why is Canada colder than France even though they are both at the same latitude?

[maddie]

why is Canada colder than France even though they are both at the same latitude?

[ngo_spyke]

The Gulf stream brings currents up towards Europe, heating it up.

[SHaile]

First, look at the ocean current we call the "gulf stream". This oceanic current is part of the earth's way of redistributing energy from the equator to the pole. The gulf stream carries an enormous amount of heat from the equatorial Atlantic and Carribean up the East coast of the United States and Canada and then it bends East over to Europe.So why doesn't the Gulf Stream heat up the Eastern United States and Canada?The prevailing winds in the middle-latitudes in the northern hemisphere are from the west. In fact, they're called the "prevailing westerlies". These winds mean that the Eastern US and Canada's weather is dominated by the conditions upstream, which is the cold, dry air that comes from the middle of the continent.Europe's weather is also dominated by the westerly flow in mid-latitudes and so it takes advantage of the the heat that's been transported to it's doorstep in the form of the gulf stream. So the weather in France in January will be milder than the weather in Quebec or Newfoundland or New York.

[Maria C]

Canada is a large mass of land and has no other country stopping the northern winds getting to it. Also no small sea with warm air go towards it.France has other countries above it and the mediterrean sea beneath it which warms it up. Having the same latitude does not mean they are the same you have to look at other factors, such as surroundings and weather patterns.