# Norway, isn't that in Sweden? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 10, 2004, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-isnt-that-in-sweden/233389 "2004-03-10T01:37:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-isnt-that-in-sweden/233389/121 "2004-03-12T02:46:44Z")
Two summers ago, I went on a work-study tour visiting Belgium, Germany and the UK. It was planned months in advance, so I had lots of time to babble excitedly to my cow-orkers, an incredible number of whom were amazed to learn that I spoke European. C’mon, guys, let’s all sing a rousing chorus of “Proud to be an American!”’ :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-isnt-that-in-sweden/233389/122 "2004-03-12T08:24:27Z")
I have put up some nations-of-the-world type trivia in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=244595) if anybody is interested. No map clickies, just factoids and trivia about various countries. This way we can settle this Americans Are Ignorant Of Geography thing once and for all. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-isnt-that-in-sweden/233389/123 "2004-03-12T09:02:07Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > They make the vacuum cleaners, right? How do you think we got rid of all that water? ---
**Author:** ![glas\_onion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9dc877/32.png) [@glas\_onion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glas_onion)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-isnt-that-in-sweden/233389/124 "2004-03-12T21:21:53Z")
A thread concerning Norway, and it has taken **three** pages before anyone has mentioned Slartibartfast. I mean the dude designed the frickin place, the least we could do is acknowledge him. Take a bow Slartibartfast. …really fighting ignorance there… ---
**Author:** ![Willander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Willander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Willander)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-isnt-that-in-sweden/233389/125 "2004-03-13T11:36:01Z")
> [@DeadlyAccurate](#): > > I’ll be glad to give you this information, but before I do, would you mind giving me the location and capitals of all 50 US states? Here goes… Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missoury Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York Norh Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming …but I do not know all the state capitals, but then again, who needs to? I do know where the most important cities are located, thats’s good enough for me! Now you name all the county’s in Norway! All 20 of them! ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-isnt-that-in-sweden/233389/126 "2004-03-13T13:34:37Z")
> [@Willander](#): > > …but I do not know all the state capitals, but then again, who needs to? Considering that they are the seats of government, anybody who has any interest in what happens in the U.S. Not everything of importance happens in New York City (not a capital), Los Angeles (also not a capital), Chicago or Dallas or Miami or Detroit or Philadelphia (also not capitals) or even in Washington DC (also not a state capital). > [@Willander](#): > > I do know where the most important cities are located, thats’s good enough for me! Really? So which is further south, New Orleans or Miami? Closer to Canada: Boston or Detroit? 😃 > [@Willander](#): > > Now you name all the county’s in Norway! All 20 of them! Are you suggesting that there is even a nominal similarity between U.S. states and Norwegian counties? ---
**Author:** ![UselessGit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/74df32/32.png) [@UselessGit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UselessGit)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-isnt-that-in-sweden/233389/127 "2004-03-13T14:05:54Z")
Are we getting a little carried away here? I’m not too fond of the fact that some people think I live in an igloo, fight polar bears on a regular basis and speak “european”, but I’ll be damned if I insist that everyone know the lenght of our coastline, our GDP or if Reykjavik is further south than Akureyri. In my view, most Americans don’t need to know a damned thing about Europe, Asia and Africa. Hell, I don’t know the first thing about African, Asian or American geography and I’m in no hurry to learn. I do think it’s a shame that Americans don’t know more about Canada (if that’s true, I just know what I’ve read here) since they are their neighbors, but it’s hardly a neccesity. It’s just a matter of showing your neighbours some respect by knowing some basic facts about them but I think knowing the _culture_ is more important than knowing trivial geography. I like pointing and laughing at the “stupid Americans” as much as the next guy but …C’mon people. ---
**Author:** ![Barks\_dog\_food](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c68b51/32.png) [@Barks\_dog\_food](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barks_dog_food)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-isnt-that-in-sweden/233389/128 "2004-03-13T18:00:36Z")
> [@Willander](#): > > Now you name all the county’s in Norway! All 20 of them! Could be difficult, there are only 19 Fylker. There used to be 20 which one does not exist anymore **Willander**? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-isnt-that-in-sweden/233389/129 "2004-03-13T20:54:12Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > I think people do tend to be more familiar with foreign countries that are like their own, so this ignorance of where Australia is astonishes me. It’s a BIG island, by itself, surrounded by ocean. How can you miss it? If you only spent one minute in your life looking at a globe, it’d be the first thing you’d notice. Nitpick: Australia is a continent, not an island. ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2004, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-isnt-that-in-sweden/233389/130 "2004-03-15T20:14:35Z")
