Pounce Online

Issue date: 12/7/07 Section: Arts and Entertainment

National Geographic's surveys deem America as the second worst nation for knowing their geography. When Eastern had its opportunity for rebuttal, we failed miserably, proving the surveys true.

Americans often hear stories from neighbors and friends who travel abroad about foreigners claiming America's public ignorance toward learning their own history and geography as well as international geography.

These stereotypes were confirmed when The National Geographic conducted the 2002 Roper Global Geographic Literacy Survey which polled 3,250 men and women from 18- to 24-year-olds in Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Sweden and the United States.

Out of the nine countries polled, America finished second to last barely beating Mexico. National Geographic asked these countries 56 simple geography questions including: locating the Pacific Ocean, India, and other countries and regions.
On average Americans answered 23 out of the 56 questions correctly, miserably failing the survey. One in four Americans couldn't locate the Pacific Ocean, the world's largest body of water.

56 percent of our nation couldn't point India out on a map.
When hearing these horrific and pathetic U.S. scores, it was time to put Eastern to the test in hope of saving America's reputation or at least prove the U.S. is not completely geographically uneducated.
After polling ten random people on EIU's campus, results prove the truth behind the National Geographic's claim that America is unaware of their local, national, and global geography.

Some simple geography questions to EIU students including: "What is the capital of Wisconsin," "How many oceans are there," "What is the largest island in the world," or "Where is the English Channel."

The results of the survey show on average that EIU's answers closely compare to The National Geographic's results of Americans.

One out of every four people answered the capital of Wisconsin correctly (25 percent). Four out of the ten people surveyed answered how many oceans there are correctly. While none of the ten people surveyed knew that Greenland was the biggest island in the world or that the English Channel really isn't in England.

Why does Eastern along with the United States have such poor education of geography? Is it the lack of education or because Americans focus is not on foreign affairs, but rather on what is happening around them at the time.

Instead of taking the time to study a map, we focus our attention rather on news about celebrities and worship role models like the 2007 Miss Carolina.

By the way, Miss Carolina's Teen USA pageant question and answer, is a hilariously depressing display of America's ridiculous lack of regard toward geography whether local or global. ( http://youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww&mode=related&search= )
Apparently the U.S. can't get much worse at geography, and EIU definitely needs more educating. Why not take these statistics to heart and prove them wrong.

Quiz your family or friends, point at a map, spin a globe, or hop on the Internet. No matter the way, let's change these stereotypes by taking the time to educate or reeducate ourselves.

Print out the survey EIU students took and quiz your friends. See which one of your friends was awake during tenth grade geography class and which one out of four doesn't really know where the Pacific Ocean is.

Click here for
the PDF

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