[Clive]
Those dumb Yanks can barely find Britain on the map… How many times have I heard snide comments like that since 9/11? Well, if the latest score in an online transatlantic quiz is any guide, the two countries are more tightly matched than the cynics might imagine:
The 2006 Geography Cup, a collaboration between a geography campaigner from Atlanta and a teacher from Oxfordshire, allows contestants two minutes to place 10 randomly selected countries on an interactive map, and answer three topical questions. Most people are flummoxed by the Pacific Island states, such as Tuvalu, and the Caribbean Islands. They are also a little hazy about the location of countries in Africa. And that is true for players on both sides of the Atlantic.
"It really is neck and neck," said Daniel Raven-Ellison, who teaches geography at a school in Woodcote, south Oxfordshire. "A lot of Brits take the mick out of Americans for not having knowledge about geography, but this might take people aback."
You can register for the test here. I tried to sign in just now, but the computer at the other end wouldn’t let me, because it seems to think I don’t live in the UK. Ah, well…
UPDATE: Some American readers are having trouble logging in, too. So is someone from New Jersey. Sorry, DRK – cheap shot. I have good friends in Jersey as a matter of fact. Honest.
The Dish 