You feel my pain now Ying.

I agree with Astral, Geography must be an acquired trait similar to complex mathematical skills, the ability to play with language, and the level of intuition required in the fields of psychology and diplomacy. Not everyone has them, and not everyone cares to either.

Originally Posted by Lupos

I agree with Astral, Geography must be an acquired trait similar to complex mathematical skills, the ability to play with language, and the level of intuition required in the fields of psychology and diplomacy. Not everyone has them, and not everyone cares to either.

I disagree that geography is that complicated. Most of it is memorization. If you aren't taught it, and you don't study it, you aren't going to learn it. Just about anyone with the proper instruction and interest can learn geography.

I think crux is that most people just don't care or have an interest. Maps are usually labeled anyway, so they figure "Why do I need to memorize this stuff?"

Originally Posted by Lord Londonderry

Latest survey coducted in the US concludes that 6 in 10 Americans don't know where to locate Iraq on a map of the world.

We are in good hands!!!!!!!!!!!

that would be 6 out of 10 for YOUNG AMERICANS between 18 and 24.

http://news.google.com/news?oe=UTF-8...7-2.html&hl=en

what tickles me to death is that 10% could even find the United States

Originally Posted by bulldogg

Its not confined to any group, the high school kids I tutor are Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, Thai, Indonesian and 90% can't find China on the map and THEY ARE IN IT. I am appalled and astounded.

From my personal xp I blaim the new way of teaching kids. Nowadays education has to be "problem solving" They learn how to look up info, how to work with computers etc. So they have to do an assignment and they have every liberty how to do it. Only the popular methods are used and others just fade away.
Learning topography is a specific way of learning. You just sit down and hammer it into your skull. Kids don't really like that and the policy-makers thought this was an old fashion way of learning and discarted it. All of a sudden kids/people haven't become stupid, they just never learned skills like "where is Iraq".

Originally Posted by PJ24

I disagree that geography is that complicated. Most of it is memorization. If you aren't taught it, and you don't study it, you aren't going to learn it. Just about anyone with the proper instruction and interest can learn geography.

I think crux is that most people just don't care or have an interest. Maps are usually labeled anyway, so they figure "Why do I need to memorize this stuff?"

Sorry for the 2nd right after the other, but I missed this one. I agree that Topography is plain study. You just have to learn where is what! But the science of Geography is so much more complicated and of much bigger scope.... But I just happen to be one of those well informed geography-lovers!

Originally Posted by Ted

Sorry for the 2nd right after the other, but I missed this one. I agree that Topography is plain study. You just have to learn where is what! But the science of Geography is so much more complicated and of much bigger scope.... But I just happen to be one of those well informed geography-lovers!

Maybe it is just because I have always had an interest in it, but I really do not find it to be all that complicated, not on the scale it is being compared to. I'm not saying it can't get complicated, but all it takes is proper instruction and/or little effort and anyone can get in to it.

Just can't agree that it's all that difficult if you're interested in learning.

If you are really interested in learning nothing is really difficult, within certain limits. On a whole geography is an instructional subject which can be used to learn skills like math, how to do research, a bit of physics, nowadays some computer science. Most of it is general and easy to learn when you put your mind to it. I used topography as a start. Kids had to learn so they new where things were when we discussed them.; again it is instrumental. The hard geography came in Uni. But it never reached the abstract level of say quantum physics.... thank God for that!

Enlighten yourselves...

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/geography.htm

Originally Posted by The Cooler King

Enlighten yourselves...

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/geography.htm

Cool, thanks man.