in 2014 the USA and Canada will celebrate 200 years of Peace. Can any other two nations on Earth lay claim to this? for Questionland Seattle

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in 2014 the USA and Canada will celebrate 200 years of Peace. Can any other two nations on Earth lay claim to this?

I work with a lot of people who are involved in Canada-USA cross-border affairs, and the word is that the celebrations in 2014 to commemorate 200 years of peace between our countries are going to be huge. They're already planning now.

The war of 1812 was fought between the USA and the British North American colonies which later became Canada, so for all intents and purposes, it was a war between the Yankees and the Canucks. The Canadians burned the White House, as a matter of fact. But, we've been at peace as neighbors (or neighbours, if you will) since that war ended in 1814.

This is commemorated on the Peace Arch, which has gates on the inside that are permanently stuck open, with the inscriptions "May these gates never close" on one side and "Open one hundred years 1814 - 1914" on the other.

My question is this: Are the United States and Canada the only two neighboring countries on this planet that have been at peace with one another this long? Are there other pairs of neighboring countries in the world that can match or exceed our record of peace with the Canadians?

soundslikepuget asked in Intl/Ntl News & Politics 9 months ago | Report

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how about Monaco & France? gives you a tie if count the revolutionaries' takeover against them(the french rev left in 1814) otherwise; buddies since 1642.

or the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was 1569-1795

Pax romana? 207 years

Pax Dei went from 989 CE to roughly the 1200's.

Pax Minoica potentially could take the cake (10-20 centuries?) - though there's lots of argument on the facts

RacerX answered in Intl/Ntl News & Politics 9 months ago | Report

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The Swiss have been neutral and "at peace" with their neighbors since 1815.

The fact that we haven't fought a war with Canada since 1814 doesn't mean we have been BFFs for all our history. There were the Fenian Raids after the Civil War, which weren't supported by the US Government but they were not immediately put down. There were also numerous diplomatic spats such as the border of Alaska. We didn't really have good relations with Canada until the start of the 20th century.

Dan Williams answered in Intl/Ntl News & Politics 9 months ago | Report

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What with the rise of nationalism and the end of colonialism during the last century, most countries must be excluded from competition because they did not exist 200 years ago. Thus an answer to your question requires two nations that are both peaceful in relationship to each other and also stable over time.

This won't feel satisfying, and may be a cop-out, but depending on your definition of "nation" the Anglo-Scottish border might qualify, as it has been stable since the Treaty of Union in 1707. They have been so peaceful since that time that they shared a government (having already shared a monarch since 1603).

Bion Satir answered in Intl/Ntl News & Politics 9 months ago | Report

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You raise good points, but I say that Scotland/England does not count because they are no longer independent sovereign nations. The Act of Union made them united, under the United Kingdom.

That would be like saying Texas and the United States are high in the running because we have been at peace since Texas ceased being an independent country, and became part of the USA in 1846.

A+ for effort, but I say no sir to England/Scotland getting the mushroom here.

soundslikepuget commented 9 months ago | Report

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On further thought, and I may be wrong, it seems that Spain and Portugal have not warred since the end of the Peninsular War, which was in 1813. Good old Wikipedia says they "came close to war" on a number of occasions after that, but it doesn't seem they ever consummated such a relationship. If this is true, they win by a hair (in quantity if not quality).

If someone knows better, please correct me.

Bion Satir commented 9 months ago | Report

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When did Canada become a sovereign country?

Tom commented 9 months ago | Report

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1867 was when Canada was actually formed as something other than 'those properties HRM owns over in north america'. they didn't even have a justice system of their own until then.
so I wonder how you qualify this question - the "nation" we've been at peace with didn't even exist in 1814. Seems to me the scotland idea is pretty valid - it's nothing like usa and texas, more like mexico's relationship with texas if anything.

Hell it wasn't until 1794 that Spain had even given up Exclusive Pacific claim -including what we call British columbia now- at the Nootka conventions
It wasn't until 1982 that canada formally severed the legal apron strings from british parliment though.

RacerX commented 9 months ago | Report

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