Quote:
Originally Posted by someone123
It's common to see Canadians "round up" every region of the country except for Atlantic Canada or the Maritimes (often they're not sure about the distinction) which they present in the opposite way.
BC or Ontario are nowhere near as developed as California or the US northeast. However the Maritimes alone have more population than Maine and probably a higher population density too (and a more urbane city, and more farmland, and so on). Yet I think in the mental model of a lot of North Americans, to the extent that they think about the Maritimes at all, it's just farther out along the Maine attenuation axis.
A lot of people think of the Maritimes as being "north" of Maine too but it's more correct to think of them as being "east". And I'd guess that most Canadians who haven't been there don't realize that PEI for example is more like rural Southern Ontario than Northern Ontario. Not sure anywhere in Maine or even all of New England looks like that. The error is a bit like if you imagined that Quebec is a more northern Vermont, though not as extreme.
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Interesting post, but I had to fact check your statements.
I find it unique to pick one American State to compare to 4 Canadian Provinces together as opposed to bunch 4 American States and compare to one maritime province, but sure lets do a comparison of Maine with the maritimes.
Firstly Maine has population of 17 people/km2, NewB+NovaS+PEI have 15 people/km2.
Biggest city in Maine is Portland with a metro area of over half a million. Maritimes biggest city is Halifax with 100,000 less people than Portland. As far as Portland being less urbane than say Halifax, i'd have to wonder.
Portland has a higher population density, seems to have a fairly robust arts and culture scene with dozens of festivals, the largest theatre in North American east of Boston/Montreal. Portland seems to have a profuse number of sporting events, teams and venues, more than Halifax anyway. Maine has twice as many colleges and universities than the maritimes, and probably twice as many students. I have to say I still think of the maritines being a farther out more isolated attenuation of the eastern sea board of the continent.
The Maritimes are indeed east of the New England states but still definitely on a north east ward tragectory.
I'm not sure anywhere in New England would look like PEI. Massachusetts for example is far more densely populated, but still has countryside.
thanks for your thoughts though.