Pop quiz
How many countries can you fill in on this map?
Link via Swerdloff, who you should all be reading.
Leave your answer below. Unscientific study in progress.
note: If anyone knows of a game like this with other parts of the world (especially U.S.) please leave the URL.
Comments
All of them. Not bad for a public school education...in California no less.
Posted by: beaker | April 17, 2003 09:56 PM
All but three:
Mali (Thought it was next to West Sahara)
Bahrain (Mixed up with Qatar)
Tajikistan (Those damned post-Soviet Stans)
I had a hard time locating this thing called "Palestine" but I assumed that it was a big chunk out of Israel that same Arabs think ought to be a second Palestinian State along with Jordan. ;)
Posted by: Laurence Simon | April 17, 2003 10:10 PM
All of them on the first try--but I'm a history/geography nerd. And I went to public school, too. In a snall town in the mountains.
Posted by: AimeeC | April 17, 2003 10:11 PM
got all of 'em!
Posted by: nathan | April 17, 2003 10:15 PM
I got 21 before I got hung up. All those equitorial African nations and former Soviet republics get me all confused-like.
Posted by: *** Dave | April 17, 2003 10:29 PM
I took it awhile ago and I think I missed about 10.
More quizzes:
http://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz/
Posted by: Irk | April 17, 2003 10:32 PM
I gots 23. Guessed on some, though.
Posted by: Sean | April 17, 2003 10:42 PM
Screwed up Mali and Tunisia, but got the rest (including the "Name the Former Soviet Republic of the Week").
My dad flew for KAL and he pointed out on the map where his god-forsaken maintenance facility was in Uzbekistan. :-)
Posted by: Brian | April 17, 2003 10:44 PM
29 -- I knew the middle east, but I got hung up on some of the African countires. i didn't know that Western Sahara was a country..
Posted by: Martin | April 17, 2003 10:52 PM
I got them all!
However, I am a geography dork.
If you want I can also list the capitals of all the countries.
Posted by: mapchic | April 17, 2003 10:56 PM
Also got almost all of them. Messed up Mali and Western Sahara (tho' I admit I had to make semi-educated guesses on one or two other equatorial African states). News junkie that I am, I had no problem with "Stanistan" after all that media saturation during Operation Enduring Freedom, and I've known the Arab/Turkic world like the back of my hand since Desert Storm. Now, if only they'd given me a shot at getting the capitals... :::snicker!:::
And I'm a public-schooler myself as well, tho' a product of a fairly well-funded and -managed suburban one, rather than the urban hellholes that make the news more often.
Quite a kewl map, too. I was very impressed with the folks who posted it, until I saw that on their main page they included a prominent link to a list of anti-war teachers' organizations. This, from a publication that makes such a show of emphasizing teaching about war. The indoctrination begins earlier and earlier...
Posted by: Charlie | April 17, 2003 11:02 PM
I got all but three - all those 'stans tripped me up (and I mislabeled Western Sahara as Mauritania at first).
Posted by: David S. | April 17, 2003 11:04 PM
Probably missed about 10 of them, but don't blame me on our public education system, because I've always been worthless in geography. Good grades in high school and college, and here I am happy that I got Iran and Iraq right. Sad...
Posted by: Steve Gigl | April 17, 2003 11:06 PM
This is sad. I've been to five of these places, but could only ID two. That's what my newfound fascination with California wine does to me.
Posted by: Boo | April 17, 2003 11:12 PM
All of them. I've always been better at geography then other subjects like math and spilling
Posted by: Michael Wagner | April 17, 2003 11:40 PM
Time to buy a new atlas. I was unaware that they are now calling part of Morocco "Western Sahara." Or maybe I should go back to collecting stamps. That's a great way to keep track of new and old countries.
Posted by: Andrea Harris | April 17, 2003 11:46 PM
Had Mauritania and Mali backwards. Had Armenia and Azerbaijan backwards. Got the rest on the first try.
Posted by: Jeff Medcalf | April 17, 2003 11:54 PM
All of 'em here too. The Spousal Unit missed three...the former Soviet 'Stans.
Posted by: feste | April 18, 2003 12:01 AM
Here are some more, including the states!
http://www.maps.com/learn/games/
Posted by: Mason | April 18, 2003 12:37 AM
sigh Missed four. I reversed Mali and Niger and then couldn't for the lofe of me keep Bahrain and Oman straight. Even when they were the only two left I kept trying to drop Bahrain's name onto Oman.
What? Me stubborn? Nah.
Posted by: Nothus | April 18, 2003 12:44 AM
Umm, the map is wrong.
It shows Qatar as an island, when in point of fact Qatar shares its eastern border with Saudi Arabia.
Here's a more accurate depiction: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/qa.html
Not that I'm some kind of geography freak or anything, its just that a recent issue of National Geographic (a former employer of 'Benedict Arnett') ran a feature on Qatar, and when I read it, I remember thinking "I'll be damned. I didn't know that Qatar bordered Saudi Arabia."
Classic. The folks behind the map describe themselves as 'activist teachers' who 'advocate the reform of elementary and secondary education, with a strong emphasis on issues of equity and social justice'.
