Is the stereotype that Americans are bad at geography true, when compared to other countries?

[intelfan11315]

Originally Posted by Warszawa

Except that it does. If you bothered to read the article, it said that Americans are worse in general at placing countries on a map, and it offers several theories as to why that may be

No, they also showed a person from Japan and Africa and Europe who had troubles.
Nice try

Honestly, your bias against americans make you sound more ignorant than any person who might not know where Rabat is.

[Warszawa]

Originally Posted by burgler09

No, they also showed a person from Japan and Africa and Europe who had troubles.

...as well as explicitly saying that aside from those few people, on average Europeans performed better

But other students performed much better, easily finding Sudan, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq on the map. The rest of the world, it seems, may be more geographically savvy than the average Americans.

[Rubi3]

Originally Posted by burgler09

I think it's laughable to think that Europeans are these open minded, worldly people who know so much.

So true! Many also think Americans in the northeastern states know much more than people in other parts of the country, which isn't true. One example is a man in Brooklyn and I were chatting and he didn't believe me when I commented Brooklyn is part of New York City. To him, NYC was Manhattan. In England, when I told a woman I was from Oklahoma, she was surprised and thought the word was made up to name the musical, "Oklahoma!"

I think people are generally about the same. Some want to know information. Some don't. Some people are smarter, some aren't. Some are better looking than others. It goes on and on.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by xander.XVII

I don't know, many videos on Youtube like showing that but it's known how inaccurate they are (and they could have interviewed other 100 people who knew what they were asking for).
As for Europeans, it is likely that about European and North African and Middle Eastern we are better because of our proximity with these aforementioned lands: I can point out nearly every big/medium sized city and I have a wide knowledge of history and geography (mostly due to my interest in these subjects) but I can barely indicate 20 out of 50 states of the US (although I know whether they are a US states or not lol).
Americans instead will undeniably known much more than me in terms of US geography and history.

oh you'd be surprised,

[The Postman]

Originally Posted by Rubi3

So true! Many also think Americans in the northeastern states know much more than people in other parts of the country, which isn't true. One example is a man in Brooklyn and I were chatting and he didn't believe me when I commented Brooklyn is part of New York City. To him, NYC was Manhattan. In England, when I told a woman I was from Oklahoma, she was surprised and thought the word was made up to name the musical, "Oklahoma!"

I think people are generally about the same. Some want to know information. Some don't. Some people are smarter, some aren't. Some are better looking than others. It goes on and on.

Lol, some people have funny ideas.

[Deezus]

Americans are bad at geogrpahy in general, although most people in the world are bad at geography. Even educated people often lack any interest in the subject suprisingly.

Though America seems to have a certain sort--people who are proud of their ignorance of the rest of the world. Case in point, Hermain Cain's quote about how he didn't need to know the name of the president of "Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan" while he was running for president.