If you were to look at a map of the United States, you’d see that Canada sits right above the US… not too many people realize it but Canada is a pretty big part of the US. In fact, depending on where you live, Canada is only a short drive away from certain northern states. Because the two countries are so close, it’s easy for people to think that the US and Canada are one and the same but the truth is that the two countries are two separate entities with differences in everything from politics and religion to snacks and taxes.

The fact that the two countries are so different is the very thing that makes people want to travel to different places. Just think about it. No two people are alike and neither are destinations… If you live in a city that’s always cold, you’re going to want to travel to destinations that are primarily warm from time to time, right? Of course. Diversity is what makes the world evolve but some places in the world are so different from other destinations that their differences are considered “quirks.”

Now, to Canadians, what people from the US consider as “quirks” are simply ways of life for them, and vice versa… some American ways are seen as “quirks” by Canadians, and that’s okay because there’s nothing wrong with being different. In fact, take a look at some of the major differences between Canada and the US and test your knowledge of North America in its entirety!

The Government System of the US and Canada

When you look at the government system between the two countries, you’ll immediately notice some major differences. One of the first major differences that’s easy to point out is the fact that America is led by a president and Canada, is led by a prime minister.

Secondly, you have political parties to look at. The US has two major political parties: Republican and Democratic parties… nothing more, nothing less. Canada is comprised of four major political parties various minor ones:

●     Conservative

●     Liberal

●     New Democratic

●     Green

●     Bloc Quebecois

Now just because one place has a president and one has multiple parties, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t political drama… that’s going to happen wherever you are!

Taxations of the US and Canada

This difference between the two countries is quite an unusual one, and some would even call it unfair. As you probably know, an LLC stands for limited liability company, and it’s a type of legal business entity used in the US. Now, if an American wanted to expand their business and form an LLC in Canada, they would need to make sure they did ample research on this type of business endeavor because there could be some serious tax consequences ahead.

The only way a non-Canadian would be able to form an LLC in Canada is by way of a branch or subsidiary. If a non-Canadian were to operate outside of the realms of a branch or subsidiary and solely use an LLC, That company can expect to be charged the default corporate income tax of 25% to 31% plus an additional 25% branch tax for income not being invested in Canada.

But if the roles were reversed, things would be a lot different. Did you know that a Canadian could move to anywhere in the US and form an LLC? Isn’t that crazy!? If a Canadian wanted to move to Michigan, they could move there and form a Michigan LLC with no hiccups.

Grade Levels of the US and Canada

In the US, all public schools have grade levels as follows:

●     Kindergarten

●     Elementary School

●     Middle School

●     High School

In Canada, it’s pretty much the same, the only difference is that in Canada, students go to middle school. In the US, middle school is the part of school that gets students prepared to enter high school. Could the US be “baby-ing” American students? Possibly so.

Another interesting fact that schoolsincanada.com points out is that all secondary schools (high school) all go up to 12th grade except for in Quebec, where school only goes up to 11th grade.

Healthcare in the US and Canada

Healthcare is one of the biggest difference in the two countries. In the US, healthcare can be very expensive. A simple trip to a walk-in clinic can run you a few hundred to thousands of dollars depending on what you get done. In Canada, people don’t have to worry about healthcare… the only thing they need to be concerned about is where to get their healthcare needs.

How is this possible, you ask? Well, in Canada, Canadians get free healthcare. It makes you wonder how they’re able to get free healthcare when the entire government shut down in the US over healthcare! If the government would have just let Americans have free healthcare, the government wouldn’t have shut down