Do you know where you are in the world?

I should have worded it better. They know they are in the UK and could point that out on a map, but no idea where they are in relation to other towns and cities!

You only have to watch the afternoon TV quizzes to realise that some people don't have a clue about the locations of UK towns and cities.

Their excuse is usually, 'It's not my specialist subject.'

That’s unbelievable! I can find most countries on a world map. And I know exactly where we are in the UK and where other towns, cities, and other areas are. How can anyone not know?

I too find it hard to credit.
Does he have a general problem with spatial awareness? How does he cope with finding his way around - don't say SatNav!
Surely even the weather map must remind a person of where they live in relation to other parts of the country?

And would it not be an idea to encourage your daughter to work on this before she embarrasses herself like poor Jade Goody did years ago on Big Brother?

I know where I am
Sometimes I do ask, "who am I, where am I, what am I doing?"

But that's usually when I'm procrastinating.

It never ceases to amaze me when people have no clue in quizzes, merlotgran, although I must admit I hadn't realised exactly where Belarus was until yesterday!

Ps I did know it was next to Russia, obviously but thought it was further south.

I noticed on a day time quiz a few weeks ago that Aberystwyth had moved to Scotland, Dundee is not in Scotland- I am not sure where it has moved to and the capital of Scotland is Aberdeen. On the whole, these were 20 somethings with a degree. Admittedly in what I do not know. Media studies spring to mind!

The only time when I would hesitate to point out where I live is when the area is partly obscured by a cloud or some such thing on a weather map. Invariably we are on the peripheral of the offending object, but it’s not that much of an inconvenience as the forecast is rarely right. My UK geography is quite good, thanks to sound teaching many years ago. World wise, I think I could still trace the route of the Yangtze Kiang! I do get confused with Countries that have changed their names, or split in half. It was all so easy when the maps were mainly pink!

It’s not a problem for either one of them MawB. Not sure why the comparison to Jade Goody was mentioned. They are both intelligent individuals. This question comes up quite often on Who wants to be a millionaire ...and not everyone gets it right.

I remember an old chap who used to be on a quiz programme (please don't ask me who or which ) who said his geography teacher's report stated:

"This boy would do well to find his own way home"

Geography is very important. Don't they learn capital cities these days. Our exams consisted of a whole list of them to answer.

I am quite well travelled and I have a world map in my head but am always surprised that it is not very accurate when compared to a real map. That said I think I would do better than some quiz contestants!

I've travelled a lot so I'm pretty confident about where things are but I do sometimes get caught out by the curve of the earth and distances. You really need a globe. Sometimes connecting flights or travel times seem silly till you look at them on the globe.

I m pretty good at geography and can draw a world map roughly from memory I know where most places are both in the world and home both my grandkids who live near me are pretty good too and they told me it was the world map I had on their bedroom wall when they stayed over night that taught them we also used to play capitals when we went on car journeys
It never ceases to amaze me when intelligent people have no grasp of the world isn’t it part of general knowledge
I was talking to a young lady when my mum was in a care home she was a senior who was trusted to do all the medications I was telling her about my son living in NZ she said I m never sure where NZ is, it’s near Canada isn’t it ?
Is it lack of interest ? Lack of being bothered I don’t understand how anyone who is intelligent wouldn’t know where they are in relation to other towns or counties or even countries even if only roughly

It's even worse when they're asked a question that involves spelling as well as geography.

'Name a city that doesn't have repeated consonants in its name.'

'Truro'

EllanVannin

Geography is very important. Don't they learn capital cities these days. Our exams consisted of a whole list of them to answer.

Pretty sure they don’t !
Years ago I asked students to name some of the seven countries bordering on france. Australia was one suggestion.

My daughter is a bit like this. When she passed her test she set off due north to visit her pal who lived 30 miles away due South.She had never heard of the villages on her route.
Another time we hired a people carrier in Italy and on arriving at our farmhouse she decided to get used to driving it. Half an hour later we got a call saying she was heading to Florence on the motorway and wondered how she could get back as she didn't know where were staying!

Belarous seems to be confusing people now. I can't place it and wonder did it have another name.None of my friends know where it is either.

I think there’s a vast difference between having a poor sense of direction I do too can lose myself coming out my own house (almost) but that’s quite different to having a knowledge of geography

My youngest dd has a shocking sense of orientation. I blame t’internet. She’s the only one of us who has grown up with Google maps rather than using an atlas or paper maps.

When you look at a paper map or atlas you get a sense of the full picture but online maps by default focus on a small area and I think you don’t get that wider picture.

My dd has just moved to England and I’m not at all convinced she knows where she is, apart from that it’s in Yorkshire. ?

We once lived near Derby. I hated it there partly because I’d grown up by the sea and was used to orienting myself by the coastline whereas Derby is land-locked. I felt like I was living in no man’s land!

I’m pretty ok with World geography and the UK I know where most places are roughly. Like someone else said European countries that are now divided and renamed not so good. I would feel discombobulated not to know where I was in the World but it doesn’t seem to bother a lot of people who have no clue where they are in the U.K. never mind the World.

Poppyred

It’s not a problem for either one of them MawB. Not sure why the comparison to Jade Goody was mentioned. They are both intelligent individuals. This question comes up quite often on Who wants to be a millionaire ...and not everyone gets it right.

Sorry Poppyred - what question?
I mentioned Jade Goody because I believe she thought “East Angular” was a country. I thunk it would be equally embarrassing for a person not to know the relative position of cities or towns of a reasonable in their own country - particularly their own.

kircubbin2000

Belarous seems to be confusing people now. I can't place it and wonder did it have another name.None of my friends know where it is either.

It's south of the Baltic states - I saw it on a map the other day. It was part of the old Soviet Union and was known as Belorussia.

I thought it was further south, on the Black Sea but it's landlocked.

If anyone is interested

DS has always had an amazing sense of orientation, even as a young child. Perhaps some people are born with it.