A good starting place for achieving social justice might be to get the friggin' map right.
Truth be told, I'm a product of public education. I want my money back.
Posted by: Felix | April 18, 2003 12:49 AM
Umm, the map is wrong.
It shows Qatar as an island, when in point of fact Qatar shares its western border with Saudi Arabia.
Here's a more accurate depiction: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/qa.html
Not that I'm some kind of geography freak or anything, its just that a recent issue of National Geographic (a former employer of 'Benedict Arnett') ran a feature on Qatar, and when I read it, I remember thinking "I'll be damned. I didn't know that Qatar bordered Saudi Arabia."
Classic. The folks behind the map describe themselves as 'activist teachers' who 'advocate the reform of elementary and secondary education, with a strong emphasis on issues of equity and social justice'.
A good starting place for achieving social justice might be to get the friggin' map right.
Truth be told, I'm a product of public education. I want my money back.
Posted by: Felix | April 18, 2003 12:50 AM
Umm, the map is wrong.
It shows Qatar as an island, when in point of fact Qatar shares its southern border with Saudi Arabia.
Here's a more accurate depiction: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/qa.html
Not that I'm some kind of geography freak or anything, its just that a recent issue of National Geographic (a former employer of 'Benedict Arnett') ran a feature on Qatar, and when I read it, I remember thinking "I'll be damned. I didn't know that Qatar bordered Saudi Arabia."
Classic. The folks behind the map describe themselves as 'activist teachers' who 'advocate the reform of elementary and secondary education, with a strong emphasis on issues of equity and social justice'.
A good starting place for achieving social justice might be to get the friggin' map right.
Truth be told, I'm a product of public education. I want my money back.
Posted by: Felix | April 18, 2003 12:50 AM
All but four.
I mixed up Niger and Mali, and had considerable trouble with the 'Stans. Otherwise I'd have been okay.
Posted by: Chris Anderson | April 18, 2003 01:00 AM
Took me a while, but I can't remember if Dallas is North or South of where we live.
I'm geography challenged.
Posted by: Mrs. du Toit | April 18, 2003 01:01 AM
All but two: Mixed up Bahrain/Qatar and Tajik/Kyrgyz.
Posted by: Floyd McWilliams | April 18, 2003 01:52 AM
All but the 4 former Soviet 'stans' on the first try... (looks like their boards of tourism have their work cut out for them). The game would be a lot more challenging if it were programmed to do them only in alphabetical order, so you couldn't do the easy ones first.
Posted by: mocha | April 18, 2003 01:54 AM
Damn...I was all proud because I got all the 'stans...and then I completely failed Africa save for Egypt and Libya.
Posted by: JimK | April 18, 2003 04:46 AM
I reversed Bahrain and Qatar in the gulf and got 3 wrong in Africa. I guessed (correctly) on a couple of the 'stans.
-- Erik
Posted by: Erik | April 18, 2003 07:17 AM
I missed Tajikstan, and for some reason kept wanting to put Oman and UAE where Yemen is. And I thought something was fishy with Qatar!
Posted by: Solonor | April 18, 2003 07:22 AM
I blew all the post-USSR stans, but then I've never gone out of my way to learn any of them either. My education is not only public, but mostly out of schools run by the Department of Defense.
Posted by: Chad | April 18, 2003 08:13 AM
I got all of africa right, I got the "stans" right because I paid attention to where our troops went into Afganastan from. I go t most of the middle east right, messed up Quatar and Oman and one or two others, but they don't really count do they?
Posted by: Tim | April 18, 2003 08:27 AM
All but two:
I mixed up Qatar and UAE,
and Oman/Yemen.
Posted by: IB Bill | April 18, 2003 08:34 AM
my geography is rusty. i've been at my job for six years, and six years ago i was required to study a destination map, and i nailed all 300 of our cities worldwide (including malaysia, thanks very much). but since i work mostly with europe on a daily basis, i'm better at that... i did okay with africa but the middle east stumped me. when i got hired i only mixed up sfo and lax.
Posted by: michelle | April 18, 2003 09:27 AM
The minor countries on the Arabian peninsula and four of the 'stans gave me trouble. (Would you like to buy a vowel, Kyrgyzstan?) So out of 35, figure about a 27 for me.
Posted by: Dave | April 18, 2003 09:36 AM
I got Mali and Maurituana mixed up, but otherwise I was perfect.
Posted by: Chris Lawrence | April 18, 2003 10:09 AM
Got em all eventually. I screwed up on Mali, Mauritania and one or two of the former Soviet stans.
Posted by: Jay | April 18, 2003 10:27 AM
I missed three of them (Mali, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan).
Posted by: Chris Ruzin | April 18, 2003 10:45 AM
I bungled the 4 -istan ex-Soviet republics,
confusing Krzyghqxj-ptuistan with T-like-to-buy-a-vowel-istan. :-( They're all Transoxiana the way I figure it.
Posted by: Luke Jones | April 18, 2003 10:53 AM
I did pretty lousy. Not so hot on the countries SW of Saudi Arabia, poor in Western Africa, poor in the former SSRs.
