Please learn basic US geography (kinda long)

[ArenaBoy]

I used to visit a town called Oxford in Michigan growing up. We don't have a university folks. It's a blink and miss town. However there is a Oxford in Ohio and there is a school called Miami University of Ohio there. There's also a Canton in Michigan, nothing like the Chinese city. Also there is a town called Bath in MI in relation to the city in England. Speaking of cities in England, the city of Birmingham. There is a Birmingham in Michigan and a Birmingham Alabama. There is also a Rochester in my area in relation to the city of Rochester in New York. Also there is a town on the west side of MI called Holland in relation to the country. Surprisingly it isn't a Dutch dominant population, it's Hispanic. There is also an Atlanta Michigan in relation to Atlanta Georgia.

[Seshat]

Heck, this is where all the snowbirds go to so they are thinking of Florida in the winter and you haven't seen the Florida girls I take it?

Alas, no. I have been to several parts of the States, but not Florida.

Lovely beaches.

<snip>

Conventions.


You're right, there's no similarity between California and Florida at all.

None whatsoever.

(Okay, you have a point.)

I can understand needing to know the state you are in, but honestly, there is no reason for a 30-something year old that is not in the business of travel to have to be able to point to on a map all the 50 states or all the countries in the world and name them.

I don't think a person needs to be able to know specifics, but I do think they need to be able to know generalities, and how to look up the specifics if they need them.

For instance, I think it's important (to one's understanding of what's going on in the world) to be able to accurately identify the continents and oceans, and to be able to identify regions.

If I say 'Iraq is an Arab country' or 'Iraq is in the Middle East', that should narrow a person's search considerably - they shouldn't then be looking in South America or in the Scandinavian countries.

When I'm giving to charities, or choosing to buy fair trade products, or speaking to my neighbours (I live in a very cosmopolitan city), I like to know what I'm doing. Waiting for a doctor recently, I chatted with a woman who immigrated from Lebanon. I was able to chat intelligently with her and learn lots of interesting things precisely because I can point to Lebanon on a map (okay, within three tries), and therefore can extrapolate its likely climate, resources, and terrain type.

(Did you know that Lebanon is a popular tourist spot? Beaches and sunshine and tourist resorts.)
(Hm. Maybe not that unlike Florida and California.....)

[auntiem]

Why do I need to know the capital city of Montana? Or which particular state is Illinois? Yes, I have guesses at them, but there's no reason for me to need that information. And if I do, I can look it up. There are many many things that are more important to me and that I need to remember than "basic U.S. geography".

I agree with you on that point. Every house should have an atlas and world map - there is no reason everyone should be able to name all the states at a drop of a hat. The problem is that the people who call me don't go take a look at these references before they call me. I'll confess that if given a blank map I couldn't get all the countries correct - I constantly want to put the Seychelles off the wrong coast of Africa for example.
But, I think it makes the US as a country look stupid when the media has to print maps on the front page when reporting on a country - part of it is they feel like they should "spoon feed" us the news. OK, I sorta understand when there is a story on Saipan because that is really hard to find on a map especially if you don't know where to start, but really do we need them to print a map of where Bali or Honduras is? Don't most people have a vague understanding of about where to start on the map to locate it their own darn self.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I live near one of the 11 Lakewoods in the US.

Usually it's places like Las Vegas or Phoenix (the one in AZ), but sometimes it's places like Monroe (21 of them to choose from).

^-.-^

Hey, I live near a Lakewood, too! And a Monroe...heh, there are apparently only 2 of my town; the other is in New York...

ArenaBoy- there is an Indiana University in Pennsylvania...There is Paris, KY and Paris, TX

Antiem- I've read that newspapers are generally written at a 4th grade reading level

[reformedwaitress]

To clarify what I was saying, I'm not saying that people shouldn't know how to look up things and shouldn't check things before calling for reservations and such. They should. I just don't think it's logical to assume any working adult is going to know all the countries and states without having to look at a map for a few minutes.

(though I do agree that people should be able to remember at least what continent countries are on. People looking for Iraq in northern Europe or in South America are truly idiots. )

[thegiraffe]

there is no reason everyone should be able to name all the states at a drop of a hat.

Were y'all ever taught the "Fifty Nifty" song?

Fifty Nifty United States with the 13 original colonies....

Yeah, part of it is all 50 states. In alphabetical order. I learned it in elementary school, and I still remember most of it lol. Quite helpful from time to time.

Antiem- I've read that newspapers are generally written at a 4th grade reading level

Sadly, this doesn't surprise me if it's true. Unfortunately, people simply aren't able to decode words because they lack the phonics background to do so. And if they spend their energy decoding, they're not comprehending. That's one of the reasons my job is SO important - I'm teaching kids K-5 how to decode words using phonics. Hopefully I'm getting somewhere....

[Andara Bledin]

*sings to herself* "United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Haiti, Jamaica, Peru...."

That "Florida is a thin state" bit is an old urban legend. The one making it out to be some politician has been floating around for nearly a decade. [Snopes is your friend]

(Did you know that Lebanon is a popular tourist spot? Beaches and sunshine and tourist resorts.)
(Hm. Maybe not that unlike Florida and California.....)

