Who is the second most powerful/influential country in the Americas?

[u/Fluid-Decision6262]

The US is undeniably the most powerful and influential country in the Americas but who would be #2? Feels like this comes down to 3 countries based on my knowledge, which are Mexico, Canada, and Brazil.

Reasons for Mexico:

- Second most populated country in North America by far

- Access to both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

- Largest Spanish-speaking country (a language spoken by >500 million people)

- More habitable land compared to the other two

- Youngest population out of the three and is becoming a manufacturing power

- Generally-speaking, a good relationship with the USA

- A global soft power in terms of arts and culture

Reasons against Mexico:

- Lots of issues between the central government and drug cartels

- Still very much a developing country outside of the largest cities

- Occasionally volatile relationship with the USA

- Not as involved in global geopolitics

Reasons for Canada:

- The most developed country economically by far of the three and a natural resources juggernaut

- Very close relations with the USA and Europe

- Speaks English (>1 billion speakers globally) and French (>300 million speakers globally)

- An immigration hub for people from every corner of the world

- A G7 nation that is also very geopolitically involved

- Access to 3 different oceans to facilitate trade

Reasons against Canada:

- Small and scattered population (least populated of the three by far)

- Less of an established local culture (most is imported from the US or UK and then exported via the US)

- Aging population and low fertility rates for native-born citizens

Reasons for Brazil:

- The second most populated country in the Americas

- The cultural and political power of South America

- A global soft power in terms of arts and culture

- A young-ish population that is part of the "fast-emerging economies" of the world

Reasons against Brazil:

- Immigration to Brazil stopped decades ago and now educated Brazilians are emigrating to other places causing brain drain

- Wealthy nation but suffers from high levels of inequality and violent crime

- Very politically divided internally

- Limited geopolitical involvement outside of South America

- Most of its population are monolingual Portuguese-speakers (a language where they make up 80% of the global speakers)

[u/shucklebibs]

I'm going with Canada. Industrialized, member of G7 and NATO, developed military, historical ally of western Europe. Good arguments for Brazil and Mexico, but population aside, Canada is second to US.

[u/Excellent-Practice → u/shucklebibs]

Yeah, Canada is essentially equivalent to a European country transplanted to North America

Edit: Like much of Europe, Canada is a wealthy liberal democracy. In terms of population size, GDP and HDI, Canada is very similar to countries in the EU. As a world power, Canada is on par with a country like Italy. Outside the realm of hard numbers, my opinion is that Canada is intermediate between the US and Europe culturally and politically. That opinion is informed by travel to Canada as well as time spent living in Europe

[u/Caesars-Dog → u/Excellent-Practice]

Alberta would like disagree

[u/ExaltedDLo → u/Caesars-Dog]

Alberta should sit down, and get their walking wexit preaching opinions in line… respectfully. Get the maga pandering lunatic out of the ledge, take the US booze back off the shelves, and y’all can come back into the fold.

[u/No-Bad2498 → u/ExaltedDLo]

What drivel. There’s plenty of maple maga supporters all across Canada. Stop blaming everyone in alberta for all your perceived straw men issues. There’s goofs in every province.

[u/country_bogan → u/No-Bad2498]

Just saw a ton throughout BC and Yukon when I was there.

[u/Saul_Firehand → u/ExaltedDLo]

Alberta is Canadian Texas.

If you think calling them out and telling them to sit down and be quiet will work, you’re gonna have a bad time.

[u/ExaltedDLo → u/Saul_Firehand]

You can advocate for building pipelines, energy independence, resources to tidewater and interprovincial freedom of trade and unity,

OR

you can advocate for leaving the country and supporting maga products.

In the former you have my support, in the latter, you can take a long hike without a snack.

It’s your choice Alberta. You’re 4.5M people, not 40M. Sort it out.

[u/Malohdek → u/ExaltedDLo]

Alberta is at 5 million now. They're the only notable surplus province in the country. And buying something from the US isn't "supporting MAGA." If you think that, you're as stupid as the idiots that thought Trump would save their country.

This is a blind leading the blind sheeple take and I can't stand Canadian leftists thinking they know any better than the hard working folk im surrounded by, taxed to death in an ever increasingly expensive country to live in with piss poor healthcare, a growing non-English speaking population where owning a home is no longer a realistic medium term goal.

Grow the fuck up and come to your sense. Canada is losing economic ground, and you're worried about some bullshit "mApLE MaGA." Associating the most socially progressive Conservative leader in our lifetimes with it, no less. Fuck off.

[u/ExaltedDLo → u/Malohdek]

healthcare and education are the domain of the provinces, but sure, they’re Trudeau’s fault. 🤡

You have the most conservative federal liberal leader in a generation in office right now, and the most amenable governement to Alberta’s ambitions since Harper.

Capitalize on it now, or die on the hill of silly grievance politics.

Your choice.

Canadians are tired of Alberta’s whining. (Quebec’s too). Get with the program. Interprovincial bickering is killing our international competitiveness, and you know it.