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Survey Reveals Geographic Illiteracy in the USA!
I got this from National Geographic !
In a nation called the world's superpower, only 17 percent of young adults in the United States could find Afghanistan on a map, according to a new worldwide survey released today.
The young U.S. citizens received poor marks generally in geography. But then, as results showed, their counterparts in other countries were hardly star students.
The National Geographic�Roper 2002 Global Geographic Literacy Survey polled more than 3,000 18- to 24-year-olds in Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Sweden and the United States.
John Fahey, President and CEO of the National Geographic Society, presented results of the The National Geographic�2002 Global Geographic Literacy Survey, which polled more than 3,000 18- to-24-year-olds in Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Sweden and the United States.
Sweden scored highest; Mexico, lowest. The U.S. was next to last.
"The survey demonstrates the geographic illiteracy of the United States," said Robert Pastor, professor of International Relations at American University, in Washington, D.C. "The results are particularly appalling in light of September 11, which traumatized America and revealed that our destiny is connected to the rest of the world."
About 11 percent of young citizens of the U.S. couldn't even locate the U.S. on a map. The Pacific Ocean's location was a mystery to 29 percent; Japan, to 58 percent; France, to 65 percent; and the United Kingdom, to 69 percent.
Are Young U.S. Citizens Americentric?
Despite the threat of war in Iraq and the daily reports of suicide bombers in Israel, less than 15 percent of the young U.S. citizens could locate either country.
More young U.S. citizens in the study knew that the island featured in last season's TV show "Survivor" is in the South Pacific than could find Israel.
Particularly humiliating was that all countries were better able to identify the U.S. population than many young U.S. citizens. Within the U.S., almost one-third said that population was between one billion and two billion; the answer is 289 million.
"It gives the sense that there is this Americentric thing going on�that we are big and powerful and have all these people in our country," said John Fahey, President and CEO of the National Geographic Society.
On the other hand, Pastor suggests that the results could mean that most young Americans just have no idea of the total world population (about six billion).
Poor Geographic Literacy Worldwide
Young adults worldwide are not markedly more literate about geography than the Americans.
On average, fewer than 25 percent of young people worldwide could locate Israel on the map. Only about 20 percent could identify hotspots like Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq.
Of all the young adults in the survey, only about one-third in Germany, Sweden and Japan, could name four countries that officially acknowledge having nuclear weapons. In the rest of the countries that number dropped to less than a quarter. In France 24 percent did not know that that their own country was a nuclear nation.
The survey results are not all bleak, says Roger Downs, head of the geography department at Pennsylvania State University, in State College, and a National Geographic geographer-in-residence in 1995-1996.
Geography Not Valued in Schools
Since the last Geographic-sponsored survey in 1988, said Downs, the percentage of young U.S. citizens who reported taking a geography course in school rose from 30 to 55 percent. And students who had studied geography did better on the current survey.
U.S. schools generally have slighted geography. "If geography is not in the curriculum," Downs said, "it's not tested�and that says to the students that it is not valued."
The schools are not solely to blame, either. "Wouldn't it be nice if parents also read atlases to their children?" Downs says.
Questions covering current events or practical activities yielded more promising results.
Most young U.S. citizens knew that Africa was most affected by the AIDS epidemic, and about half knew that El Ni�o caused erratic weather.
"When geography and life intersect, people pay attention," said Nick Boyon, senior vice president for international research at RoperASW, in Manhattan.
Boosting Geography
Geographic knowledge increases through travel and language proficiency, among other factors.
In the highest-scoring countries�Sweden, Germany and Italy�at least 70 percent of the young adults had traveled internationally in the last three years, and the majority spoke more than one language (in Sweden, 92 and 89 percent, respectively).
In the U.S. and Mexico only about 20 percent had traveled abroad during the same period and the majority spoke only one language.
To fight geographic ignorance, and apathy, among young people in the U.S. and around the world, the National Geographic Society will convene an international coalition of leaders in American business, education and media.
