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The distortion of distances in the minds of Europeans (when considering America) and Americans (when considering Europe) is interesting... Americans are used to seeing the map of U.S. states a certain size, but never in comparison to European countries. They only see European countries as relatively itty bitty on the map. Well, France is roughly the size of Texas! California seems big to Americans, but Ukraine would swallow it up (and so would Turkey, I think). I wonder also if the same is true... do Europeans think U.S. states are smaller than they actually are?
But you're looking at states compared to countries. I think most Europeans and Americans have a hard time relating because the United States is over 15 times larger than the largest country in Western/Central Europe (Ukraine).
It's strange to think that the Netherlands, Belgium and Ireland could all fit inside the state of Iowa.
I think most Europeans and Americans have a hard time relating because the United States is over 15 times larger than the largest country in Western/Central Europe (Ukraine).
Ukraine is not in western or central Europe. It's definitely in eastern Europe.
It goes both ways. Europeans know distances too. A lot of European travel across Europe with car or train.
I think this thread doesn't make sense if you look at reality. Most European kids I've met know more about American geography than many Americans.
It doesn't mean Americans are stupid. It's just that geography education is not a priority. Very few Americans have a passport, 5-20 %. C-D members are probably not representative of Americans as a whole.
Watch news channels in the U.S and compare them to European ones. The world finds America more important than how America views the world.
A lot of Americans say "hey I'm gonna travel to Europe", as if it's one country. Then they come back to the U.S thinking their experience of having seen Europe was unique. These kind of people tend to only think of cities such as London, Paris and Rome.
Ukraine is not in western or central Europe. It's definitely in eastern Europe.
It goes both ways. Europeans know distances too. A lot of European travel across Europe with car or train.
I think this thread doesn't make sense if you look at reality. Most European kids I've met know more about American geography than many Americans.
It doesn't mean Americans are stupid. It's just that geography education is not a priority. Very few Americans have a passport, 5-20 %. C-D members are probably not representative of Americans as a whole.
Watch news channels in the U.S and compare them to European ones. The world finds America more important than how America views the world.
A lot of Americans say "hey I'm gonna travel to Europe", as if it's one country. Then they come back to the U.S thinking their experience of having seen Europe was unique. These kind of people tend to only think of cities such as London, Paris and Rome.
The reason Americans don't have passports is because there is so much to see in America. I only left the country once to go to Canada (and that was before you needed a passport). I just have no desire to leave the country when there are so many places in America I want to see that I haven't yet. Each state in America is like a country in Europe. If Americans visit a lot of states, it's like Europeans visiting a lot of countries.
It's not such an odd thing. A lot of people drive across USA on route 66 running between Chicago and Los Angeles.
Lol, yeah but not with that itinerary and time span. That is pretty funny. It would remind me of the Griswolds after Clark robbed the western hotel and did a "speed stop" at the Grand Canyon (except he would have to do that everwhere he went.) That's kind of a lame referrence but it was the first thing the came to mind
It is my experience that people are knowledgeable about the things that interest them.
If geography does not interest them then that's their business.
Let's try not to put our values on other people.
I'm fairly certain that there are fields of knowledge that they posess that we do not.
T
We had a friend come over from Wales on a vacation. Now mind you he only had 2 weeks. We, trying to be the proper helpful hosts, asked him what he would like to do while he was here....
The list included Seattle, San Fran, Vegas, Grand Canyon, Texas, Illinois, DC, NYC and Florida. There were a few more destinations thown in. We of course were dumbfounded and asked him what he had in mind for transportion between places. His response? "Oh we'll just drive"
You should have told him, "Hey, let's have fun and ride Segways to each place!".
The reason Americans don't have passports is because there is so much to see in America. I only left the country once to go to Canada (and that was before you needed a passport). I just have no desire to leave the country when there are so many places in America I want to see that I haven't yet.
I agree with everything you have said. America is a continent, so there's enough to see if you think of sites and the variation in topography. I think a lot of Americans want to see Europe because of its history.
Quote:
Each state in America is like a country in Europe. If Americans visit a lot of states, it's like Europeans visiting a lot of countries.
I have to disagree with this statement. States aren't the same as countries. Europe has a lot of variation because nation-states (USA has never been a nation-state) are different from each other because of ethnicity (the real thing and not the hyphenated American version) and all of what that means, languages, cultures, and so forth. USA is remarkably standardized. Europe is not despite the EU. Only Quebec is a bit unique in a North American context.
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