Only 71% Americans can locate Pacific Ocean on a map

Forbes ^ | May 12, 2003 Issue | Paul Recer

[JasonC]

I got them all right of course, and there isn't really any excuse for missing any of them. But I did notice several things about the test, that make the stated results less surprising.

For instance, in location some countries, the map numbers are somewhat ambiguous. Sweden's number and Norway's are distinguishable, but not because either is particularly enclosed by its country alone - only 16% in the US got it right. Israel's is in the eastern Med, with a tiny line to the sliver of country itself on a whole world map - only 21% in the US got it right. The Pacific Ocean is split by the projection and labeled with the number 30 twice - most still got it right.

There was also a clear difference between factual information questions and media hype questions. Populations of countries stumped the kiddies. Europeans got a question about El Nino very wrong, undoubtedly answering "global warming". A question about how common AIDs is in different continents obviously has Africa for its correct answer, and most got it right; the definition used to diagnose it is looser there. A question about the Taliban and Al Quada does not leave room for one to believe Al Quada is really centered in Saudi Arabia.

What did they get right? Own and neighboring countries on the map, oil in the mideast, AIDs, Pacific ocean, read "west" on a map, lower "grades" but still majorities found great powers, Taliban (but not Kashmir), Christianity as the most common religion.

My diagnosis is that nobody is teaching factual geography, certainly not with numbers, and instead the respondants are getting all of their information from media hype, especially recent media hype, PC hot buttons, party lines. Political parties and modern ideologies get through with their megaphones. There is no factual data on the receiving end, beyond the most basic, with which to filter or make informed judgments about the resulting "issues".

Or, more briefly, if it isn't on TV it does not exist...

[ArneFufkin]

Later I realized Jeffrey was only aware of what was of immediate interest to him.

Thus his pile of precision maps, surveilance photos and referencing phone numbers from the joyful female demographic of Rio's nude beaches.

He was working the project in a skillful, extrapolating way. Start with the young women, move to the nude beaches and then find Brazil. Devilishly clever. No wonder you married him!

[The Green Goblin]

Only 71% of the surveyed Americans could locate the Pacific Ocean.

I don't believe that, since a person who can read could easily locate the Pacific Ocean on a map, regardless of his knowledge of geography. There is no way that 30% of the country is illiterate...

[Stone Mountain]

Only 71% Americans can locate Pacific Ocean on a map

Yes, but our remaining 42% are good at math...

[verity]

How many of that age group could not find their a** with both hands? :~)

[NathanR]

Only 71% Americans can locate Pacific Ocean on a map

Yes, but our remaining 42% are good at math...

LOL Cute.

[ArneFufkin]

I know I've become jaundiced and irregular over the years, but the way this news item is written seems deliberately vague and manipulable.

Only 85% of Americans can locate the Pacific Ocean? Well, maybe the other 15% were shown a scavenger hunt map of Grampa Dickman's buried and strangely smelly backyard treasures.

"Can you locate the Pacific Ocean on this Map?" "No, it's a map of the surface of Jupiter's moon Titan." "So that's a no."

[NathanR]

You can't understand politics, history and economics if you don't understand geography.

Most people can have a working knowledge of these subjects without knowing *any* geography. True, you might not know the *why* of some of these things, especially history, but many people don't care about that. They just want to know what affects them now, not why that came to be.

[Moby Grape]

That leaves 29 percent who CANNOT locate the Pacific Ocean on a map, or about the percent who vote democratic regardless of who the canidate is.

[NathanR]

I don't believe that, since a person who can read could easily locate the Pacific Ocean on a map, regardless of his knowledge of geography. There is no way that 30% of the country is illiterate...

And you obviously did not try the sample questions. The Pacific Ocean was marked by a number not the label "Pacific Ocean".

[ArneFufkin]

Beg to differ sir.

See, I'm powerful' confident that anyone who can't demonstrate mastery of colorful and exotic world maps has NO clue about anything but that "mouthy bitch bad talking Judge Mathis"

[AmericanInTokyo]

well put. nice anecdote that kind of wraps it all up, cultural wise, in a concise explanation.....

[LloydChristmas]

I am a PACIFIST.
I would rather not get involved.

[NathanR]

See, I'm powerful' confident that anyone who can't demonstrate mastery of colorful and exotic world maps has NO clue about anything but that "mouthy bitch bad talking Judge Mathis"

I don't know what you are talking about here.

Look I think that geography is a useful skill and all, but it is not that more usefull than the ability to factor second degree polynomials, to the average person in the U.S.

[ArneFufkin]

It's a scam anyway. I checked ... there's no thick black lines showing the border and I looked into Canada and it is NOT colored red.

[AmericanInTokyo]

The Vietnam War [1964-1975] is a germane example of one People with extremely superior war skills and resources, who could shamelessly be confined to a standoff and eventual defeat by a seemingly lesser People.

But how could this be?

One of our major national characteristic shortcomings was primarily responsible for the cavalcade of foolish, arrogant decisions based on ignorance of geography, foreign history, languages, culture, Asian contexts, strategies, even when backed up with the best in technological prowess.

Knowledge of the Outside World DOES count. Take it from me. To proceed otherwise is to do it blindfolded. I join with quite a number of Senators and Congressmen of both parties that say the 'dumbing down' must stop! and the bar must be raised. The NEA or AFT will not get it done for us, either. There have to be other ways to reduce the 'moron' percentages in modern America.

[ArneFufkin]

Sorry, polynomials suck. Try calculating the cubic area of a big fat rhombus, that's living large.

Land. Ours. Territory. Good. You go.

[Publius6961]

That stupid people get to vote is what keeps me awake nights.

Stupidity should be taxed!

[NathanR]

The Vietnam War [1964-1975] is a germane example of one People with extremely superior war skills and resources, who could shamelessly be confined to a standoff and eventual defeat by a seemingly lesser People.

I agree. However, it was stupidity at the highest levels, not at the level where most of the fighting and dying was.

This was stupidity by Harvard graduates in history and economics, or who had received the equivalent of a graduate education in geography fighting WWII, not the high school graduates who were doing the fighting in the rice paddies.