Americans and the World Map

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Replies

  • IbiH
    IbiH Posts: 250 Member
    I wonder how many non US citizens could locate Iowa on a blank US map...or Delaware.

    Welsh..... and used to live in Iowa!!! Also visited 33 states of the USA....... a fi'n siarad Cymraeg!!!
  • JamieBeth19
    JamieBeth19 Posts: 47 Member
    I'm an American and I learned the this in 8th grade as a part of my schools curriculum. I just simply have forgotten a lot of information and would likely have similar a similar response. If you would have asked me in 8th grade or a couple years after that I would have done it perfectly. This is something we should probably re cap in high school.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    Honestly, the US is a lot more monocultural than you guys realize. Of course it has regional differences, all countries have them. However, by comparison:

    - The Basque Country in Spain and France is the only region in the worls where a pre-Indo-European language is widely spoken. On a similar note, Wales in the UK is the only region where a Celtic language is widely spoken.
    - Northwestern Germany has a Protestant majority and a (small) Catholic minority. Southeastern Germany has a Catholic majority and a (small) Protestant minority.
    - Russia has (large) regions where the majority of the population is of Turkic descent.

    I can't think of any regional differences in the US that are as deep as that.
    You do know those aren't actually countries?
    You do know that doesn't matter?
    Brb, New York declaring war to Quebec.
    Wait, that's not how it works, is it?
    There's a word for details, considerations, or pieces of information of little importance or value: trivia.

    Wookiees live on Kashyyyk and Ewoks live on Endor. That is probably more useful within the lives of many people than the specific geography of a continent they don't live on.

    And sorry that you don't know enough about the US that you've never heard of Amish, Mennonites, Mormons, reservations, places called "chinatown," similar unnamed regions of other ethnic groups like Polish in Chicagoland, and the list could go on.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    I thought it might have been a joke due to the funny suggestions when no better reply was on offer. What surprised me the most was that not a single map was correct (statistically at least one might have hit most nails on the head?) and what also took me by surprise was that everyone seemed to be all over the place. For instance when you're into a particular sport, you might learn through it different competitors from other countries, or if you're into music you might know concert places. Or those interested in history and politics are bound to pick up at least a bit more from watching news and reading newspapers or online. Even if school wasn't super fun, geography might have been picked up via (couch) travels. And so on.

    What I mean is lots of stuff is often picked up almost unconsciously when you're showing interest in various hobbies etc., which is why I thought whether it was just a bad joke to put Americans in bad light. I'm not familiar with the website but found the link on facebook. Anyway, it sparked a discussion :) I took a test to place US states in right locations and scored about 85% only so there 's room for improvement! Back in the day there was a similar online game for Africa and I was quite a sorry case when starting out; need to do it again to refresh my memory.
    They intentionally left off maps that were filled out correctly.
  • Ed98043
    Ed98043 Posts: 1,333 Member
    If you want to test yourselves:
    http://lizardpoint.com/geography/europe-quiz.php

    71% on the Europe quiz (darn those Eastern countries!) and 88% on the American states quiz. Those middle states are tough.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
    I thought it might have been a joke due to the funny suggestions when no better reply was on offer. What surprised me the most was that not a single map was correct (statistically at least one might have hit most nails on the head?) and what also took me by surprise was that everyone seemed to be all over the place. For instance when you're into a particular sport, you might learn through it different competitors from other countries, or if you're into music you might know concert places. Or those interested in history and politics are bound to pick up at least a bit more from watching news and reading newspapers or online. Even if school wasn't super fun, geography might have been picked up via (couch) travels. And so on.

    What I mean is lots of stuff is often picked up almost unconsciously when you're showing interest in various hobbies etc., which is why I thought whether it was just a bad joke to put Americans in bad light. I'm not familiar with the website but found the link on facebook. Anyway, it sparked a discussion :) I took a test to place US states in right locations and scored about 85% only so there 's room for improvement! Back in the day there was a similar online game for Africa and I was quite a sorry case when starting out; need to do it again to refresh my memory.
    They intentionally left off maps that were filled out correctly.

    Cherry picking data based on personal bias? That never happens . . .
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,422 Member

    Wookiees live on Kashyyyk and Ewoks live on Endor. That is probably more useful within the lives of many people than the specific geography of a continent they don't live on.

    :laugh:

    Although funny, I'm struggling to think of a way it is useful.

    :laugh:
  • AglaeaC
    AglaeaC Posts: 1,974 Member
    I'm interested in places. The docu series on ex-Amish was really thought-provoking on more than one level and so was the documentary on Native Americans doing construction work on Manhattan, Skydancer?, but go home upstate for the weekend, somewhere on the border. I'm about to watch Billy Connelly drive through the country and the blogosphere seems full of mormons, at least in quilting and other crafts. I was called a swine by one because I'm pro gay rights but that's another story; charming woman. A friend of mine is mennonite. As in any country there are bound to be regional differences, unless we're talking the vatican.

    Eta
    In continuum on LiftAllThe's comment above, forgot to quote.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member

    Wookiees live on Kashyyyk and Ewoks live on Endor. That is probably more useful within the lives of many people than the specific geography of a continent they don't live on.

    :laugh:

    Although funny, I'm struggling to think of a way it is useful.

    :laugh:
    It's useful in understanding the Chewbacca Defense.:bigsmile:
  • ZB17
    ZB17 Posts: 92 Member
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww

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