In some European and Latin American countries, the conventions for commas and dots in numbers are reversed compared to English-speaking countries. Specifically:

1. Continental Europe (including Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and others): These countries typically use a comma as the decimal separator and a period (dot) or space for the thousands separator. For example, one thousand is written as "1.000" or "1 000," and three and a half is written as "3,5."

2. Latin America: Many Latin American countries (such as Argentina, Brazil, and Chile) follow the same format as continental Europe, using commas for decimals and periods for thousands. For example, "1.000,50" represents one thousand and fifty cents.

3. Certain African and Asian Countries: Some countries influenced by French, Spanish, or Portuguese culture, including parts of Africa (like Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire) and Asia (such as Indonesia), also use commas for decimal separation and dots or spaces for thousands.

These conventions stem from regional preferences and historical influences, primarily based on European practices that spread to parts of Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Which System Do They Use in Quebec?

In Quebec, they primarily follow the continental European system for numeric formatting, given the region's French influence. This means:

• A comma is used as the decimal separator (e.g., "3,5" to represent three and a half).
• A space is typically used as the thousands separator in formal contexts (e.g., "1 000" for one thousand), although a dot can sometimes be used informally (e.g., "1.000").

This aligns Quebec with other Francophone regions and much of continental Europe in terms of numeric notation.