Study: 16% of Americans can locate Ukraine on a map

[Associate Justice PiT]

This correlation is actually more interesting:

We found that only one out of six Americans can find Ukraine on a map, and that this lack of knowledge is related to preferences: The farther their guesses were from Ukraine’s actual location, the more they wanted the U.S.  to intervene with military force.
[/i]

Seems like the default option when you don't know anything about the situation is simply to blow sh**t up.

     It makes sense in a way; if I thought Russia was about to invade Alaska, I'd be pretty concerned. Some of them probably just think that it's somewhere of immediate concern to us. Nevermind the people who think it is in Greenland.

[Maxwell]

This isn't great, but let's be real, Geography sucks.

I'm not sure you're going to convince many people of that belief on a forum dedicated to political cartography.  More to the point, what are you even doing here if you think that way?

I'm being a tad facetious, though I have never had much of an interest in geography. Probably last on the list of things I enjoy about this forum.

[FDRfan1985]

Geography was one of my best subjects in school, next to History.  I find the percentage to be very disheartening.

I wonder what the percentage would be for nations like Burkina Faso, Maldives, or Lesotho. 

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Wow, It's got to be one of the easiest countries to locate, being the second largest country that is all or mostly in EuropeLOL. it's gone .

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Are you telling me that Ukraine isn't located in Colorado?

Naw, It's got to be somewhere around Alert, Nunavut.

[TJ in Oregon]

The 16% figure isn't all that bad; what's bad is some of the wrong answers given. We ought to be able to find the United States on a map. The same goes for Mexico and Canada.

[7,052,770]

Was this done by just clicking on a map online? I would like to know how many people seriously thought Ukraine was where they were clicking, and how many were just clicking randomly or jokingly. I doubt very many, if any, of the dots inside the US or northern Canada were serious responses.

[The Free North]

More people need to play sporcle

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

More people need to play sporcle

But where's Niue or the Soloman Islands?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

More people need to play sporcle

But where's Niue or the Soloman Islands?

While there are no Soloman Islands, that map does have the Soloman Islands.  No Niue, but then it's relationship with New Zealand is more analogous to that of the Northern Marianas with the US than to that of Palau with the US despite the fact that both Palau and Niue are said to be in free association with their respective partners.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

More people need t play sporcle

But where's Niue or the Soloman Islands?

While there are no Soloman Islands, that map does have the Soloman Islands.  No Niue, but then it's relationship with New Zealand is more analogous to that of the Northern Marianas with the US than to that of Palau with the US despite the fact that both Palau and Niue are said to be in free association with their respective partners.

Oh I missed the Soloman Islands. But anyways Palau and Nieu are members of some UN committees, and they're not disputed in any way, so it makes sense to consider them sovereign nations. Their situation is similiar to Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau, which are in free association with the US, although they are regular UN members.

[DINGO Joe]

So, if I'm processing this correctly, Greenland has weapons of mass destruction.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

I definitely would have gotten this question wrong a year ago. Even today, I have to admit that I might still get this one wrong. I had little interest in relearning the geography of the former USSR.

[ElectionsGuy]

There's a lot of dots on Greenland

At least most people were somewhat close. As for the other 40% of dots that were on other continents (not Eurasia), yeah that's worrying.

[Randy Bobandy]

People think that Ukraine is in the U.S.

Yes, the continental United States were indeed invaded by Russia.

[TDAS04]

If a majority guessed the correct general area (eastern Europe or former USSR), then that's pleasantly surprising.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Oh I missed the Soloman Islands. But anyways Palau and Nieu are members of some UN committees, and they're not disputed in any way, so it makes sense to consider them sovereign nations. Their situation is similiar to Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau, which are in free association with the US, although they are regular UN members.

"Free association" is like "commonwealth" a practically meaningless phrase.  The people of Palau are citizens of Palau legally.  The people of Niue are New Zealand citizens, just as the people of the Northern Marianas are US citizens, which is why I said Niue is more like the Northern Marianas than Palau politically.

[ag]

A compelling case for popular determination of policy. A testament to the innate efficiency of democracy.

Actually, it is a statement to iherent efficiency of democracy. 16% is a lot of people. Assuming everybody else just votes randomly, these 16% will determine the policy

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Oh I missed the Soloman Islands. But anyways Palau and Nieu are members of some UN committees, and they're not disputed in any way, so it makes sense to consider them sovereign nations. Their situation is similiar to Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau, which are in free association with the US, although they are regular UN members.

"Free association" is like "commonwealth" a practically meaningless phrase.  The people of Palau are citizens of Palau legally.  The people of Niue are New Zealand citizens, just as the people of the Northern Marianas are US citizens, which is why I said Niue is more like the Northern Marianas than Palau politically.

Well they're on UN committees unlike the Northern Mariainas. It's more like they're soverign nations too lazy to conduct foreign affairs. The GDP of Neiu is $10 million which is pretty understandable. How many buildings in the world have a GDP of more than $10 million. Quite a few, I would imagine.