Where in the World...

I like Geography. I'm not nearly as good at it as I would like to be. National Geographic has conducted a survey that is very eye opening as to how little we know about our world. "Young Americans answer about half (54 percent) of all the survey questions correctly. But by and large, majorities of young adults fail at a range of questions testing their basic geographic literacy. Only 37% of young Americans can find Iraq on a map—though U.S. troops have been there since 2003. 6 in 10 young Americans don't speak a foreign language fluently. 20% of young Americans think Sudan is in Asia. (It's the largest country in Africa.) 48% of young Americans believe the majority population in India is Muslim. (It's Hindu—by a landslide.) Half of young Americans can't find New York on a map. These results suggest that young people in the United States—the most recent graduates of our educational system—are unprepared for an increasingly global future. 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." They have launched a campaign called My Wonderful World . You can test how much you really know about geography. There are links to teaching resources to help in teaching and learning for ourselves more about our planet. Wonderfully interesting stuff.