Is it true that one thrid of americans can find america on a map?

[TomL]

Yes. See (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/roper2006/pdf/FINALReport2006GeogLitsurvey.pdf). A survey of 510 US respondents 18-26 years old in 2006 shows 94% of respondents (p26) correctly locate the US on a world map.

The sample isn't going to completely represent all Americans, but I think that it's indicative enough to dispel this idea about 1/3 of Americans not knowing where America is on a world map.

 

[asinann]

Stop feeding the damn troll.

 

[Vidi Kitty]

A very large portion of the US really is dumb. I would hope not a third but enough that dumbass 'reality' TV shows roll in cash. Also, saying Americans are stupid based on the few that really truly are is profiling.

And profiling is wrong.

 

[Lem0nade Inlay]

Yeah it's true. It's also true that all black people are either pimps, gangsters or jazz musicians.

I KNEW IT! THEY SAID I WAS CRAZY BUT I KNEW IT!


If it was true, I'd be pretty depressed for Americas future. Then again, people here (Australia) are pretty ignorant of(?) basic geography also.

 

[Palademon]

I'm in england and in year 7 it took someone in my class over half an hour to find the UK on a world map. He kept poiting at all the big ones and saying "Is that it?" while completely avoiding the obvious labels.

 

[DaJoW]

Reading that 2/3 of my countrymen are dumber than a sack of rocks motivated me to do those online map-quiz thingys until I could identify any country in the world on a blank map. Are you from Kyrgyzstan? Laos? Liechtenstein? Paraguay?

I will find you on a map. And if I can get the visas cleared and you put me up for a few nights, I might come visit you because I love a good adventure.

Liechtenstein isn't very interesting (apart from the more-corporations-than-citizens bit) and very expensive. I'd skip it, though Vaduz is quite beautiful.

 

[DeathChairOfHell]

Oh, that's the kind of ignorant stereotype that just pisses me off.
It's just stupid to think that most Americans can't find America on a map.
Hell without looking, right now I can tell you that its right next to Iceland.

Ha!

if iceland is next to america, how come ben stiller has huge ears?

 

[SimuLord]

Reading that 2/3 of my countrymen are dumber than a sack of rocks motivated me to do those online map-quiz thingys until I could identify any country in the world on a blank map. Are you from Kyrgyzstan? Laos? Liechtenstein? Paraguay?

I will find you on a map. And if I can get the visas cleared and you put me up for a few nights, I might come visit you because I love a good adventure.

Liechtenstein isn't very interesting (apart from the more-corporations-than-citizens bit) and very expensive. I'd skip it, though Vaduz is quite beautiful.

It's also interesting that a country of 30,000 fields a national soccer team. They're primarily known for only being able to give much of a match to San Marino or Andorra or the Faeroe Islands, but still. I grew up in a town about that size and finding 11 people to play soccer against the likes of Spain and England?

 

[Jewrean]

I think it's fair to say the majority of the WORLD is dumb, not just America. I mean look at us; we are smart enough to open a web browser, create a an account at the Escapist, and comment of the world being dumb in an unproductive medium for no apparent reason other than supposed education of our own stupidity.

 

[DeathChairOfHell]

one third of americans are fucking retarded, so yeah i think it makes sence

YOU'RE WINNER.

win indeed

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

The question is phrased in a way to make ignorant people angry so to sell more headlines.

You mean the same people who couldn't...Oh, I get what they did there.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Yeah it's true. It's also true that all black people are either pimps, gangsters or jazz musicians.

I started to get upset. Then I read the rest of the sentence.

On-topic: If it is true, that's fucking terrible. As large a country as the US is (not quite the magnitude of Russia, China, or even Brasil, but close enough) and people honestly can't find it?

...Brazil being the fifth largest by area, and the U.S. being the fourth? Or did Brazil gobble up Venezuela, Guyana, Uruguay, Suriname, and Colombia while I wasn't looking?

 

[blxtnsq]

I had a teacher in 5th grade who had us memorize all of the 50 states and their capitals in the US.

And I was able to name most countries in the world when I was 13...
Though that was mostly because of me playing Hearts of Iron.
Huh, what do you know? A computer game that taught me something.

And I have met Americans who are under the impression that most of Europe lives in villages without any technology after 1900...

You could name nearly all the countries in the world?
You have to be shitting me. There are roughly 200 recognised countries in the world (it goes up and down depending on whether you count independent states etc.)
I'll be impressed if you can name 50 off the top of your head.

 

[Dexiro]

Probably true with people from most countries. I wouldn't be suprised if 1/3 of people from England couldn't find their country on a map.

 

[Funkysandwich]

Probably true with people from most countries. I wouldn't be suprised if 1/3 of people from England couldn't find their country on a map.

My guess is a lot of people from the UK are aware that their country is the small island next to France. It's kinda obvious.

 

[Meestor Pickle]

Do you know how hard it is to find America on a map of Europe!

(p.s. not american)

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

Spoiler: The first thing I thought of when I read the title...

[http://verydemotivational.memebase.com/2010/10/26/demotivational-posters-south-africa/]

I've heard some kind of statistic along those lines, but for the sake of my faith in humanity I've decided to believe it's one of those made up 'facts'.

Also, is it one third of all Americans? Because I would challenge any two year old from any country to find it's country of origin on a map. One third of all Americans who have passed through the education system would be a worrying statistic. One third of all Americans is not, because it covers in it's definition people who would not have been taught that information yet.

 

[supermariner]

i'm English
so perhaps wouldn't know
but one third of the nation can't find themselves on a map?
that's ludicrous bollocks
of course they can
especially such a patriotic country, which gives a massive shit about itself
of course they can find themselves
they take up enough space
this news survey obviously included either the under 3's or dead animals