Two-thirds in U.S. 18 to 24 can't locate Iraq on a map
Dallas Morning News
May. 3, 2006

Robert Dodge
WASHINGTON - Nearly two-thirds of young adults cannot find Iraq on a map even after three years of war and more than 2,400 U.S. deaths. And following months of continuing news coverage of Gulf Coast hurricanes, one-third cannot locate Louisiana.

Those were among the findings of a Roper poll released Tuesday by the National Geographic Society that detailed an alarming deficiency in geographic literacy.

The survey of 510 participants, ages 18 to 24, shows young Americans cannot find many countries prominently featured in the news. And their knowledge gap goes beyond locating nations on a map. Many show little interest in critical geographic knowledge and relationships about global politics, economics and language. advertisement




The results raised fresh questions about prospects for young Americans to prosper and be secure in a shrinking world, National Geographic Society officials said.

And they underscored the challenges facing the United States if its citizens do not understand the forces shaping global activity, such as trade, natural disasters and wars.

The survey follows a similar National Geographic poll in 2002 in which Americans scored second to last on overall geographic knowledge, behind Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan and Sweden.

"Geographic illiteracy impacts our economic well-being, our relationships with other nations and the environment, and isolates us from our world,"
said John Fahey, National Geographic's chief executive. "Geography is what helps us make sense of our world by showing the connections between people and places."

He urged more education and greater public awareness of geographic literacy.

The latest poll was conducted in December and January.

The survey, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points, was conducted in the homes of respondents and each lasted nearly a half-hour, yielding insights that went well beyond simple country-finding skills.

"Young Americans are alarmingly ignorant of the relationships between places that give context to world events," the National Geographic Society concluded.

For instance, 71 percent do not know that the United States is the world's largest exporter of goods and services. And 74 percent believe English is the primary language spoken by the most people in the world. It is actually Mandarin Chinese.