> [@Gary T](#): > > Statistically, Americans probably fare poorly in geographical knowledge compared to people in many other countries. Most appalling is the general lack of knowledge about our long-term friendly neighbor Canada. > > Still, that doesn’t reflect on all Americans. I actually was chatting with a Canadian last night, and we mentioned states and provinces. I actually guessed 12? 13? provinces, and I believe she said 10, but 3 territories. I’m counting it. I don’t expect them to know too much about ours. If they guess 45 states, or 55, that’s close enough. If I asked her where cities were, I’d expect a rough idea of NY, LA, and Washington. The biggest ones, the capital. I can roughly tell her where Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa are. I asked her where say, Atlanta is, I don’t expect much accuracy. (and no, not because she’s blonde…) I don’t think most Americans can name all 50 (though a sizable minority could). I doubt 5% could name the capitals, and they’re likely mostly 5th graders just tested on it. Asking a Euro for state caps? No. Scandinavian caps would be like "Name the capitals of the US, Canada, Mexico, and Cuba. Had my friend said NYC was the capital of NY, I would not think her stupid. Albany is relatively small and insignificant. > [@Gary T](#): > > You never get to see how many people on the street answered the questions correctly. That doesn’t have any shock value. Eventually, the interviewers can find several fools who couldn’t find their own ass with both hands. Those are the ones who make it to the TV shows. Exactly. Has anyone here ever been one of the polled? I haven’t, nor do I know of anyone who was. And FTR, I seem to recall a Norway restaurant too. I do know of a Sparta diner. If I were near there, and someone asked me where Sparta was, I probably wouldn’t say Greece, it’d be “Left at the light, four blocks up on your right.” BTW, is it just folklore than Williams Jennings Bryan invited the Swiss Navy to the opening of the Panama Canal? (didn’t see it in Snopes) And don’t worry. I know where Amsterdam is. Between Broadway and Columbus. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2004, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-isnt-that-in-sweden/233389/131 "2004-03-15T21:04:10Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > I’ll try to put this as gently as I can. Neither Amsterdam nor the Hague is a co-capital of _Denmark_. Just so I don’t look so f’ing stupid, I didn’t fully read it and was looking at getting a Hostel in both cities in a book that was talking about Holland and got wooshed. There happy? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![msklystron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@msklystron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msklystron)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-isnt-that-in-sweden/233389/132 "2004-03-16T07:05:30Z")
> [@](#): > > Albany is relatively small and insignificant. Not to the ‘Abanians’! I used to work for a branch plant of a large American corporation. I dealt with many Americans in a number of states on a daily basis. It always made me laugh when I was told I had a British accent. Not even close, eh? Atlanta is in Georgia. I’m fairly certain there’s no East Virgina. 52 States is too darn many. I had to consult a map to find Nebraska. The capital of Denmark is Copenhagen. Finland has fjords and it’s capital is Helsinki. Swedes are blonde and the women run around in bikinis; it’s captial is Stokholm. Norway… Oslo! Iceland and Greenland were Danish colonies??? Doesn’t matter, hardly anyone goes there. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-isnt-that-in-sweden/233389/133 "2004-03-16T12:46:46Z")
> [@lurkernomore](#): > > BTW, is it just folklore than Williams Jennings Bryan invited the Swiss Navy to the opening of the Panama Canal? (didn’t see it in Snopes) I fail to see the joke here. Is it because people don’t know that Switzerland does indeed have a navy or is it because they don’t realise that being confined to the river Rhine and a couple of lakes it isn’t really ocean-going? ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-isnt-that-in-sweden/233389/134 "2004-03-16T12:54:17Z")
BTW: Here’s the [Swiss Navy homepage](http://www.swissnavy.ch/) (unfortunately only in German). I don’t know if it’s official or not, but there it is. ---
**Author:** ![msklystron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@msklystron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msklystron)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-isnt-that-in-sweden/233389/135 "2004-03-16T19:27:42Z")
Of course the Swiss have a navy. Saskatchewan does too… according to Americans. ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-isnt-that-in-sweden/233389/136 "2004-03-16T21:38:10Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > I fail to see the joke here. Is it because people don’t know that Switzerland does indeed have a navy or is it because they don’t realise that being confined to the river Rhine and a couple of lakes it isn’t really ocean-going? I think the latter, more. A few rescue boats, lake patrols, more like a coast guard, would be somewhat out of place with, say, a German or English ship of the line. > [@MsK](#): > > Of course the Swiss have a navy. Saskatchewan does too… according to Americans. I dunno most of us Americans know about that. That’s one of those Norway provinces, right? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![palapaloozaa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@palapaloozaa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/palapaloozaa)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-isnt-that-in-sweden/233389/137 "2004-03-16T22:32:24Z")
Okay just for information’s sake…Alberta (which is an INLAND province with no contact with oceans) has a larger number of Sea Cadets, which are like kids under 18 who learn to sail and boat and stuff, than British Columbia, the province above Washington State, not Washington, DC. It’s amazing how many people confuse the two. I’m expected to know general information about the United States in school, such as locations and climates. Jeeze, it’s not THAT bad. ---
**Author:** ![msklystron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@msklystron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msklystron)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-isnt-that-in-sweden/233389/138 "2004-03-17T05:29:26Z")
> [@lurkernomore](#): > > I dunno most of us Americans know about that. That’s one of those Norway provinces, right? 😉 Comic Rick Mercer questioned ordinary Americans about Canada. In one question he referred to our Former Prime Minister as Jean Poutine. (The man had been in office at the time for two terms I think.) No one caught it, at least not on tape. ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-isnt-that-in-sweden/233389/139 "2004-03-17T06:15:20Z")
**lurkernomore** > [@](#): > > And don’t worry. I know where Amsterdam is. > Between Broadway and Columbus. Is that near the Holland tunnel? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-isnt-that-in-sweden/233389/140 "2004-03-17T08:58:12Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > Nitpick: Australia is a continent, not an island. Nope, it’s the largest island in Australasia. We don’t want those Kiwis feeling left out, now, do we? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-isnt-that-in-sweden/233389.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-isnt-that-in-sweden/233389.md?page=8)