been in Israel the “cheap” jokes were directed at Scots or Jews. ---
**Author:** ![punch\_line\_loser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e7dd6/32.png) [@punch\_line\_loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/punch_line_loser)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-neighboring-nations-have-a-better-relationship-than-the-u-s-and-canada/576543/93 "2011-08-01T02:11:09Z")
[i think this pretty much says it all](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qvNk52mXiU) ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-neighboring-nations-have-a-better-relationship-than-the-u-s-and-canada/576543/94 "2011-08-01T02:41:25Z")
> [@Molesworth\_2](#): > > /apart from their sheep-loving sexual tendencies… Well sure… I mean, have you _seen_ Aussie sheep?! Poor scrawny dehydrated wee things… who could get excited over one of them? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-neighboring-nations-have-a-better-relationship-than-the-u-s-and-canada/576543/95 "2011-08-01T06:20:26Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > The times I’ve been in Israel the “cheap” jokes were directed at Scots or Jews. Jews in general or Jews abroad? ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-neighboring-nations-have-a-better-relationship-than-the-u-s-and-canada/576543/96 "2011-08-01T18:52:35Z")
> [@punch\_line\_loser](#): > > [i think this pretty much says it all](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qvNk52mXiU) That’s awesome. i was skeptical until the pancakes. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-neighboring-nations-have-a-better-relationship-than-the-u-s-and-canada/576543/97 "2011-08-02T01:01:58Z")
> [@Shamozzle](#): > > That’s awesome. i was skeptical until the pancakes. I thought it sucked, until Alex Treebark showed up… Eh? ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-neighboring-nations-have-a-better-relationship-than-the-u-s-and-canada/576543/98 "2011-08-02T02:14:50Z")
[Blame Canada. With Japanese subtitles.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMiMc3HrY4Q) Now this is the way to rag on the Canucks, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-neighboring-nations-have-a-better-relationship-than-the-u-s-and-canada/576543/99 "2011-08-02T07:45:25Z")
[Here is a picture](http://i.imgur.com/7OSuJ.jpg) of the US/Canadian border in (I think) Vermont. No border guards to be seen (indeed looks like a building straddles the border). ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-neighboring-nations-have-a-better-relationship-than-the-u-s-and-canada/576543/100 "2011-08-02T16:14:59Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > [Here is a picture](http://i.imgur.com/7OSuJ.jpg) of the US/Canadian border in (I think) Vermont. > > No border guards to be seen (indeed looks like a building straddles the border). I’ve been there, although I don’t remember the paint on the street. (Maybe it’s been added since my visit, or else this is an older photo.) It should be noted that you’re not allowed to just cross the border there. I did it (with my bike) but it’s technically illegal and road signs make that clear; you have to go through the border point a few metres west. As for the building ([this one](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haskell_Free_Library_and_Opera_House)), it’s kind of an exception, and having it straddle two jurisdictions has caused some legal problems. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-neighboring-nations-have-a-better-relationship-than-the-u-s-and-canada/576543.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-neighboring-nations-have-a-better-relationship-than-the-u-s-and-canada/576543.md?page=6)