40 Times Individuals Demonstrated A Stunning Lack Of Knowledge In Geography
Interview With Expert
We’ve gathered some of the worst examples of folks being deeply ignorant about other counties and still posting their thoughts online. From lacking even the simplest idea of geography to having nonsensical ideas about other places, some people should perhaps open up a map at least once.
We also got in touch with travel writer and adventure Vicky from vickyflipfloptravels.com and she was kind enough to answer some of our questions about travel as a way to expand your mind. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote the worst examples and be sure to share your own experiences in the comments below.
More info: Vickyflipfloptravels.com
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Africa Is So Confusing
When we moved to Swaziland in the 60s, it was interesting how much of our mail had arrived via Switzerland
Don't Have A Cashapp
I (a Canadian) was just in the States and they still take your credit card from your table at the restaurant!! We've had the chip and tap here for a long time, and there's machines that they bring right to the table to make payments. Americans are so far behind on payment technology. We also don't have the penny in Canada either, and every time I'm in the USA I remember how much the penny sucks.
Poor Indians
Not to mention that even if they were actually Native Americans, that doesn't change the fact that poverty on reservations is a problem
Bored Panda got in touch with travel writer and adventure Vicky from vickyflipfloptravels.com to learn more about travel, a fantastic way to avoid making a fool of yourself online, and she was kind enough to share some of her thoughts. First and foremost, we wanted to know what she would have told her younger self, if she could.
“Get yourself to South America! Pick somewhere to stay for a few months and settle in a bit to explore deeper,” she shared. Interestingly, she may have picked up on the region's growing popularity with digital nomads, who are flocking to the continent.
Europe Is A Continent
When You Try To Roast Europe For Not Being Knowledgeable Enough About Coffee, But Europe Has A Reverse Uno Card Up Its Sleeve
Ngl coffee terms confuse me. But then I don't drink coffee or tea so I don't need to know them.
Hint Hint
Of course, traveling is easier said than done, with any degree of comfort costing money. So we wanted to know her opinion on paying for convenience versus trying to make your money go as far as possible. “Whatever works for you! I spent years backpacking on a shoestring, staying in hostels, and always choosing the cheapest option.”
Apparently Cleopatra Vii Was African American
Cleopatra was Greek. She was a descendent of Alexander the Greats general, Ptolemy I Soter, who was Macedonian Greek.
America Is The Reason You Have Cars
Lost Brain Cells Reading This Twitter Thread
“Now that I'm a bit older I'm happy to pay for comfort and will splash out on experiences rather than just watching others do them, or looking for the cheap things to do in a destination. Both are perfectly valid ways to travel!” she shared with Bored Panda. The important thing is to make sure you don’t end up wasting your time on unearned hype, expensive or not.
It's Spelled Australia*
That Awkward Moment When You Can't Tell The Difference Between The Flag Of Mexico And Italy
Wait… Spain Is In South America?
Lastly, if you are afraid of ending up like some of these folks and want to travel, we asked Vicky to share some tips. “Learn a few local words, look for the best places to visit, and seek out some unique experiences too. Research bloggers who've been there and done that, and see if they have useful tried and tested advice that will make your trip go smoother.”
For Pride Month, My City (Not In Lithuania) Mistakenly Put Up A Bunch Lithuanian Flags
India Is Not A Location
Says "I'm English" But Doesn't Know What The Right Flag Is For England? Nobody Could Be That Stupid Right?
Well, Of Course You Can. Who Are We To Make Things More Difficult On The Road For You… Jfc
South Africa, Duh
Wait Until This Guy Hears About A Country Called Spain
If Only Spain Existed
The best English teacher I ever had (without her, I might not be writing in English on this forum) was called Mme Lopez-Pino...
Europe Sucks
Germany being known for its car production line: Are we a joke to you?
You Can't Be Serious
Its A Part Of Europe Right
My Favorite Country Is Africa
Goddamn Europeans Living In Europe
They're like: "Oh no! I'm seeing lots of people that are the same skin colour!" EDIT: spelling
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After most of my life in Africa or Arabia, it did feel a bit weird coming back to a rural area of England. I remember saying to my mum, it's like living in the pork section of Spinney's (a supermarket in the Emirates which was licensed to sell pork products but in a separate annex, where you mostly saw white people)
I suppose they had really, really bad culture shock, but it’s a bit much to say they were disturbed… or compare it to a racist gated community.
