Young US Adults Geographically Challenged

07/19/2006

Young US Adults Geographically Challenged

It's in the preparation — in those dreary pedestrian virtues they taught you in seventh grade and you didn't believe. It's making the extra call and caring a lot.
Diane Sawyer

The results of a National Geographic Education Foundation survey of US adults between the ages of 18 and 24 were recently reported in Education Week (May 10, 2006; www.edweek.org). A few “interesting” findings…

60% of respondents could not identify Iraq on a map of the Middle East;
75% could not locate Indonesia, and most did not know that Indonesia is predominantly a Muslim nation;
Less than six months after Katrina, 33% could not locate Louisiana on a map;
65% could not locate the United Kingdom on a map
Only 25% identified Chinese Mandarin as the most widely spoken language in the world.

And, most telling…

While 60% of respondents viewed use of computers and the Internet “absolutely necessary” in today’s world, only 33% thought it absolutely necessary to know where other countries are located.

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