I would have done better with a map of the Classical era, though...
Posted by: Jon | April 18, 2003 11:02 AM
Missed two:
Tried to put Niger where Mauritania is and tried to put Turkmenistan where Tajikstan is.
Posted by: Thundar | April 18, 2003 11:02 AM
100% But I went to school starting in 1959, so I remember geography. Also, I'm a bookworm who follows politics and shifting countries.
Elizabeth
Imperial Keeper of Killer Lagomorphs
Posted by: Elizabeth | April 18, 2003 11:03 AM
Actually, Qatar is a peninsula that shares its SOUTHERN border (see link) with Saudi Arabia (and is quite close to the UAE as well). As for the map being wrong, I just interpret the problem being primarily one of scale. As zoomed out as it is, the connection between Qatar and Saudi Arabia is quite small.
Posted by: Thundar | April 18, 2003 11:11 AM
100% A good way to remember the Stans NE of Iran. They start with TURKmenistan (closest one to Turkey) and are placed: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan which is almost a mnemonic for TURK. Close no cigar, but it works for me.
Posted by: Bob | April 18, 2003 11:24 AM
I tried all the ..stan's before getting Kyrgyzstan right. Once that fell into place I got the others right though.
Mixed up Bahrain and Qatar.
Mixed up UAE and Oman.
Got the equatorial African states right (some were lucky guesses).
Posted by: Mike | April 18, 2003 12:20 PM
I goofed on a few of the former Soviet States.
Posted by: anti-opiate89107 | April 18, 2003 02:11 PM
Almost all of 'em.
I can never remember which 'stan goes where (so sue me, I learned my geography back when it was all "USSR"), and since when is "Western Sahara" a fricken' country? (Or "Palestine", for that matter, but I knew wht they meant, at least).
Posted by: Sigivald | April 18, 2003 02:58 PM
The equatorial African (except for Chad) and former Soviet republics messed me up. The others I was able to properly place on the map.
Of course, I'd usually break out an Atlas for any of the nations I was unable to place. That's what they're for, after all. :)
Posted by: Patrick Chester | April 18, 2003 04:18 PM
I was on a roll until I hit central Africa, drat!
Posted by: Mike Messina | April 18, 2003 04:22 PM
Hmmmm...I work for an export company and I couldn't get them right. sigh I got 17 on the first try and I knew which were African countries and which belonged in the Middle East, but I kept wanting to put the Emirates down near Yemen. g
At least now I know them! ;)
Posted by: Susansuth | April 18, 2003 06:50 PM
A three or four took a couple of tries to localize - I didn't put any 'stans in Africa, but I didn;t know precisely where Mali went, either - but most of them were easy.
Posted by: Dodd | April 18, 2003 08:01 PM
Do misclicks count? Took me 3 tries to get friggin Bahrain into that tiny dot.
Apart from that I mixed up Yemen and Oman...naturally. I ALWAYS mixed those two buggers up in high school.
Posted by: Mike | April 18, 2003 09:35 PM
~23 straight out (ME + N Africa)
Guessed wrong on Armenia/Azerbaijan (then realized "Oh yeah, Armenia is the small one :P")
Missed a couple soviet 'Stans (once one fell, the rest were easy)
Blew the equitorial african states.(Chad/Sudan switched, Niger/Mali switched, Maruitania left by process of elimination)
Posted by: Chris C. | April 18, 2003 10:06 PM
20 before I gave up.
Posted by: SteveB | April 19, 2003 12:10 AM
I flunked it (55% wrong), but then again, geography was my worst subject in school. As an aside, I was checking out the site it was on, Rethinking Schools.
From their website " Founded in 1986 by activist teachers, Rethinking Schools is a nonprofit, independent publisher of educational materials. We advocate the reform of elementary and secondary education, with a strong emphasis on issues of equity and social justice."
They also share the same physical address as the Peace Action Center (Green Party) in Wisconsin. My thought after reading some of the educational material on the website is it is revisionism and indoctrination in the classroom.
Posted by: Mel | April 19, 2003 07:50 AM
I liked doing that, but the actual site made me cringe.
Posted by: Karrie | April 19, 2003 10:34 AM
Missed all the former Soviet 'Stans and half the countries in Africa... I suck...
Posted by: Dave | April 19, 2003 02:18 PM
I have to agree with Karrie. I went through my undergrad years at college with the idea that I'd be teaching high-school physics. Got my BS, then started grad school and found out what kind of bullshit I'd have to put up with (not from the kids). Decided teaching wasn't the direction I wanted to go in. Now I'm stuck with student loan debt and trying to figure out a new direction. hehe
Posted by: Mike | April 19, 2003 04:00 PM
Western Sahara is not a country. It's de facto part of Morocco. The UN has been trying to figure out what to do with it for several decades now and still doesn't have an answer (why am I not surprised?)
Posted by: Jay S. | April 19, 2003 07:21 PM
I got down to about 6 (mostly in Africa)before I started guessing in a big way. Aside from that I didn't get Yemen right away and mixed up two of the smaller 'stans.
Posted by: Dave Himrich | April 19, 2003 10:37 PM