# Where in the world are we? Americans don't know. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 22, 2002, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-world-are-we-americans-dont-know/138215 "2002-11-22T19:48:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-world-are-we-americans-dont-know/138215/21 "2002-11-22T21:51:28Z")
Crap. I’m glad you copped to having to deduce where Sweden was, Bryan-- That was the one question I missed. How embarrassing. I’m curious as to exactly _how_ those questions were “slightly modified” from the original survey. Was the original survey presented as multiple-choice quiz? If so, where there the same number of choices, or was it narrowed down to underline how pitiful the results were? I’d also be interested in seeing more detailed results of that survey. For instance, _how_ did people miss these questions? I’m willing to bet that the majority of Americans (and Canadians, for that matter,) that misidentified the “home vase” of the Taliban and al Qaeda chose Iraq. I’d be curious to see where the kids who couldn’t locate their home countries mostly _thought_ they lived. Should the ages of those surveyed mitigate or aggravate our alarm? (Sure, they don’t have the benefit of a lot of practical experience of the world, but on the other hand, shouldn’t they have had less time to forget the answers to these basic questions? All this stuff is part of the curriculum for high-school students, right?) Argh. I find this more depressing than the state of international politics. If anyone needs me, I’ll be under my bed. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-world-are-we-americans-dont-know/138215/22 "2002-11-22T21:56:27Z")
> [@](#): > > Was the original survey presented as **(a)** multiple-choice quiz? If so, w **h** ere there the same number of choices, or was it narrowed down to underline how pitiful the results were? Ah, now it makes sense. The National Geographic Cabal inserted a subliminal signal of “Stupid Rays” that do their mojo on you while you take the survey. I hope it wears off. ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-world-are-we-americans-dont-know/138215/23 "2002-11-22T22:02:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > \*\*I heard this on NPR driving home yesterday. I believe they also said that every state west of the Mississippi was designated at least once as being New York. \*\* This is true, though. Everything west of NYC is “upstate NY” up to, and including, Hawaii. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-world-are-we-americans-dont-know/138215/24 "2002-11-22T22:21:45Z")
Nuther 20 for 20. Many of the questions I couldn’t help but think “How can people not know that?” Ah well. It’s the world we live in. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-world-are-we-americans-dont-know/138215/25 "2002-11-22T22:34:43Z")
I guessed Islam, too. That’s the only one I missed. Not really geography, though, is it? I’m betting a lot of people picked canada for the U.S. Although it still boggles my mind. could it perhaps be that america students are smart-asses? Could they have picked answers for humor value? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-world-are-we-americans-dont-know/138215/26 "2002-11-22T22:41:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Waverly \* > \*\*This is true, though. Everything west of NYC is “upstate NY” up to, and including, Hawaii. \*\* But Hawaii is the southernmost state! ---
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-world-are-we-americans-dont-know/138215/27 "2002-11-22T23:01:15Z")
There’s lots of stupid people coming to and being raised in the US, plain and simple. I got them all correct, so that is the only reason I can give. Now, what I want to know is what the sample population was. It would also be nice if they did a survey like this just for in the US, and compare the results between public and private schools throughout the US. (Or have they done something like this already?) I can guarentee that any of the students I went to high school with (at a private school) would fare far better than the scores indicated here. ---
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-world-are-we-americans-dont-know/138215/28 "2002-11-22T23:03:19Z")
Upon reflection, they’re not all necessarily stupid, but I’m sure some are. Stupid isn’t a good word in place of uneducated. ---
**Author:** ![shelbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-world-are-we-americans-dont-know/138215/29 "2002-11-22T23:11:21Z")
How do only 58% of Americans know that the Taliban and al Qaeda are/were based in Afghanistan? Where have the other 42% been during the last year? ---
**Author:** ![shelbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-world-are-we-americans-dont-know/138215/30 "2002-11-22T23:23:29Z")
I also like the fact that more French than Italians were able to locate Italy! (And boy, those Swedes are on the ball. Do they have a lot of geography game shows on TV there?) ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-world-are-we-americans-dont-know/138215/31 "2002-11-22T23:46:54Z")
