Americans Lack Geographic Literacy: Can’t Find New York on a Map

[Kaleel Sakakeeny]

From NMT Images

Americans Lack  Geographic Literacy: Can’t Find New York on a Map

It’s not a reassuring picture.

The 2006 Roper Public Affairs-National Geographic Literacy Study revealed that Americans between the ages of 18-24 have a poor grasp of “geographic skills and knowledge,” meaning they know less about the world than most young adults their age living in other countries.

Granted, the  study is four plus years old, and conceivably results would be different if the test were given today. No updated, similar report seems available.

Still, even this  snapshot provides little comfort to an America seeking a compelling role on the world economic and political stage...especially when 54% tested did not know that Rawanda and Sudan were in Africa.

Ten percent said Sudan was in Europe.

The poll involved several hundred “young adults” and a half-hour, in-home interview covering a range of cultural and geographic topics.

Some highlights:

• Half or fewer than half of the men and women could not find Ohio or New York on a map of the United States (50 and 43% respectively)

• In spite of an Iraq war that began in 2003 and nearly constant news coverage, six in ten (63%) of those tested could not find Iraq on a map of the Middle East

• Three-quarters (74%) believe English is the most commonly spoken language in the world. It’s Mandarin 

What concerned the researchers, was the indifference of those tested.

About 50% said it was “important but not necessary” to know where the countries mentioned in the news were located, and only 14% said speaking another language “was important.”

While the Americans received high marks for access to Internet tools for research, the report more or less concludes that America young adults are “unprepared for an increasingly global future.” That far too many “lack even the most basic skills for navigating the international economy or understanding
the relationships among people and places that provide critical context for world events”

Other highlights:

• Nine in ten (88%) could not find Afghanistan on a map of Asia, and regardless of the intense coverage following hurricane Katrina, two-thirds (67%) could not find Louisiana on a US map and half (52%) could not find Mississippi.

It may be that more travel and intense use of the Internet have made this group of Americans more geographically literaate.

 But in 2006, only two in ten had a passport (22%), and only seven in ten (70%) had traveled abroad.

Bring back “Where in the World is Carmen  Sandiego?”

[Kaleel Sakakeeny]

Allie, I don't doubt for one second what you say. I've seen it too and these results support our experiences.

I think Americans do believe they are are the center of the universe, and if it doesn't concern them/us directly or isn't "American" then it's not worth our attention.

The vast majority of American still don't have passports and while this is a beautiful country, it is not the one and only.

Anyway, thanks much for writing in. Good of you

Cheers

Kaleel

[Allie McCoy]

Twenty years ago, when I was teaching in the Philadelphia area, students around the world were given basic outline maps and asked to label the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the continents, and some of the more recognizable countries (India, Great Britain, China, Russia, the United States).  The children from the United States scored lower than the children from any other developed nation. They also scored lower than children from Mexico, even though Mexico had such poorer people and impoverished school districts. As an American, I was embarrassed!

Do these studies indicate that Americans will stay at home more and travel less to Europe and other continents?