Of Maps and Men

CBS.MarketWatch.com | Nov. 20, 2002 | Bill Clifford

[TopQuark]

Of maps and men

By Bill Clifford, CBS.MarketWatch.com Last Update: 9:48 PM ET Nov. 20, 2002

TOKYO (CBS.MW) -- Where is the Pacific Ocean?

For a country whose West Coast borders it, a staggering 29 percent of Americans in their late teens and early 20s are adrift when it comes to pointing out the Pacific on a map.

The National Geographic - Roper 2002 Global Geographic Literacy Survey, released Wednesday, also showed that a majority of young adults in the U.S. couldn't locate Japan (58 percent), France (65 percent) or the United Kingdom (69 percent).

And hitting home as close as possible, 11 percent of surveyed Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 couldn't find the U.S. on a world map. Nearly one-third said the U.S. population was between one billion and two billion; in fact, it's 289 million.

To a lesser extent this geographic illiteracy is shared with many people in the same age group polled in Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico and Sweden. Including the U.S., more than 3,000 young adults were surveyed by National Geographic magazine and the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research.

On average, less than 25 percent of those polled in the nine countries could identify Israel on the map, and just 20 percent could locate Iraq.

With the U.S. government threatening to lead a war in Iraq and U.S. media reports headlining news of suicide bombers in Israel, less than 15 percent of the young U.S. citizens could pinpoint either country's location.

Only 17 percent of young adults in the U.S. could find Afghanistan, even though their country has been fighting a war against terrorism there since October 2001.

The National Geographic Society plans to launch a war of its own: on geographic ignorance. It intends to convene a coalition of leaders in American business, education and media to recommend educational initiatives to policymakers, parents and children.

The U.S. scored next to last in the nine-country survey, ahead of Mexico. Sweden -- where 92 percent of the young adults surveyed had traveled internationally in the last three years, and 89 percent speak more than one language -- scored highest.

[TopQuark]

Next time someone tells us that all of our problems in this country are due to immigrants, ask him why his child cannot find the Pacific.

[FreedomPoster]

But if we tried to drill some geographic knowledge into the kids, they might not get an "A", and it would hurt their self-esteem. . . . . .

[TopQuark]

BTTT

[PistolPaknMama]

recommend educational initiatives

Here's a recommendation for you: dismantle the NEA.

[bumba_rasclot]

My kid can find the Pacific on a map and she is excellent in Chemistry, Calculus, and Physics too. Of course, we homeschooled her.

While immigrants are not responsible for ALL the problems in this country, the overwhelming number of illegal aliens in the country, with lots more ready to come from where they came from, is most definitely a real and growing problem in this country.

[bumba_rasclot]

"The U.S. scored next to last in the nine-country survey, ahead of Mexico."

It was probably illegal Mexican immigrants in America who did so darn poorly on the questionnaire.

[BiffSchneider]

"Next time someone tells us that all of our problems in this country are due to immigrants, ask him why his child cannot find the Pacific."

There are many reasons. However, I doubt that the overcrowding in the schools and associated problems created by illegal immigration play no small part in it.

[TopQuark]

It was probably illegal Mexican immigrants in America who did so darn poorly on the questionnaire. You are sadly mistaken.

[hoot2]

"americans...adrift when it comes to pointing out the Pacific "

"Next time someone tells us that all of our problems in this country are due to immigrants, ask him why his child cannot find the Pacific. "

dude, take the 101 west to seaward...go left...drive till you hit sand. you're there...

[hoot2]

"It was probably illegal Mexican immigrants in America who did so darn poorly on the questionnaire. You are sadly mistaken. "

they've dropped out; are in jail; or have been shot. the tests are only given in english...

[TopQuark]

DO I pass by the house where Bobbie lives?

[geopyg]

I remember a chemistry teacher in high-school saying how dumb school burecrats can be. They gave a test in California or somewhere and all the Mexicans did really bad on it. Well, then they needed to see why so they could fix it. They did air samples of the community, checked the nutrition of their "ethnic" diet, etc. Well, after spending a bunch of time and money trying to figure it out what was "wrong" with the Mexicans, they realized that they had given the test in english, a language few of them could understand.

So - who are the idiots?

Lesson to parents. Even if your kids go to public schools, be involved, spend time reading a book with your kids, look at a globe, etc. My son is one of five kids in his 2nd grade class that does his "required" 20 minutes of reading each night. What is it with the other 22 parents? I feel sorry for the kids.

[upchuck]

Needless to say, this is outrageous!!

Someday soon I hope the sheeple wake up and start insisting the education monolith do what they're paid to do, TEACH kids.

[Redbob]

And why exactly would this be on the Bang List?