**Shelbo** my WAG would be that being a small country that take more interest in the rest of the world. **Treviathan** number 60 is nestled up above 40. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-world-are-we-americans-dont-know/138215/32 "2002-11-23T00:07:22Z")
Let me just say that my son, the poster known as **Zoltarb** , is the National Geographic Champ of NYC and Long Island. He went to the bee in Albany and everything. Just braggin’. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-world-are-we-americans-dont-know/138215/33 "2002-11-23T00:39:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bryan Ekers \* > \*\*Hah, I got 'em all correct, though in one case, it was by elimination. For question 16, I knew what region Sweden was in, but wasn’t sure about its exact placement. Of the available answers, only #43 was in the right region, so I went with that. Had #24 been offered, I would have guessed it instead and gotten it wrong (on reflection, I think #24 is Denmark but I’d have to check). \*\* #24 is Norway. I’d agree that that might have been one of the hardest one for a non-European to guess from an unlabelled map, but the alternatives were UK, Australia and Poland, so it shouldn’t have been _that_ hard. Mind you, this is from a man whose fellow countrymen apparently thought USA was Canada (at least I _hope_ they thought it was Canada - the other choices were China and Colombia!). Only 21% of Americans knew where Israel was too (against alternatives of South Africa, Argentina and Saudi Arabia). 25% of my lot got it right - pitiful. It is truly embarrasing that anyone could get fewer than 19 right there (20/20 myself), particularly as it was multiple choice. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-world-are-we-americans-dont-know/138215/34 "2002-11-23T01:09:42Z")
Ok, I deserve to be embarrassed. Not only did I miss the religion question, but I couldn’t find Argentina. (Although in my defense, I have always maintained that the 2 Jeopardy ™ categories I would fail at would be Geography and the New Testament-just a poor Jewish girl with an even poorer sense of direction). I do take comfort in the fact that at least I knew Argentina was in South America. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-world-are-we-americans-dont-know/138215/35 "2002-11-23T01:13:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Only 21% of Americans knew where Israel was too So much for the Jewish conspiracy. ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-world-are-we-americans-dont-know/138215/36 "2002-11-23T01:15:39Z")
got em all right. Agents are now heading to my place of work to take me out. ---
**Author:** ![Albert\_Rose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Albert\_Rose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Albert_Rose)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-world-are-we-americans-dont-know/138215/37 "2002-11-23T01:20:15Z")
I didn’t get any of them right. Then again, I don’t live in the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-world-are-we-americans-dont-know/138215/38 "2002-11-23T01:24:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bryan Ekers \* > \*\*Hah, I got 'em all correct, though in one case, it was by elimination. For question 16, I knew what region Sweden was in, but wasn’t sure about its exact placement. Of the available answers, only #43 was in the right region, so I went with that. Had #24 been offered, I would have guessed it instead and gotten it wrong (on reflection, I think #24 is Denmark but I’d have to check). \*\* I had a couple of “by elimination” questions. Sweden was one. (Had Norway been a choice, it would have been a 50/50 shot.) Sorry. Still, I’d like to know what answers were the most commonly picked wrong answers. ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-world-are-we-americans-dont-know/138215/39 "2002-11-23T01:31:26Z")
I got 20, though admittedly I could’ve missed a few if other choices were nearby (Sweden, Afghanistan) where I knew basic area more than specifics. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Waverly \* > \*\*This is true, though. Everything west of NYC is “upstate NY” up to, and including, Hawaii. \*\* No, the saying is “Everything west of the Hudson is Hoboken.” > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tars Tarkas \*\*\* > got em all right. Agents are now heading to my place of work to take me out. > \*\* I guess that’s the MIB. Earth schools suck. ---
**Author:** ![LindyHopper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@LindyHopper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LindyHopper)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-world-are-we-americans-dont-know/138215/40 "2002-11-23T01:51:56Z")
See, all those map questions weren’t nearly challenging enough; the alternatives generally weren’t anywhere near close enough to each other to be difficult. Like the Afghanistan one; the alternatives were Turkey, China, and Argentina (I think). I mean, yeah, Turkey is sort of Middle Eastern, and China is somewhat close (especially given the scale of the map shown), but none of them were close. It’s not like one of the options was Pakistan or Iran, which actually _border_ Afghanistan. I agree with Bryan; elimination is all you need to answer those questions. Come on; one of the alternatives for Israel was _South Africa_! Oh, and I think Islam is the _fastest-growing_ religion in the world, which may account for some of the confusion. I picked Christianity, but (too late) said to myself, “D’oh! I’ll bet it’s Hinduism!” Good thing my reflexes aren’t quicker. 😉 And even if every Chinese person were a Buddhist (which is most assuredly _not_ the case), Buddhism wouldn’t be the largest religion in the world. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-world-are-we-americans-dont-know/138215.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-world-are-we-americans-dont-know/138215.md?page=3)