Mastodawn

Are Europeans more well versed with world geography than Americans?

https://lemmy.zip/post/61380209

Are Europeans more well versed with world geography than Americans? - Lemmy.zip

I’ve seen multiple videos equivalent of Americans pointing where (country) is on the map, and there was an instance where the host asked the woman where the continent Africa is located (points to Asia) like WTF? That’s not even close at all. I know there’s bias towards those types of videos since there are accusations of the host “handpicking” select strangers framing them as if they are representative of the US. But the truth is that their education system isn’t good as it lacks funding. When you put it into perspective: how many Europeans can correctly locate & name countries adjacent to them within their own continent and globally? Is the education system within the EU that good or effective at teaching kids that subject?

KoboldCoterie 5d ago

How many Europeans can point out Kansas on a map? I’d bet I could find just as many Europeans ignorant of North American geography as they find Americans ignorant of European geography, especially since, as you point out, they cherry pick the most ignorant sounding responses.

Che Banana 5d ago

Kansas, a state, is not the equivalent of Africa, A continent as pointed out by OP.

OTOH, EU education varies w I d e l y and the American system is overall mediocre

KoboldCoterie 5d ago

I would say Kansas as an American is roughly equivalent to a European country to a European. South America would be the equivalent of Africa, and while I agree that everyone should be able to name the continents, I’m very confident that I could find a European who could not point out South America if I cherry picked enough. I bet I’d get someone pointing to Mexico eventually.

What a weird thing to say. You think finding Kansas on a map is equal to finding france on a map?

KoboldCoterie 5d ago

I think judging Americans for not knowing your local geography is pretty stupid, and I think judging Europeans for not knowing our local geography is also stupid, so in that sense yes, I think they’re equal.

Finding Kansas is equivalent to finding Thüringen, Graubünden or Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.

The thing is most Europeans know your local geography. They know which continent, the part of it is the US and where and what (mostly) your capitol is.

KoboldCoterie 5d ago

Being able to point out the US on a map is like pointing out Russia. You can just throw a dart in the general right direction and you have a pretty good chance of hitting it just because of how absurdly large it is. Even if all you know is the continent and nothing else, you have more or less a 1 in 3 chance if you just guess a random spot. Calling the location of the country in North America and the general location of the capital “knowing our local geography” is like me claiming to know European geography (which I certainly don’t) just because I can point to Russia, Italy, England and a few other rather distinct locations.

Oh it’s about size you mean? What is is a reasonable size for you to learn where a country is? And I mean, can you even name all the countries in, say Europe, without putting them on a map?

Funny thing about Russia. It’s mostly in Asia so I mean you’re technically correct but 🤷

KoboldCoterie 5d ago

I’m not implying that size has any relevance to importance, merely to the general chance that someone can point to it on a map. It’s a lot easier to identify Greenland than it is to identify Guatemala purely because it’s a bigger target and it’s more visible.

No, I sure can’t name all of the European countries. Can you name all of the North American countries? (Why is either at all relevant?)

And what about it? Most know where the US and Russia is because of education, not because they’re big and they can hazard a guess.

Because you talk about size and pointing out on a map as defining for geographic knowledge. Of course Europe is confusing for you if you don’t even know what the continent contains.

Can you name all of the North American countries?

Of course lol

KoboldCoterie 4d ago

Of course lol

Can you? All 23 of them? If so, good for you (not being sarcastic), but I’d be willing to bet very good money that if I went and picked 10 random Europeans that at least 8 if not all 10 would not be able to do so.

Finding Kansas is equivalent to finding Thüringen, Graubünden or Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.

Mesophar 5d ago

Actually, unironocally, kind of? Like, maybe not equating those two examples specifically, but even just looking at the EU, not even all of Europe. There are 27 countries in the EU, and 50 states in the USA. I doubt the average American (USA) would be able to name and/or label all 27 countries in the EU, but would the average citizen of the EU be able to name and/or label 27+ states in the USA? I don’t know, I don’t know what the education system is like, but I doubt it. And while yes, a state is not the same as a country, just from the land mass and population counts, the comparison isn’t too far off.

Yeah, the education in the USA sucks. It is definitely sub-par to many other countries, and definitely lacks in “worldly” knowledge. Part of that is because of lack of funding and prioritizing education. Part of it is from lack of prioritizing foreign affairs and history in the average curriculum. But part of it is also from lack of proximity. An EU citizen learning about European history makes sense. How much do EU citizens learn about the history of China and its provinces? About African countries, their conflicts and politics, and histories?

So yeah, being able to find France on the map might be equivalent to finding Kansas, but it certainly is equivalent to finding Texas or California.

How much do EU citizens learn about the history of China and its provinces? About African countries, their conflicts and politics, and histories?

Except we’re talking about the USA, you know, a country created just yesterday by Europeans. Let’s not equate this with knowing who was emperor of China 3000 BC.

Mesophar 2d ago

Who said anything about ancient history? Let’s just look at the last 200 years and see how much there is to know, or not know about those areas. Not to say anything about indiginous peoples. And geography related information? How does that have anything to do with 3000BC? I’m not saying the breadth of the history of the United States is anything compared to European or Asian histories, but unless you were alive for all of that your personal experience with recent history is just the same.