How do you measure up?
I'll admit it.
I'm a nerd when it comes to geography.
I once spent an entire summer filling a three-ring binder with information about every country on the map: Capital city, major languages, relgions, literacy rates, largest imports and exports, flags. I studied it obsessively, intent on winning the local geography bee that fall.
I was crushed to find out that current events -- which I hadn't been paying attention to -- were a significant part of the contest. I came in second, but I was disappointed. All that work for nothing.
In college, a friend who was going to study in Spain told me she had to check if Spain was a country or a continent when she first looked into the program She was pretty embarrassed.
It's understandable, though. Schools focus more on history than geography and current events. It's kind of sad, really, when you think about how we've become so intertwined globally. If it weren't for maps on the nightly news, how many of you could pick out Afghanistan or Iraq on a map? What about all those new Eastern European nations?
Yeah, I'm a dork. I know. But the way I look at it, this makes up for my horrific lack of knowledge of basic pop culture. (Brintey/Lindsay/Paris -- they all blend together in my mind).
Click here to see how well you do at identifying the 50 states in our very own country. I got them all -- except two, when I clicked too fast and hit Mississippi instead of Arkansas and again when the mouse slid on Indiana instead of Illinois.
Post a comment and tell me your score, no matter how embarrassing!
buffy · July 13, 2007 3:12 PM
Why doesn't it surprise me that you spent an entire summer filling a three-ring binder with information about every country on the map. Only you, Jen. Your obsessiveness is part of why we love you so, though.
Laura · July 13, 2007 3:21 PM
Well, at least I broke 100? hahaha.. That's hard! Sad, huh?
Carmen · July 13, 2007 3:23 PM
My score was 120. But I think that is overstating my knowledge. I realized that everything in the Midwest down to Texas all blurs together for me! How embarrassing!
bil · July 14, 2007 1:49 PM
JB aced it. Vermont's the one shaped like a V, she says, not NH-- good way to remember. The rest are easy, eh? When she traveled, she was, indeed, paying attention.
Salvatrice · July 14, 2007 2:28 PM
122...i couldn't even get all the states i've lived in correctly! you'd almost think i'm the girl who didn't know if spain was a country...
Jen · July 14, 2007 3:48 PM
You guys make me laugh! Better hit the maps because I see another quiz in your future! :)
monica · July 16, 2007 9:12 AM
I got 139. There was a time I could get them all. I definitely remember having to memorize the maps in grade school and high school, even college...leave it to the nuns and priests!! Great blog!
MIKE EL · July 19, 2007 4:46 PM
OH SURE! JUST A SLIP OF THE MOUSE, HUH? I'LL GIVE YOU THAT, BUT DO YOU KNOW EACH STATES CAPITAL, BIRD, FLOWER, AND MOTTO??? TSK, TSK... I'M DISSAPPOINTED. :P
MIKE EL(AGAIN) · July 19, 2007 4:49 PM
YOU PEOPLE CALL YOURSEVES CITIZENS? HAVENT YOU EVER TAKEN 5TH GRADE GEOGRAPHY, BEFORE??? OH BTW- PERFECT SCORE POR MI!;)))
Laura · August 2, 2007 8:15 PM
146!