For millions of years, the northern half of
North America has remained bonded together, when other present continents were busy breaking-off
from the ‘super continents’ of the past. Trade routes ran through both countries throughout
the centuries, and still today the U.S. and Canada, in terms of imports and exports, are
heavily reliant on each other. Economic ties, the European influence, democratic
governance, to some extent an intermingling of religion and culture, and of course English
as the dominant language, makes the two nations part of the same family. Nonetheless, as most Canadians and Americans
will tell you, the two countries are also different in many ways. One big difference is how the nations have
developed in terms of defense. Today we thought we’d compare them militarily,
in this episode of the Infographics Show, the USA vs. Canada. Don’t forget to subscribe and click the
bell button so that you can be part of our Notification Squad. The United States of America declared its
independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776. Canada became a self-governing country on
July 1, 1867, but it wasn’t until the Canada Act of 1982 that the British ceased to have
any influence on the Canadian constitution. These two bordering nations each have a massive
land mass, with Canada being the second biggest nation on Earth behind Russia. Canada’s 3,855,100 square mile land mass,
however, is not too much larger than fourth placed USA. America’s land mass is 3,705,407 square
miles. And, of course, China is the world’s third
largest nation. Given the size of these giant nations you
may not be surprised to hear the Canada-U.S. border is the longest border in the world
at 5,525 miles long. While there were disputes in the past over
the demarcation of land in some border areas, as borders go, the USA-Canadian divide has
seen few conflicts. The only time the two countries went head-to-head
was in 1812, when Canada, as a colony of Great Britain, became embroiled in the latter’s
spat over USA expansionism. Since that time, the countries have been the
best of allies. In fact, the necessity of safe trading routes
and an amiable relationship allowed both countries to prosper. After China, Canada is America’s biggest
trading partner, while for Canada the U.S. is its main trading partner. The USA has a much bigger GDP than Canada,
though, as we all know. Its 18 trillion-plus GDP is the biggest in
the world, whereas Canada’s GDP is said to lie in 10th place on the list at 1.53 trillion
dollars. The U.S. is regarded as having the world’s
strongest military, and with a 611 billion dollar defense budget, about 3.3 percent of
the GDP, America outspends the rest of the world by a mile. Canada, a country not often exalted for its
military prowess, spends around 15.5 billion dollars on defense, which is around one percent
of the GDP. This, however, will soon change. It was reported in June this year that Canada
will increase military spending to $32.7 billion in the next ten years. Canada’s Defense Minister, Harjit Sajjan,
was quoted as saying, “If we are serious about Canada's role in the world, then we
have to be serious about funding our military.” Let’s now have a look at where all the money
goes. The U.S. has a population of 325 million people,
1.3 million of whom are active military personnel, and a further 811,000 acting as reserve personnel. By comparison, the Canadian military is minuscule,
with 95,000 active frontline personnel and another 51,000 working as reserves. Canada’s population is just over 35 million. Size does matter, and while the Canadian army
is low in numbers, its special forces are said to be some of the most skilled soldiers
in the world. In terms of land equipment, the U.S. weapons
cache of arms is almost unparalleled. The country has around 5,884 tanks, 41,000
armored fighting vehicles, 1,934 self-propelled guns, 1,299 towed artillery, and 1,331 multiple-launch
rocket systems. Canada has 80 tanks, 3,004 AFVs, 0 SPGs, 161
towed artillery, and 0 MLRSs. This somewhat meagre arsenal, however, consists
of mostly modern equipment. Canada’s main battle tanks include a fleet
of German-made Leopard 2A4s and Leopard 2A6s, some of the most advanced tanks ever created. Canada has also just been hailed as a great
innovator of military equipment for developing what’s been called a “Terminator-like
weapon.” According to military analysts, the Canadian
Defence Research and Development organization has created the weapon of the future in its
Soldier Integrated Precision Effects Systems “super-gun” or “smart-gun.” Nonetheless, intelligent rifles might not
be enough to hold back America’s thousands of highly rated M1 Abrams battle tanks, a
proven machine that has clocked a vast number of work hours. The USA is also spending big on developing
its own super-tank, the M1A2 SEP v3. The Royal Canadian Air Force is also somewhat
outmatched in the skies when compared with the United States Air Force. Canada has a total of 414 military aircraft,
60 of which are fighters/interceptors, and 64 that are fixed-wing attack aircraft. The country has no attack helicopters. It’s cream of the crop is its 103-strong
fleet of American-made multi-role fighter, the McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet. The Canadian government has also mulled over
the purchase of the American F-35 stealth fighter, although that will come at some cost. Perhaps with the 70 percent increase in defense
spending, Canada may have the aircraft in its sights. The USA out-guns any other air force, and
is pretty much spoiled for choice in terms of inventory. The U.S. has around 13,444 aircrafts, many
of which are touted as the world’s best. This includes legions of F-22A Raptors, F-16
Fighting Falcons, F-15E Strike Eagles and the notoriously expensive F-35A Lightning
II. The U.S. also has a large fleet of the McDonnell
Douglas CF-18 Hornets, some of which have been converted to F/A-18E Super Hornets. Canada’s naval strength is rather small
in comparison to the giant of the U.S. navy, although the Royal Canadian Navy has fought
many battles over the years and is currently in the process of enlarging its fleet. The RCN consists of 0 aircraft carriers, 12
frigates, 12 coastal defense vessels, 4 patrol submarines, and 8 unarmed patrol/training
vessels. The U.S. has 11 aircraft carriers, 22 cruisers,
67 destroyers, 8 frigates, 75 submarines, 0 corvettes, 9 amphibious assault ships, 11
mine warfare ships, and 55 patrol ships. It’s also developing its multi-billion behemoth,
the Gerald R. Ford class super-carrier. As for nuclear capabilities, Canada does not
have its own nuclear weapons, although it contributes to America’s military programs. Canada is also protected under NATO’s nuclear
umbrella. The U.S., on the other hand, along with Russia,
owns almost half of the world’s 15,000 nuclear weapons. 1,800 of these weapons are currently deployed. Super-guns and weapons of mass destruction
aside, these two countries share a long-lasting partnership when it comes to their defense
strategies. The U.S. and Canada are the only two countries
outside of European nations that belong to NATO. Together, the two friendly neighbors have
formed an alliance that combines one huge military force. This is recognized in official pacts, such
as the bi-national organization: the North American Aerospace Defense Command, the Combined
Defence Plan, and even the sharing of military resources in times of natural disasters under
the Canada-U.S. Civil Assistance Plan. Besides the skirmish in 1812, the two countries
have enjoyed arguably the most peaceful border relationship on the planet. Canada and the U.S. are the closest of allies,
culturally intertwined, and, from an economic standpoint, reliant on their buoyant trading
relations. We hope you’ve enjoyed this tale of two
brotherly nations. Do you think the bond between the US and Canada
is unbreakable, or is it just a matter of time before it fizzles? Let us know in the comments! And if you liked this video, be sure to check
out our other video China vs Russia! Thanks for watching, and, as always, don’t
forget to like, share, and subscribe. See you next time!
