National Geographic’s International Survey of

Geographic Knowledge November, 2002

Prepared by Jack Bovee

Collier District Schools

Naples, FL

In November, 2002, an international survey was conducted for the National Geographic by RoperASW. The results are based on face-to-face interviews with at least 300 men and women aged 18 to 24 in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Sweden, Britain and the United States. Fifty-six questions were asked of participants and the results of twenty are given here.

The Survey

Compare your wits against young adults from across the world in the slides that follow.

The button will give you the answer and data as to the correct score for each nation.

The button will advance you to the next question.

The button will return you to the previous slide.

Question 1

Which of the following ranges contains the correct population of the United States today?

A. Between 10 million and 50 million

B. Between 150 million and 350 million

C. Between 500 million and 750 million

D. Between 1 billion and 2 billion

E. I don’t know

Answer

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Question 2

Which of the following religions has the

largest number of followers worldwide?

A. Christianity

B. Islam

C. Judaism

D. Hinduism

E. I Don’t Know

Answer

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Question 3

The Taliban and al Queda movements were both based in which country?

A. Iraq

B. Pakistan

C. Israel

D. Albania

E. Afghanistan

F. I don’t know

Answer

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Question 4

Which of the following organizations endorses the euro as the common currency for its members?

A. World Trade Organization (WTO)

B. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

C. European Union (EU)

D. Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

E. North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

F. I don’t know

Answer

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Question 5

Which region of the world is currently the largest exporter of oil?

A. Middle East

B. Southeast Asia

C. Latin America

D. Australia

E. I don’t know

Answer

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Question 6

Which two countries have had a longstanding conflict over the region of Kashmir?

A. Israel and Egypt

B. India and Pakistan

C. China and Russia

D. Iran and Iraq

E. I don’t know

Answer

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Question 7

Periodically, drastic changes in ocean temperature cause weather changes around the world. What is the name of this occurrence?

A. El Nino

B. Tornado

C. Gulf Stream

D. Global Warming

E. I don’t know

Answer

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Question 8Which of the following has the highest percentage of its population infected with HIV, the virus that causes the disease AIDS?

A. North America

B. Central America

C. South America

D. Europe

E. Africa

F. Asia

G. Australia

H. I don’t know

Answer

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Question 9

Pick the only two countries that have populations of over one billion people?

A. China and the United States of America

B. China and India

C. India and Indonesia

D. Brazil and India

E. Russia and China

F. I don’t know

Answer

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Question 10Take a minute and look at the map below. What is the westernmost city on this map?

A. City A

B. City B

C. City C

D. City D

E. City E

F. City F

G. City G

H. I don’t know

Answer

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Question 11Take a minute and look at the map below. The United States of America is shown by what number of the map?

A. 10 B. 15 C. 46 D. 25 E. I don’t know

Answer

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Question 12Take a minute and look at the map below. Russia is shown by what number of the map?

A. 27 B. 46 C. 55 D. 12 E. I don’t know

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Answer

Question 13Take a minute and look at the map below. Japan is shown by what number of the map?

A. 5 B. 11 C. 17 D. 26 E. I don’t know

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Answer

Question 14Take a minute and look at the map below. Mexico is shown by what number of the map?

A. 10 B. 11 C. 19 D. 21 E. I don’t know

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Answer

Question 15Take a minute and look at the map below. Italy is shown by what number of the map?

A. 1 B. 5 C. 34 D. 38 E. I don’t know

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Answer

Question 16Take a minute and look at the map below. Sweden is shown by what number of the map?

A. 5 B. 11 C. 43 D. 54 E. I don’t know

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Answer

Question 17Take a minute and look at the map below. The Pacific Ocean is shown by what number of the map?

A. 30 B. 40 C. 50 D. 60 E. I don’t know

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Answer

Question 18Take a minute and look at the map below. Afghanistan is shown by what number of the map?

A. 23 B. 34 C. 41 D. 46 E. I don’t know

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Answer

Question 19Take a minute and look at the map below. Israel is shown by what number of the map?

A. 16 B. 22 C. 45 D. 58 E. I don’t know

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Answer

Question 20Take a minute and look at the map below. Argentina is shown by what number of the map?

A. 12 B. 22 C. 32 D. 42 E. I don’t know

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Answer

Some highlights from the Survey

• Despite the age (18-24) when young Americans would be in college or at prime military age, the typical American’s lack of knowledge was shocking.

• Americans had the MOST inaccurate estimate of their own nation’s population.

• Americans had the MOST inaccurate location of the nation that formerly harbored al Queda terrorists and was ruled by the Taliban.

