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  1. #1
    I am Murloc! GreatOak's Avatar
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    What's it Like in Small Countries?

    What is it like living in a small country? I can't imagine living in a culturally and geographically (relatively) homogenous place where you can drive border to border in under 10 hours. Here it takes several days to drive from coast to coast.
    Last edited by GreatOak; 2013-02-24 at 06:37 PM.
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  2. #2
    the closest way for you to compare it, and it have meaning for you, is to imagine Illinois is a country, and exist within the borders of your state. Technically, that is how it is suppose to be, heavy states rights, with a human/civil rights oversight by the central government.

    Think of the U.S. similar to the E.U. A group of individual nations operating as a whole.

    p.s. chicago traffic sucks

  3. #3
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    I don't really think the differences are that big, and unless you travel outside your home area a lot, what difference would it make for you if the midwest was an independent country?

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    Mind if I roll need? xskarma's Avatar
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    Well I live in the Netherlands and we have enough cultural diversity if you go from region to region in the country, even if you can drive from one end to the other in a handfull of hours at the longest point. Different dialects and customs and scenery. I suppose those differences will be even bigger in larger countries, but it doesn't feel homogenous. I think the stereotypes we have for our country are similar to how bigger countries have stereotypes. In short I don't think we're all that different then a bigger country.

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    I am Murloc! GreatOak's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by zeropeorth View Post
    the closest way for you to compare it, and it have meaning for you, is to imagine Illinois is a country, and exist within the borders of your state. Technically, that is how it is suppose to be, heavy states rights, with a human/civil rights oversight by the central government.

    Think of the U.S. similar to the E.U. A group of individual nations operating as a whole.

    p.s. chicago traffic sucks
    That's too strange for me to comprehend as a state is really small (at least in my mind). I can't imagine Illinois being self sufficient.
    In the fell clutch of circumstance
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  6. #6
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    I live in Holland i guess its a pretty small country, What its like.... I don't really know any better. But its not like all cities are the same.
    I used to live in one of the smallest cities and then moved to one of the larger ones, Its really really diffrent, The buildings the atmosphere and the people.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by GreatOak View Post
    What is it like living in a small country? I can't imagine living in a culturally and geographically homogenous place where you can drive border to border in under 10 hours. Here it takes several days to drive from coast to coast.
    Just imagine it as living in one state.

  8. #8
    everything feels a lot more cramped

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    I am Murloc! GreatOak's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Crysthalica View Post
    I don't really think the differences are that big, and unless you travel outside your home area a lot, what difference would it make for you if the midwest was an independent country?
    Well, I drive up to Toronto a lot and it only takes 9 hours. That's the only frequent traveling I do. I could imagine the Midwest as a country since we sort of have our own climate, culture, and resources. Many countries are the size of my state alone and that's what interests me. I mean, 80% of the population speaks English here and some people speak Spanish, French, or Chinese. My state is different from most of the Midwest and Great Lakes but still. Illinois is the same size as England
    In the fell clutch of circumstance
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    It's really not that different from the surrounding countries. I live in Denmark, both the northern germans, the swedes and norwegians are very similar. The language is a bit different and the prices are sometimes vastly different, but the cultural aspect is very similar. The further i travel away from my region the more the culture changes. Southern european countries don't have a whole lot in common with northern european countries, and even more so with with east/west Europe.

    Though i'm not sure Denmark counts as a small country since we're actually 3x bigger than France when meassured on territory
    Last edited by mmocff76f9a79b; 2013-02-24 at 06:09 PM.

  11. #11
    Whats weird about it? You might visit other states - we visit other countries.

    ---------- Post added 2013-02-24 at 07:06 PM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by Yilar View Post
    It's really not that different from the surrounding countries. I live in Denmark, both the northern germans, the swedes and norwegians are very similar. The language is a bit different and the prices are sometimes vastly different, but the cultural aspect is very similar. The further i travel away from my region the more the culture changes. Southern european countries don't have a whole lot in common with northern european countries, and even more so with with east/west Europe.
    This man does not speak for any Dane whatsoever. The mere fact that he compares Danes and Swedes show a fatal flaw in his edumacation.

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    Brewmaster Daedelus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GreatOak View Post
    What is it like living in a small country? I can't imagine living in a culturally and geographically homogenous place where you can drive border to border in under 10 hours. Here it takes several days to drive from coast to coast.
    LOL

    You want cultural, linguistic, culinary and geographical diversity? You can fit the whole of Europe in to the USA.

