Canada

There are many differences between my hometown Damascus in Syria, and my hometown Peterborough in Canada.

Damascus is 105 square kilometers in size, while Peterborough is 64.25 square kilometers in size. Peterborough’s population is about 81,000, whereas Damascus’ population is about 1,700,000. Peterborough’s summers are hot and humid. Similar to Peterborough, the summer in Damascus is also hot and dry, but there is less humidity. Winter in Peterborough is cold and snowy whereas it is cool and somewhat rainy in Damascus. Education in Damascus is free at all public schools and through university, while the education in Peterborough is free from kindergarten through to grade 12. Peterborough has a lot of lakes, a large river called the Otonabee River, and the Trent Canal which is part of the Trent-Severn Waterway which provides a link from Lake Ontario to Lake Huron, while Damascus only has one river called the Barada River. Shopping in Damascus appeals to many different tastes, especially in the old Damascus city shopping market. Damascus has a lot of shops, big stores, and malls, while Peterborough has only one mall, big groceries stores, and some shops downtown. Damascus has very busy traffic, whereas Peterborough has less traffic, and that makes Peterborough cleaner than Damascus. Despite their many differences, I like both my hometowns.