<p>Americans are making Mercator blush:</p>
<p>Americans</a> Try To Place European Countries On A Map</p>
<p>The best one:
<a href="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2013-11/enhanced/webdr03/26/18/enhanced-buzz-wide-4136-1385507526-10.jpg%5B/url%5D">http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2013-11/enhanced/webdr03/26/18/enhanced-buzz-wide-4136-1385507526-10.jpg</a></p>
<p>Everyone got Russia. Amazing.</p>
<p>I think you mean why we DO need AP Geography</p>
<p>Brits do a pretty good job with the US, considering:
[It's</a> Thanksgiving So We Asked Brits To Label The United States ? We’re So Sorry, America](<a href=“http://www.buzzfeed.com/robinedds/its-thanksgiving-so-we-asked-some-brits-to-label-the-us-stat]It’s”>It's Thanksgiving So We Asked Brits To Label The United States — We're So Sorry, America)</p>
<p>It would be really embarrassing to see what Americans do with Canadian provinces.</p>
<p>Isn’t this a pretty good argument FOR AP Geo? </p>
<p>We’re bad at geography. Everyone knows it. It’s a running joke. It has been for decades.</p>
<p>OTOH, Google “American map according to an Australian”. I won’t post here because it’s got some strong language…</p>
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<p>Or Mexican states. Or Indian states. Or Chinese provinces. Or the countries of the United Kingdom.</p>
<p>But then how many people would be familiar with the political subdivisions of some other country?</p>
<p>True, ucb. </p>
<p>But just look at when Americans try to label (or even name!) states in America. I know I can’t even get all the “square” states right (I even have trouble with NE states).</p>
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<p>Why the sarcasm --or the joke-- in the title and in “Americans are making Mercator blush” should have been obvious. </p>
<p>PS This is a description of the AP course. </p>
<p><a href=“Supporting Students from Day One to Exam Day – AP Central | College Board”>Supporting Students from Day One to Exam Day – AP Central | College Board;
<p>and the reference to Mercator:
<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercator_1569_world_map[/url]”>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercator_1569_world_map</a></p>
<p>Isn’t going to war God’s way of teaching Americans geography?</p>
<p>Sorry, didn’t detect the sarcasm.</p>
<p>Oh, I forgot it’s Human Geo and not Physical Geo. Been out of hs too long ;)</p>
<p>^xiggi, this is hysterical!!! Lololol, but really it is sad:( When I came to US at the age of 26 and coming from a third world country (Dom Rep), I couldn’t understand how americans don’t know geography, not just world geography but even US. The same is History:( It is beyond me that with the opportunities given in this beautiful country people don’t learn about what’s out there. I’m so glad my S goes to a HS magnet for Center of International Studies and the concentration is heavy on not just geography, history, religion, politics and so on…already visited China, Eastern Europe and Japan</p>
<p>As long as people understand why Europeans are more familiar with their surrounding countries than America is, then they can giggle on. </p>
<p>I, for one, enjoyed this greatly. The same thoughts that were on the paper were in my head. :D</p>
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China has provinces?</p>
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<p>Not exactly. Many of them left the Kaliningrad Oblast part of Russia blank. Of those who filled it in, only one got it correct that it was part of Russia (other answers were Estonia, Lithuania, and Sweden). The one who got it correct also got most of the rest of the demarcated countries correct (except labeling Bosnia and Herzegovina as Kosovo, and Serbia as Bosnia and Herzegovina, and leaving Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia blank).</p>
<p>I remember they year I took the AP HuG exam, the last free response had a part where you had to label part of Europe that had increased Muslim population. Man, the look on everyone’s faces was priceless!</p>
<p><a href=“Supporting Students from Day One to Exam Day – AP Central | College Board”>Supporting Students from Day One to Exam Day – AP Central | College Board;
Question number three. Students had to identify three countries.</p>
<p>Ouch. I’d like to see the same thing done with, say, African countries…</p>
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<p>Here is a map of China with provinces in different colors (but no names):
[China</a> Map - China Satellite Image - Physical - Political](<a href=“http://geology.com/world/china-satellite-image.shtml]China”>China Map and Satellite Image)</p>
<p>Here is a map of China with the province names, if you need the answers:
[Administrative</a> Map of China - Nations Online Project](<a href=“http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/china_administrative_map2.htm]Administrative”>http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/china_administrative_map2.htm)</p>
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<p>Sorry, but that’s a weakness of you. Not of Americans. I can very quickly and accurately name and place every state in the US. I could do the same for Canadian provinces as well. Though I will admit, I could not map out the provinces of China, the same way that Chinese students would not be able to name and place the states of the US. </p>
<p>Never trust these things. They find the dumbest people they can find to make a sensational story. It’s like porn to some people.</p>
<p>No, many of us forget our geography post HS. Also- as the years go by they change borders and names! Haven’t bothered to learn the former USSR countries and the newly created ones in southern Europe. Others had personal meaning although I forget how to order the 3 near Russia. I also have trouble with New Hampshire/Vermont and some of the other New England area states. They’re so tiny (should all be one state). For a huge population it is obvious where those are and you can go through many states in one day but for the rest of us it doesn’t matter.</p>
<p>I remember learning the countries of Africa in HS- my one year older sister’s year they were changing as the year went on. Then they changed some again decades later. I certainly don’t expect most Brits to know our country’s states. Nor have I had reason to understand Chinese geography when the central government is so strong the same rules are applied all over and diversity ignored. Unless information is relevant in everyday life it doesn’t matter if you have to look it up. Memorizing geography and many other things can be forgotten when not used. I could put groups of countries in a part of a continent but don’t have a reason to know precisely where. Traveling the US is the way to learn exactly which state in a region is where.</p>
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<p>Most of the former USSR countries are near Russia. Of the 14 countries other than Russia that came from the USSR, 8 of them border Russia.</p>
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<p>China does have variation in governmental rules, economic development, and cultural things across different areas. There are political grievances associated with ethnic minorities in China, and not the same ones for different ethnic minorities.</p>
<p>Of course, when looking at a foreign country, most people do not look as closely at internal subdivisions and variations within the country. So some people may not even know of (for example) the existence of ethnic minorities in other countries.</p>
<p>It’s pretty funny although I have to admit that right now I would also fail the African continent or the Chinese provinces but I’d do fine with the rest of the world. My H collects globes and they are so fun to take down and look at the changes that have occurred over time. The kids always had fun doing that when they were taking geography and young. Ironically #2 is graduating this year with a minor in geography…</p>
<p>I agree–we do NOT need AP Geography. Geography of any kind will do. Too many AP courses already. If high school kids can actually do college work, then let’s do away with high school and send them all to college at age 15!! (key the sarcasm and cynicism)</p>