    In fact there is probably more cultural and linguistic diversity in any European country than the entire US

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    Brewmaster DieFichte's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GreatOak View Post
    What is it like living in a small country? I can't imagine living in a culturally and geographically homogenous place where you can drive border to border in under 10 hours. Here it takes several days to drive from coast to coast.
    It's great, and what you mean with culturally and geographically homogenous place? A country can be very diverse within it's small borders.

  14. #14
    Here in Norway, we have some states (Or not states, more like districts...not sure how to define it in english) of our own.
    I live in Nordland, the only state which have a "space program" up in Andøy.
    It would take me less than 5 hours from where I live to go to Sweden.
    I really can't imagine it being to weird though.

    For me, it's weird to think about a whole State, such as Texas, all being the "same", as here in Norway, we have a surplus amount of different people with different dialects, and we are smaller than Texas in both population and size.

    I'm sure it's not the case that everyone in Texas is the same, but the stereotype seems to be the same regardless from where in Texas you come from...or am I wrong in that assumption?
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  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by DieFichte View Post
    It's great, and what you mean with culturally and geographically homogenous place? A country can be very diverse within it's small borders.
    Indeed, accents change in the UK just by going to the next town over. There are dozens, maybe more, of accents in England alone. I won't even try to count Wales Northern ireland and Scotland. All together there must be hundreds.

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    Scarab Lord Azgraal's Avatar
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    Portugal is a quite small country, yet it has huge differences all in every zone. At the north and middle you have the two biggest metropolis, both relatively close to the shoreline. The north of the country is has a lot of hills and valleys while the southern part is full of planes. To the interior of the country (away from the ocean and heading to Spain) the country has a lot of mountains and villages, on a more rural setting.
    Plus every part of Portugal has it's usual architecture, you can usually tell which zone of the country you are in by looking at the surrounding landscape and buildings.

    Then there's accents, one sentence is usually enough to tell where the person comes from, and it is an unspoken rule that one has to find funny and mock an accent from another region xD

    It is a culturally rich albeit small in size, my country ^^
    Last edited by Azgraal; 2013-02-24 at 06:15 PM.

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    I am Murloc! GreatOak's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Yilar View Post
    It's really not that different from the surrounding countries. I live in Denmark, both the northern germans, the swedes and norwegians are very similar. The language is a bit different and the prices are sometimes vastly different, but the cultural aspect is very similar. The further i travel away from my region the more the culture changes. Southern european countries don't have a whole lot in common with northern european countries, and even more so with with east/west Europe.

    Though i'm not sure Denmark counts as a small country since we're actually 3x bigger than France when meassured on territory
    I see. It's similar to the dynamic we have with Canadian provinces that are close to us, or how Southern California has a lot of Mexican influence.
    In the fell clutch of circumstance
    I have not winced nor cried aloud.
    Under the bludgeonings of chance
    My head is bloody, but unbowed.

  18. #18
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    The word 'homogenous' wouldn't probably describe properly what you saw on a journey from Karelia to the Finnish-Swedish western coast here in Finland.

  19. #19
    I am Murloc! GreatOak's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Daedelus View Post
    LOL

    You want cultural, linguistic, culinary and geographical diversity? You can fit the whole of Europe in to the USA.

    In fact there is probably more cultural and linguistic diversity in any European country than the entire US
    Europe is a continent. We aren't.
    In the fell clutch of circumstance
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    Under the bludgeonings of chance
    My head is bloody, but unbowed.

  20. #20
    I am Murloc! GreatOak's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Benitora View Post
    Here in Norway, we have some states (Or not states, more like districts...not sure how to define it in english) of our own.
    I live in Nordland, the only state which have a "space program" up in Andøy.
    It would take me less than 5 hours from where I live to go to Sweden.
    I really can't imagine it being to weird though.

    For me, it's weird to think about a whole State, such as Texas, all being the "same", as here in Norway, we have a surplus amount of different people with different dialects, and we are smaller than Texas in both population and size.

    I'm sure it's not the case that everyone in Texas is the same, but the stereotype seems to be the same regardless from where in Texas you come from...or am I wrong in that assumption?
    Texas is pretty diverse actually. I'm sure someone from Texas can explain it better, but some parts would seem more like New York or Mexico instea of Texas
    In the fell clutch of circumstance
    I have not winced nor cried aloud.
    Under the bludgeonings of chance
    My head is bloody, but unbowed.

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