Less than half of Americans can name Canadas capital

this is kind of crazy but I do believe it...its very sad that most Americans don't know a thing about their largest trading partner

http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Ta...f+name+capital+survey+says/4767095/story.html

A new survey shows that fewer than half of all Americans can name Canada's capital and that close to two-thirds of our neighbours to the south admit they learned nothing about this country's history in school.

The survey commissioned by the Montreal-based Association for Canadian Studies, part of the organization's broader probe of cross-border attitudes ahead of next year's bicentennial of the War of 1812, suggests younger Americans are the least informed about Canada and that the subject may be slipping further down the list of teaching priorities in the U.S.

More than 1,000 Americans were asked, among other questions, if they knew the name of Canada's capital. About 48 per cent of those surveyed said they did, while the rest said they didn't know or were "not sure" where the capital was.

The respondents were not asked to prove that they knew Ottawa was Canada's capital.

The age group least confident that they could name the capital was the youngest; just 29 per cent of respondents aged 18 to 20 said they knew the answer, compared with 58 per cent of those 75 and older.

The 1,048 Americans were also asked: "Did you learn anything about the history of Canada in school?"

Just 36 per cent of those surveyed — and only 12 per cent of those aged 18 to 20 — answered yes.

On the same question about Canadian geography, 57 per cent of those surveyed — but only 29 per cent of the youngest cohort of respondents — said they learned something in school about the big country north of the U.S.

The survey was completed on March 1 by the U.S. public opinion research firm ORC International. The web-based poll is deemed to have a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

About half of those surveyed — 50.2 per cent — said they could name the nearest Canadian land border point to their home. But again, the youngest respondents were least likely (34 per cent) to claim such knowledge.

"I genuinely do think there's a decline in the teaching about Canada in U.S. education," said ACS executive director Jack Jedwab. "I think we need to make the War of 1812 more of an opportunity to explore our historic relationship."

He said that while war remembrance tends to emphasize the "patriotic fervour" of who won and who lost, the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 can also be interpreted as the last significant conflict between Canada and the U.S. and the beginning of "200 years of peaceful coexistence."

While Canada is generally acknowledged in the U.S. to be that country's closest ally and most important trading partner, noted Jedwab, there is also a perception that other areas, such as the Middle East and China, are ultimately more important to strategic American interests.

He said the upcoming bicentennial provides a good opportunity "to explore the important interconnectedness of our histories and how we've evolved together."

Increasing the number of Americans who know where Canada's government is headquartered, he added, might be a side benefit of such efforts.

 

It's well documented that the average American's grasp of geography is exceedingly poor.

Not to mention how few people in this blasted country have passports.

 

I bet a shockingly high percentage don't know America's capital either.

 

Wait, New York isn't America's capital?

 

you need to fix your education system...although you already knew that

 

Remember when Canada went on strike in South Park?

 

i read theres gonna be canadians watching the royal wedding on the new south park..

 

I lived in Canada for two years, and I have been to Ottawa.

Commonwealths are not sexy.

 

One frozen wasteland is much like another, why does Canada even have a capital? You just need a bank and a rubber stamp to pass your resources on to us.

 

Of course it is. Duh.

 

I'm frankly surprised at how many Americans knew the national capitol of Canada.

In Canada, isn't every major city a capitol of some sort? (capitol of province).

 

Yet everyone wants to send their crappy products for us fat idiots in our (*)(*)(*)(*)hole to consume. You need us more than we need you. Whether you are Euro-trash or Canadian.

 

Ahhh Quebec. I love Quebec ^.^ It's like France Lite.

 

Now there's an idea, everyone stop selling to the US!

 

I know Canadas capital, and most other nations as well.

Cant say it makes me any better than somebody who doesnt.


But if you think it does, have fun with it.



I know most people who think this is a sticking point, graduated from clown school.

 

LOL...Euro-Trash...atta-boy...LOL.

And you people wonder why the rest of the world don't think too highly of Americans...

Wanna a bigger shovel perhaps?

BTW...allot of Canucks don't even know Ottawa is the nation's capital.
Many think Toronto is...

 

Yes, stop clogging my pristine fat inducing stores with your inferior junk.

 

Canada... eh?

 

It's true in Australia as well, many people think Sydney is the capital.

 

you need our oil and natural resources

 

Yup - it's Hauteur-Free...

 

And you have to sell them, since you can't drink oil and eat natural resources.

 

America: Canada's (*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*).

 

where is that proof?