Two members of System of a Down were born in Lebanon. One in Hollywood. So that makes another connection between Lebanon & California. All four are Armenian/Americans.

^-.-^

[Binky]

I keep hearing how lousy most people's knowledge of geography is, but come on

I know what you mean most people in the US can't even point out where Australia is on the map. But I can understand that. Australia doesn't have electricity yet. We just had a bush telegraph installed last year. Soon Im going to have to go down to the river to get some drinking water, as we don't have taps

One day I might travel to the states I've never seen the moon as I live in the Southern Hemisphere...be alot easier to write a post on the website as well

*EDIT-
I would like people to know that the comment made before was NOT made by me. My idiotic fiancé decided to go onto my account and start posting comments as me. I hope no one takes offence to this stupid comment. He has a nasty sense of humour some times! I know not all people are like that in the US.

I apologise people, I won't be letting him do it again

[TheRoo]

I do realize that there a lot of ignorant people out there. That being said, in regards to the video, it seems to me like the people who made it had an agenda to make Americans look stupid. If you are walking down a crowded street, you can make some good guesses about who won't know some of this stuff, and ask these particular people. Even if they do answer correctly, you can always omit the right answers.

I think that if the people on the video were an actual random sample of the American population, you would be surprised how much a lot of people know.

[XCashier]

Folks, I ask you......how many freakin' Phoenixes are there? Huh? Hmmm? I'll tell you......THERE'S ONE!

Yes, there is a tiny little town in Ohio called Phoenix, but if someone says just the word "Phoenix," they don't mean the tiny little town in Ohio by that name....esepcially since none of the people asking the above question have ever heard of said tiny little town in Ohio! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

There's also a Phoenix in Oregon. But since Arizona has the largest and most infamous Phoenix, that's the one everyone knows.

[protege]

there is an Indiana University in Pennsylvania...

There's also a California University in PA too. Oddly enough, it's named for the little town of California...south of Pittsburgh

[Crawley]

*sings to herself* "United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Haiti, Jamaica, Peru...."

Heheh. For anyone who hasn't seen it or grew up watching Animaniacs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXY3EN6W_oQ Yakko's Nations of the World song.

[Gurndigarn]

I would like people to know that the comment made before what NOT made by me.

You can go to the message and hit the "edit" button to change it.

My idiotic fiancé decided to go onto my account and start posting comments as me. I hope no one takes offence to this stupid comment. He has a nasty sense of humour some times!

I thought the post was kind of funny. But if he does things you don't like under your name, or such like, are you sure this guy is a keeper?

[Jester]

So, not to start a fight, but I really don't see why it matters if fifth graders are "smarter" than adults. They aren't.

Americans as a whole are really not as stupid as the media wants to make us out to be.

Okay, maybe I am more jaded than you, but.....

There are sadly many many MANY adult Americans who AREN'T as smart as even an average fifthy grader. And not just in subjects the fifth graders have just been lectured on, either. Are fifth graders as a whole smarter than adults as a whole? No. But there are way too many adults where this applies all too accurately.

Not going to make a comment about the media aspect of your second statement but, after being a member of this website and interacting with people daily, do you really still believe that Americans as a whole aren't dumber than a box of rocks? Don't get me wrong, there are many highly intelligent Americans out there, and not all Americans are stupid, but as a group? Door posts, baby, door posts.

Also the rest of the world has a perception of us as a little on the slow side in many areas, but specifically in geography. A perfect example of this was a conversation I had with my one foreign roommate when I first met him at work years ago...

JESTER: "So, where are you from?"
FR: "Estonia. (obviously not expecting anything resembling a real reply) Do you know where that is?"
JESTER: "Yep. Over there by Lithuania and Latvia, and next to Finland as I recall."
FR:

I am not showing off my knowledge here as much as pointing out that he was truly shocked that an American would have any idea where his country is, considering not one he had met before me had. And this attitude about Americans is not reserved simply for people from tiny out of the way nations like, say, Estonia. I have seen it time and time again in my dealings with foreigners here on vacation. It shows plainly that they have dealt with countless Americans who couldn't find the ground if they fell.

I do agree with you that Americans don't necessarily need to know where everything is. However, they SHOULD know where they are going if they are booking travel arrangements, and they SHOULD be able to point out on a map the state they themselves live in. They should have a BASIC geographical understanding of their own country, which was the point of the OP. Do I as an Arizonan living in Florida need to know, for example, the names of the major cities in Maine? No, of course not. But if I am traveling to one of them, I should know the difference between Augusta, Maine and Augusta, Georgia. After all, while I am sure there may be some nice golf courses in Augusta, Maine, there is only ONE Augusta National, and it resides in Georgia. And if you are a golfer and going to it, you should know that. Don't you think?

[auntiem]

Sometimes you just have to find a media connection the person understands.
For example this year I went to Zihuatanejo (great place btw) and everyone would say "Ziwhatawhatnow"? then I just asked if they had seen or read Shawshank Redemption "yes" well, that is where he went after he escaped. "Oh!" I guess my point is that in our media laden society, sometimes a work of fiction makes a place seem more "real".
There was a weird travel trend last year - a lot of my honeymooners wanted to go somewhere no one they knew had been - "somewhere that will make people run to look at a map" as one of them put it. Then they found out the price and went to Hawaii