Canada is rich in natural resources, including oil, natural gas, minerals like potash, and vast forests, playing a significant role in the country's economy and identity. Here's a more detailed look at Canada's natural resources: Energy Resources: Canada has some of the largest known reserves and resources (measured and indicated) of rare earths in the world, estimated at over 15.2 million tonnes of rare earth oxide in 2023. Manufacturing permanent magnets is the largest global use for REEs, accounting for 44% of total demand in 2022. Oil: Canada has the third-largest oil reserves globally, with a significant portion located in oil sands. Natural Gas: Canada is a major producer and exporter of natural gas. Crude Bitumen: A significant portion of Canada's oil production comes from crude bitumen, a thick, tar-like petroleum found in oil sands. Coal: Canada also has coal reserves. Mineral Resources: Potash: Canada is the world's largest producer and exporter of potash, a key ingredient in fertilizer. Diamonds: Canada is among the top five global producers of diamonds. Other Minerals: Canada is also a major producer of uranium, zinc, nickel, copper, iron, molybdenum, and gold. Canadian Shield: The Canadian Shield, a vast area of Precambrian bedrock, is rich in various minerals and precious stones, including gold, silver, copper, zinc, nickel, iron, uranium, and diamonds. Forest Resources: Timber: Canada has vast forests, which are a source of timber and other forest products. Canadian Forest Service: The Canadian Forest Service is responsible for managing and protecting Canada's forests. Other Resources: Freshwater: Canada has an abundance of freshwater resources. Fish: Canada has significant fishing ground if a country conquered a banana republic, then that country might gain a little from the military adventure or the adventure might result in a loss because you'd run into all kinds of liabilities that come with a poor country. The well-endowed rich northern neighbor has no military, small population, adjacent to the US. US wouldn't need to project forces thousand miles away. I think the investment would be paid more (considering how little power and money US would need to commit in the campaign. it'd be a short and easy campaign. it's the same rationale why Russia conquered Ukraine). if you're going to rob someone, you'd need to rob someone who is rich to make your effort worthwhile.
You seem to have forgotten something: that Canada is part of the Commonwealth. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Nations Any attack on any member of the Commonwealth would trigger an immediate alliance of several countries.
Commonwealth is not a military alliance like NATO. Commonwealth countries share some commonalities due to their British influence like legal systems etc. They have commonwealth games and some other cultural alignments. Nothing beyond. None of those countries are going to defend Canada if USA occupies it.
It is already being developed: https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...and-security-cooperation-cs-australia-no12025 It only makes sense that countries that belong to a common group would protect their interests. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_pact
Commonwealth is certainly not a military alliance. None of the alliance members would fight in a war for one another. If the USA attacks Canada, Commonwealth alliance does not come to Canada's defense. If USA attacks Canada, then I think Trump would have a behind the closed doors deal for China occupying Taiwan and Russia occupying Ukraine. Trump also likely to view Greenland as an extension of Canada. Ukraine and Belarus part of Russia, Taiwan part of China, Gaza under control of Israel and USA, Panama canal under US control. New world order.
There is no dynamism in the Canadian economy. They are just like Australia & NZ. The economy is just Banking+Housing+Commodities. Canada is slightly better in that they have produced some good tech companies like RIMM, ATI (Radeon graphics under AMD) & most recently Shopify. The recent fintech trend in BNPL was started in Australia I believe. Countries that rely heavily on commodity exports become lazy and don't create any indigenous industries. That's what doomed Venezuela. When Oil prices collapsed so did Chavez's Revolution.
Why join a country with US$ 36T national debt vs CAD$ 1.1T national debt? No one in this world be happy to pay off someone else's debt. In this case, it's a whopper.
Expressed as a percentage of GDP the US is 122% and Canada is 108% - so really about the same national debt levels. There will not be any "joining". Some of our laws were cast aside during Biden's term (the ones they didn't like) and the rest were trashed Jan 20. If Trump wants Canada he'll just take it. And we're never paying off this debt.
I didn’t realize that Canada had such a low gdp. US GDP is like 10x canadas and like 80percent more per capita than canadas. How is Canada considered a g7 country.
If you are going to rob a person or country who better to hire than a convicted felon. Although that doesn't work out too good, if that same person is also your top law enforcement official.