- Travel quiz reveals which states have the most ‘worldly wisdom’.
- Rhode Islanders are the most knowledgeable, Lousianans and North Dakotans the least.
- Interactive quiz available to readers can test their own worldy wisdom.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
When it comes to international travel, it is a long standing, and perhaps unfair, stereotype that American tourists are geographically illiterate. Other reports ponder whether we should feel embarrassed about our general geographical knowledge (or lack thereof, apparently) .
VALENTINE’S DAY ON THE LAM https://theridgewoodblog.net/valentines-day-on-the-lam/
This perception may be changing in post-covid times, as international destinations long for American tourists, but how do we quantify our geographical knowledge within our own borders?
Aqua Expeditions, a recognized global leader in luxury small-ship expeditions, quizzed 3,013 people to determine if the country’s proficiency in well-known world landmarks is up to scratch. The quiz revealed that overall, Americans scored 47% when tested on their knowledge of global geographical landmarks.
Taken in isolation, it is hard to interpret this result, however, when broken down by state, Aqua Expeditions were able to identify where the most ‘worldly wise’ Americans reside in the country. It emerged that New Jerseyans are among the least knowledgeable in the nation when it comes to international travel – they scored 46% – below the national average and in 27th place overall.
Rhode Islanders emerged in 1st position with a brilliant score of 89%, which was the highest in the nation. Comparatively, however, Louisianans and North Dakotans both emerged in last (50th) position with a dismal 23% score.
Results, revealed in detail…
When asked the following questions, respondents picked some interesting answer options:
In which country is the island of Bali located?
47% of people answered this correctly: Indonesia.
But 32% incorrectly thought the island is off India.
5% thought it was off Iran (which is, in fact, a largely landlocked country!)
Lastly, 16% incorrectly answered Italy.
Through which continent does the Amazon River flow through?
59% of people answered correctly with: South America.
5% incorrectly thought it was in Europe.
And 25% even believed it runs through Africa (wrong!)
Finally, 11% incorrectly assumed the Amazon flows through Asia.
Which city is home to a landmark designed by Gustave Eiffel?
59% got this question right. The answer is of course, Paris.
While 10% incorrectly thought the answer was Rome.
8% wrongly answered: Berlin.
Perhaps concerningly, almost 1 in 4 (23%) thought the correct answer was New York.
Which one of the following countries does the Mekong River flow through?
A tougher question – 41% knew that the correct answer was Cambodia.
However, 13% thought it flowed through Hungary.
28% wrongly answered: South Korea.
Finally, 18% identified the Mekong River as flowing through Brazil.
Where are the Pyramids of Giza?
Fortunately, 79% of respondents answered this correctly: Egypt.
But 10% hilariously thought the pyramids were located at the Luxor in Las Vegas!
5% thought the answer was Mexico, which wasn’t a bad guess, given the country is home to numerous Mayan pyramids.
And 6% incorrectly answered: Morocco.
On a more local scale: Which River formed the Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA?
57% of people answered correctly: the Colorado River.
However, 8% incorrectly thought it was the Mississippi River.
And 4% wrongly answered: the Arkansas River.
31% were wrong in thinking it was the Rio Grande River.
Aqua Expeditions has created an interactive quiz so that readers can test their own geographical knowledge, and compare to others (click on ’embed’ to host the quiz on your own site).
“They say that travel broadens the mind,” says Gabriela Henrichwark of Aqua Expeditions. “Visiting new places not only provides the opportunity to immerse yourself in a new culture and learn new things, but can also motivate the interest and urge to keep learning a wealth of new information!”
Notes for Editors
How each state scored (% correct):
1 Rhode Island 89
2 South Dakota 79
3 Vermont 75
4 Delaware 69
5 Alaska 67
6 Colorado 67
7 Kansas 65
8 Nevada 65
9 Maryland 61
10 Washington 61
11 Connecticut 59
12 Arizona 56
13 Massachusetts 54
14 Idaho 53
15 Montana 53
16 Ohio 52
17 Florida 51
18 Hawaii 51
19 Nebraska 51
20 Wisconsin 51
21 Texas 49
22 New Hampshire 48
23 North Carolina 48
24 California 47
25 Maine 47
26 New York 47
27 New Jersey 46
28 Minnesota 45
29 Oklahoma 45
30 Oregon 45
31 South Carolina 45
32 Pennsylvania 44
33 Utah 44
34 Georgia 43
35 Tennessee 43
36 Virginia 43
37 Kentucky 42
38 Alabama 40
39 Missouri 40
40 Illinois 39
41 Michigan 39
42 New Mexico 39
43 Iowa 38
44 Indiana 36
45 West Virginia 36
46 Wyoming 36
47 Arkansas 35
48 Mississippi 33
49 Louisiana 23
50 North Dakota 23
I missed Granada