Ok, look at this map of the middle east. Can you find Iraq? <br><br><br><br><br>Roughly 85 percent of young Americans could not find Afghanistan, Iraq, or Israel on a map, despite 3 years of war in Iraq (or should we say 15?) <br><br>How about these choice tidbits:<br><blockquote><br>• Americans ages 18 to 24 came in next to last among nine countries in the Global Geographic Literacy Survey<br><br>• Fewer than 4 in 10 could place Iraq on an unlabeled map of the Middle East. Only about one-quarter of respondents could find Iran and Israel on the same map<br><br>• nearly 30 percent of those surveyed could not find the Pacific Ocean, the world’s largest body of water!<br></blockquote><br><br>Wow, that last one is bad.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>

I admit geography has never been a favorite subject of mine but, it's hard not to know all those countries now. However, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Roughly 85 percent of young Americans couldn't find Iowa on a map.<br><br>

I was a stamp collector back when I was a kid. Nothing like stamp collecting to give you a sense of geography and of linguistic differences.<br><br>. . . . . Here's lookin' at [color:red]you</font color=red> kid.

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>I wouldn't be surprised at all if Roughly 85 percent of young Americans couldn't find Iowa on a map<p><hr></blockquote><p>You're close. From the study:<br><br><blockquote>Most respondents could find Louisiana and Mississippi, but still more than one-third failed to find those two states that were the subject of daily news coverage after the onslaught of hurricanes Katrina and Rita last year.</blockquote><br><br>

But nobody goes to Iowa for spring break...so why should they know where it is?<br><br>Old farts, the hidden caulk of civilization. Jim Atkinson<br>

Its really the Medias fault - they only show death and mayhem - be nice if they included a frigging MAP along with the news cast maybe that would help young Americans<br><br>

Carp, young Americans don't bother with news. They're too wrapped up in really important things like MySpace.com and text messaging. <br><br>

Sheeeiiit, I couldn't find Iowa on a map if it weren't for the fact that my sister went to medical school there! And why would I? What the hell good is Iowa, they have a crappy college football team, no NBA team, no NFL team and well, it just doesn't look like a fun place to live! <br><br>

Iowa is the home of the Russet potato - so there ya go<br><br>

If Iowa were a country rather than a state, it would rank in the top ten countries in the world for gunshot deaths per head of population per year... why Iowa?<br><br>- Padmavyuha<br><br>[color:purple]A lopsided man runs best along the little side-hills of success<br>- Frank Moore Colby</font color=purple>