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Some highlights from the Survey

• Despite the daily bombardment of news from the Middle East, Central Asia, and other world trouble spots, roughly 85 percent of young Americans could not find Afghanistan, Iraq, or Israel on a map, according to a new study.

• Only 51 percent of the Americans surveyed could find New York, the nation's third most populous state.

• Less than half (only 42%) of the Americans could locate Japan

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Some highlights from the Survey

• nearly 30 percent of those Americans surveyed could not find the Pacific Ocean, the world’s largest body of water

• more than half—56 percent—were unable to locate India, home to 17 percent of people on Earth

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Read the Survey’s Summary Results Report

Survey Reveals “Geographic Illiteracy”

Read the article “Young Adults Lagging in Geographic Knowledge”

Read the article “American Kids Flunk Geography”

Recent Geographic News Reports

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Some questions to ponder

• What possibly can account for the dismal knowledge of current events and geography among our college age young adults?

• Does this ignorance pose a problem for the future of our nation?

• What steps should be taken to reverse this rising tide of mediocrity among Americans? Next

Top Games of Geographic Literacy from National Geographic

Go West with Lewis and Clark -

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/west/main.html

Fantastic Forest

http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngforkids/0201/adventures/

Pony Auction!

http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngexplorer/0204/games/game.cgi

Monterey Bay: Deepworker Submarine

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/monterey/ax/primary_fs.html

National Geographic ONLINE ADVENTURES !

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geographyaction/backyard/games.html#oladv

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More Sites of Geographic Literacy from National Geographic!

Geospy Game http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geospy

The GeoSpy Agency needs you. Help us identify continents, countries, states, and provinces and you’ll earn full GeoSpy agent status!

Xpedition Hall: Geography’s Fun Housewww.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/hall/Climb a mountain, hover over the Earth, visit an archeological dig, and more in our interactive geography museum.

Kids Home Pagewww.nationalgeographic.com/kidsCheck in here to find all our fun kid stuff—games, postcards, quizzes, science experiments, and more!

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Student Activities

Teachers should make the power point – with the hyperlinked readings available to students.

Students may be provided with the two-page handout “National Geographic Survey Summary Results for convenience.

Distribute and have students complete the attached activity sheet.

Next

The End

Question 1

Which of the following ranges contains the correct population of the United States today?

ANSWER - “B” - Between 150 & 350 Million

Return

Question 2Which of the following religions has the largest number of

followers worldwide?

Answer “A”- Christianity

Return

Question 3

The Taliban and al Queda movements were both based in which country?

Answer “E”- Afghanistan

Return

Question 4Which of the following organizations endorses the euro as the

common currency for its members?

Answer “C”- the European Union

Return

Question 5Which region of the world is currently the largest exporter of

oil?

Answer “A”- Middle East

Return

Question 6Which two countries have had a longstanding conflict over

the region of Kashmir?

Answer “B”- India and Pakistan

Return

Question 7Periodically, drastic changes in ocean temperature cause weather

changes around the world. What is the name for this occurrence?

Answer “A”- El Nino

Return

Question 8Which of the following has the highest percentage of its population

infected with HIV, the virus that causes the disease AIDS?

Answer “E”- Africa

Return

Question 9

Pick the only two countries that have populations of over one billion people.

Answer “B”- China and India

Return

Question 10

Take a minute and look at the map below. What is the westernmost city on this map?

Answer “G”

Answer

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Question 10

Take a minute and look at the map below. What is the westernmost city on this map? Answer “G”

Return

Question 11Take a minute to look at the map below. The United States

of America is shown by what number on the map?

Answer “B”- Number 15

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Question 12Take a minute to look at the map below. Russia is shown by

what number on the map?

Answer “A”- Number 27

Return

Question 13Take a minute to look at the map below. Japan is shown by

what number on the map?

Answer “C”- Number 17

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Question 14Take a minute to look at the map below. Mexico is shown by

what number on the map?

Answer “D”- Number 21

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Question 15Take a minute to look at the map below. Italy is shown by

what number on the map?

Answer “A”- Number 1

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Question 16Take a minute to look at the map below. Sweden is shown by

what number on the map?

Answer “C”- Number 43

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Question 17Take a minute to look at the map below. The Pacific Ocean

is shown by what number on the map?

Answer “A”- Number 30

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Question 18Take a minute to look at the map below. Afghanistan is

shown by what number on the map?

Answer “C” - Number 41

Return

Question 19Take a minute to look at the map below. Israel is shown by

what number on the map?

Answer “D” - Number 58

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Question 20Take a minute to look at the map below. Argentina is shown

by what number on the map?

Answer “B” - Number 22

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