Next year the panel will recommend initiatives to policymakers in those areas�and to parents and children.
www.nationalgeographic.com
this is scary, im lucky I was raised good :-)
what is it with all the us people are idiots threads..i am gettin sick of this...
yeah its so true and not suprising im american/german but live in the states...but our education here is so shitty ...because i think we have it too damn good and we take education for granted ..we think we have nothing comming to us just great things ..and its pathetic one of the most successful countries int he world ...majority of the kids cant fuckin read a fuckin map..... SO SHITTY!!.... the children of american need to fuckin wake up and give a shit about whats going on in this world ..because from what i see im almost 22 but my generation doesnt give a rats ass about anything especially voting and thats so stupid..... hardly anyone my age votes in this country .... and its time that my generation and younger needs to get there heads out of our asses and start doing something productive for america ...something productive for our people..and i dont see that happening ... i can see is 50 years down the road when all of us who didnt vote never voted and our government will go to shits and be totally corrupt and the american people will have only one solution that is to start a revolution in this country again... because right now how only 30% of americans are registered to vote and only about 30% of them actually do vote ..thats not good #s at all ..how can a government be totally for the people. AMERICANS WE NEED TO START FUCKIN WAKING UP REAL QUICK BEFORE ITS TOO LATE!!!!
Re: Survey Reveals Geographic Illiteracy in the USA!
| quote: |
| Originally posted by LiquidX Sweden scored highest |
| quote: |
| Originally posted by tranceaholic what is it with all the us people are idiots threads..i am gettin sick of this... |
| quote: |
| Originally posted by tranceaholic what is it with all the us people are idiots threads..i am gettin sick of this... |
| quote: |
| Originally posted by Ckerr812 America is the most powerful and rich country there has ever been in the history of the world. |
| quote: |
| Well, there is one country in the Middle East that's richer than we are. I read about it somewhere. Forget the name, though... |
well there are alot of dumb people around..but how come i dont see no survey on smart people..i mean a country doesnt become rich and powerful if its ran by idiots...some of the biggest companies are american..dont think those are run by idiots...everyone uses a computer with an INTEL processor american..probably MICROSOFT WINDOWS AMERICAN..most people drink pepsi and coke and eat at mcdonalds...so u see there are alot od smart people around here..i am not originally american i am egyptian but living in america..i traveled europe egypt and australia so i went through most of the contenants..it is overwhelming how american products and industry is everywhere...so some credit is due i think and when mentioning bad i hope we mention the good too...i am computer science senior in univ of calif..and i seen some top notch coders and some idiots..so please again give credit when its due.
| quote: |
| Originally posted by Kimmi Well, there is one country in the Middle East that's richer than we are. I read about it somewhere. Forget the name, though... |
Our society here lives by the phrase "ignorance is bliss". Almost completely saturated with nieve, gullible, shallow self-centered citizens. People here have no desire to learn about the rest of the world, to them, the U.S. is the world. Although in reality, they're missing more than they'll ever know. Just realize, around here, foreign is scary. People don't like change, new cultures, new ways of life. It interrupts the comfort zone they live by everyday.
I can't look down upon those that have never had the oppurtunity to learn/visit/explore foreign lands, but I will look down upon those, that never had the desire to.
Its just plain shallow, with a lack of desire, not exactly a sign of bad education. Anyone can pick up a map if they really want to.
If you don't want to learn/visit foreign lands, so be it, but atleast fucking be able to point out on a map the country that has threatened your "zombie lifestyle", not to mention the country YOUR nation is/was at war with.
I'm pretty much the EXACT opposite of most "average Americans" on this subject. I want to learn AS MUCH AS I CAN about countries, their customs, and cultures outside of my own. There are two kinds of world maps: Geographic and Political. Geographic maps just show LAND. No nation boundaries. It's harder for me to locate MANY nations on this kind of map but, I know the general area of a lot of nations. On a political map, there's no land. Just nation boundaries. If u gave me a political map WITHOUT any country labels on it, I probably could locate at LEAST 25 - 50 countries AND indicate their ISO 2-letter code (such as US for United States of America, CA for Canada, DE for Germany, etc.). And just to think, I only know ONE language: English (both UK and US) and I NEVER travelled outside of US and only been to ~5 states outside of my home state. I'm dying to travel internationally as well as learning at least 2 languages (and getting to know English (vocabulary-wise) A LOT better than I do now). I'll write more later.
according to usa people they still think theyre that big blue thing on the map 
| quote: |
| Originally posted by Coup according to usa people they still think theyre that big blue thing on the map |
we didnt need a survey to tell us this 
its already common knowledge in europe 
i have been talking to an american fellow once, i said i had just come back from my holidays in france... he asked if that was near paris 
dont worry... i know ur not all that stupid
I was going to take the piss but then I realised I wouldn't be able to point it out either.
