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11 Special Canada-US & UK-US Relations Maps
Ian Wright
March 05, 2025
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Today, I’m going to do something a little different from the newsletter that I’m sure is going to annoy at least some of you.
Normally, I try to to avoid overly editorialising the titles of the maps I publish and let the data and/or the story do the talking.
I don’t always succeed, but most of the time that’s my goal.
Politically speaking, I’m a textbook Centrist Dad. So over the years I’ve had plenty of complaints from both people on the right and the left.
However, given the Trump Tariffs and Vance’s recent comments insulting British troops, I’m focusing today on aspects of the relationship between the US with both my birth and adopted countries today.
So here are 11 maps that explore those relationships, from a very biased view of someone who has generally admired the US in the past, but feels they are going down a very dark path.
First, the US is the only country in history to invoke NATO’s article 5 as direct result of the 9/11 attacks that ultimately led to the invasion of Afghanistan.
Here are the countries who send soldiers to fight alongside the US in their ultimately ill-fated war in Afghanistan.
Map Of Coalition Countries That Lost At Least 1 Solider Helping US Forces In Afghanistan Between 2001 & 2021
The UK and Canada had the 2nd and 3rd highest total number of coalition deaths in the war after the US. Although, it’s important to note that Afghan deaths (both miliary and civilian) were orders of magnitude higher.
Following on from the US invasion of Afghanistan, came the war in Iraq. Canada did not participate in this one, although the UK did. Again the UK had the second highest death toll after the US, and again these were both a fraction of Iraqi deaths.
However, it is worth nothing that Ukraine did send troops to Iraq and 18 of them ultimately lost their lives.
Map Of Countries That Lost Soldiers Helping US Forces In Iraq Between 2003 & 2011
And speaking of 9/11, Canada began Operation Yellow Ribbon which very quickly diverted civilian aircraft from U.S. airspace—where they could potentially be used as weapons—and safely land them in Canada.
Including the town of Gander, Newfoundland (population 10,000), which had to deal with an influx of 6,600 stranded travellers. (You can read more about it from The Day the World Came to Town and Come from Away)
Timeline Map Of 9/11 Shutdown of North American Airspace
Now relations between the US and Canada have not always been amazing as these two plans show:
War Plan Red: A 1930s Plan For a US Invasion of Canada & War With The British Empire
And Canada’s even more bonkers plan:
Map of Canada’s “Defense Scheme No. 1” From The 1920s & 30s
However, neither of these plans were ever seriously considered and both (eventually) fought together with the UK (and the other allied countries of WW2) to rid the world of fascism.
And today Canadians remain the only people that can visit the US without a Visa or an ESTA.
Who Can Enter The USA Without a Visa?
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Canada and the US also share the world’s longest international border, here’s how it compares to Europe (and this is only 70% of it!).
13 US States border Canada, while 8 Canadian provinces and territories border the US. And you’ll never guess state/province which has the longest border (hint: It’s not Alaska), Click here for the answer.
In terms of trade, the US exports $349 billion worth of goods to Canada and imports $412 billion. And exports $80 billion of good to the UK and imports $68 billion.
Compare this to their new Russian best friend where they only exported $6 billion worth of goods in 2021 (pre-sanctions).
US Balance of Trade In Goods By Country
And on a state by state basis, Canada is the number 1 import partner for 20 states and the number 1 export partner for 32!
Some of this includes Maple Syrup. Canada produces 4x as shown on this map:
And finally as much as Trump talks about making Canada the 51st state, Canadians really hate the idea.
I’ll be back Friday with another classic maps issue, since I’ll be taking the day off for my son’s birthday.
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