Six out of 10 young Americans cannot find Iraq on a map
By Andrew Buncombe in Washington

Published: 03 May 2006
The US may be the world's only true superpower but global domination does
not equal global knowledge. A new survey shows young Americans have what
can only be described as shoddy geography skills, with six out of 10 unable
to locate Iraq on a map and almost half incapable of pointing to the state
of Mississippi.

Traditionally, the US has bowed to the idea of isolationism, hoping that
geography in the form of vast oceans can help act as a protection from
other nations. But the survey suggests that such an attitude- both
culturally and in terms of interest in overseas travel - is having a woeful
impact on Americans' ability to learn about the wider world.

The survey shows that, despite having invaded Iraq three years ago, six out
of 10 Americans aged 18 to 24 cannot locate the country. Two-thirds do not
know that the October 2005 earthquake that killed 70,000 people struck in
Pakistan. Indeed, more than 40 per cent cannot locate Pakistan in Asia.

But it is not just overseas knowledge that is lacking. The survey shows that
domestic geography is also poor. Despite the chaos caused by Hurricane
Katrina, which killed hundreds of people and cost billions of dollars when
it struck the Gulf Coast last August, one-third of those questioned were
not able to find Louisiana on a map of the US. When asked to point on a map
to a location that avoids hurricane strikes - ie, the north-west of the US -
around a third pointed in the wrong direction.

"It's not good ... It shows the knowledge is pretty appalling," said John
Fahey, president of the National Geographic Society, which commissioned the
survey. "I think this is born out of a sense that [people believe] 'I can be
isolated here - culturally and geographically. I don't need to think too
much about what's happening in the rest of the world'."

He added: "Geographic illiteracy impacts our economic well-being, our
relationships with other nations and the environment, and isolates us from
our world. Geography is what helps us make sense of our world by showing
the connections between people and places. Without it, our young people are
not ready to face the challenges of the increasingly interconnected world of
the 21st century."

The survey, carried out in December 2005, also found fewer than three in 10
think it is important to know the locations of countries in the news; only
14 per cent believe another language is a necessary skill; 47 per cent
could not find India on a map and 75 per cent could not locate Israel.

While the geography skills of young Americans are unimpressive, however,
they may be improving. A similar study carried out in 2002 found only 13
per cent could point to Iraq on a map. Almost one in 10 could not even
point to the United States.

That survey also found that young people who have travelled abroad and speak
another language are likely to have better geography skills than those who
do not. Young adults who obtained international news from newspapers as
opposed to television alone were likely to score better, as were
respondents who regularly used the internet.

The National Geographic Society has released the results of the survey to
coincide with a campaign to improve "geographic literacy". Entitled My
Wonderful World, and led by a group of business, non-profit and education
leaders, the aim is to highlight ways that children and parents can help
build geography skills.

Central to the campaign is a website at www.Mywonderfulworld.org which
contains suggestions for outdoor family activities, links to geography
games and classroom materials.

The US may be the world's only true superpower but global domination does
not equal global knowledge. A new survey shows young Americans have what
can only be described as shoddy geography skills, with six out of 10 unable
to locate Iraq on a map and almost half incapable of pointing to the state
of Mississippi.

SOURCE: http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article361584.ece



-- 
James D Sidaway
Reader in Globalization
Department of Geography
Loughborough University
Leicestershire LT11 3TU, UK

Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network:
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/

Associate Editor Political Geography
http://www.politicalgeography.com

Co-Editor Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography:
http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0129-7619