Actually I think I'd find it coz I know the shape of the landmass but in all honesty I couldn't imediatly put my finger on it from memory.
That's shocking.
| quote: |
| Originally posted by tu_face dont worry... i know ur not all that stupid |
| quote: |
| Originally posted by Taub the vatican..is the richest country in the world, but then again its not big....or then i would have to say singapore |
uhm, Switzerland is the richest country in the world
period
Ckerr812: you have to look at income vs. prices of products. Then you know what people can buy with the same amount of money and then you know what the richest country is. America is very expensive, way more expensive then Switzerland, and the people who live there make a lot of money.
I know this because this was in the paper a few weeks ago, The Netherlands used to be in 3rd place, but they dropped to the 7th place. I don't know how much the US was, but they where high up there, together with Canada
| quote: |
| Originally posted by tranceaholic well there are alot of dumb people around..but how come i dont see no survey on smart people..i mean a country doesnt become rich and powerful if its ran by idiots...some of the biggest companies are american..dont think those are run by idiots...everyone uses a computer with an INTEL processor american..probably MICROSOFT WINDOWS AMERICAN..most people drink pepsi and coke and eat at mcdonalds...so u see there are alot od smart people around here..i am not originally american i am egyptian but living in america..i traveled europe egypt and australia so i went through most of the contenants..it is overwhelming how american products and industry is everywhere...so some credit is due i think and when mentioning bad i hope we mention the good too...i am computer science senior in univ of calif..and i seen some top notch coders and some idiots..so please again give credit when its due. |
| quote: |
| Originally posted by SportTrance Our society here lives by the phrase "ignorance is bliss". Almost completely saturated with nieve, gullible, shallow self-centered citizens. People here have no desire to learn about the rest of the world, to them, the U.S. is the world. Although in reality, they're missing more than they'll ever know. Just realize, around here, foreign is scary. People don't like change, new cultures, new ways of life. It interrupts the comfort zone they live by everyday. I can't look down upon those that have never had the oppurtunity to learn/visit/explore foreign lands, but I will look down upon those, that never had the desire to. Its just plain shallow, with a lack of desire, not exactly a sign of bad education. Anyone can pick up a map if they really want to. If you don't want to learn/visit foreign lands, so be it, but atleast fucking be able to point out on a map the country that has threatened your "zombie lifestyle", not to mention the country YOUR nation is/was at war with. |
im a teen from the states and ill be honest...i didn;t even know there was a place named Afganistan...and to all of you sayign shit about my country shoudl shut the fuck up...im have some problems with other nations but i keep it to my self...so you keep what you have to say to your self
| quote: |
| im a teen from the states and ill be honest...i didn;t even know there was a place named Afganistan...and to all of you sayign shit about my country shoudl shut the fuck up...im have some problems with other nations but i keep it to my self...so you keep what you have to say to your self |
| quote: |
| Originally posted by Blik uhm, Switzerland is the richest country in the world period Ckerr812: you have to look at income vs. prices of products. Then you know what people can buy with the same amount of money and then you know what the richest country is. America is very expensive, way more expensive then Switzerland, and the people who live there make a lot of money. I know this because this was in the paper a few weeks ago, The Netherlands used to be in 3rd place, but they dropped to the 7th place. I don't know how much the US was, but they where high up there, together with Canada |
| quote: |
| Originally posted by LiquidX not knowing nor carng about the rest of the world, means - IGNORANCE, and ignorance is one of the worst things a person could have. I live in America, but been living here for 5 years. This country is the country of opportunities, part of my family is american, but thank god they stand out :-). If you didnt know, AMERICA depends on the rest of the world, and if americans themself careless about the outside cultures, then its a scary thing to know whats coming for the future , although there will be the LOGICAL person that will at least know and be educated enough. but still, the people are the ones that vote, and to vote they need knowledge of who, why, what, when questions about that person. So I think its just wrong for them to be ass ignorant, just cause they dont need to .. mmmmm |
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