Only meaning that's where, in America, you get the same "color scheme". They're not wrong and they didn't attribute any racist acts to any of the people. Americans tend to not realize how unique we are in that aspect. We are used to seeing an admix of ethnicities all the time. We don't realize much of the world one's ethnicity and nationality tend to be the same and pretty much just one. It's incredibly shocking to Americans. I guess we're still doing OK then America. It's good to take multiculturalism for granted, we're ended up there eventually. Hopefully sooner rather than letter. If genocide meant suicide we'd (humans) probably stop...
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I understand what this person meant, when you live in an area with a great diversity of communities, seeing only one can be "exotic" but it's explained really very, very clumsily.
I don't think this is dumb. The person was simply trying to explain that they were surprised by how they reacted to being in countries that they knew in advance would be overwhelmingly white. They were clear they saw no racism, nor experienced any. They just found themselves unexpectedly unsettled by being in such a white society, which is a reaction they, of course, had a right to feel and express.
This would be like a black person from America being shocked to find mostly black people in Africa. It’s just a poor understanding of the world in general. Speaks to a bad education.
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It isn't wrong or foolish to notice this difference between the US and Europe. I love Europe. I've lived in Berlin, been all over the continent, and have spent a lot of time in Spain. When I came back to the US after some time n Berlin, one of the first things I noticed was all the black and brown people and I realized that I had missed seeing them.
That is certainly valid, but I assume you didn't get upset over it like in the screenshot above.
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I wonder what they would say if they went to Africa. That it is relentlessly black? Some people don't deserve to travel.
It's way more disturbing when you visit an EU city with greater diversity like Lisbon, which feels even more multicultural than the majority of US cities. Then, you realize that its population is actually still more white than most of America's, but it appears to be the opposite because it's far less segregated.
Latino.... it is literally someone from Italy.... Who are *checks notes* White of Mediterranean appearances.
Latino usage in America means someone with Latin American heritage, not Italian.
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Imagine if a white person said this about black people? The amount of comments and down votes would be through the roof. Why has racism become the norm for everyone towards white people? Racism isn't a good thing no matter the skin colour. Bloody horrible post and people saying "it's weird for us" ... turn the tables and imagine awhile person going to a predominantly black country and saying its weird for them to see so many black people. ... instant abuse because its racist.
What a weird opinion. The only thing OP may be correct about is that Austria and Slovenia (and more so a few years back) have / used to have mostly white, autochthonous populations. France, Britain, and other Western European countries are much more diverse population - partly as a result of colonialism ofc
Isn't it so strange that Austria and Slovenia don't have many darker skinned people when they never forcibly imported any? Funny how that works.
So sorry, we will import Latino folk so you feel better, what were we thinking?
It is odd, though, if a person is used to living in a multi-cultural place. When I went overseas I felt right at home because London has many cultures and there were LOTS of tourists from various places in Paris. Had a great time in both.
I completely understand this person's point of view. I lived in Finland for a while, and when I first arrived the whiteness of the place did feel kind of weird. Whenever I saw someone who wasn't white, my first reaction was, There's an American, lol. Most of them weren't American, of course. Being in such a white place gave me a new appreciation for the diversity of the U.S. That was many years ago, though, and the population of Finland is a bit more diverse now.
I was in a similar situation when visiting Kyoto. Everyone was Japanese.
Hate to defend this, but I kind of get it. When you are used to being in diverse communities it can be unsettling to be in an evironment where damned near everyone is one thing. If you are American, you have likely experienced communities that are all white but they are often that way because of racism. So when that is what you know...on a visceral level it can feel threatening even if you know damned well it isnt.
i don't think she is dumb or racist...she was just describing a different experience for her and how it made her uncomfortable...she said she wasn't seeing racist things, but explaining the dissonance b/w her experiences in one place vs. another...
I suppose if you're used to being in a place that is racially diverse it may come as a novelty to be in a place that isn't. But depending on where this person was at--? Some places are just like that.
I've lived in multiple Asian countries for over 20 years. If I ever go back to Canada or visit another mostly white country, it's going to feel weird.
Australia And Its Harsh Northern European Climate
Apparently Spain Is The Capital Of Mexico
I Don't Think That's Italy
This Map Has Two Australias
How Many People Failed Element School Geography
England... is an island? Why have I seen a few English people say this recently? Sigh.
Is Not Good With His Geography
I Guess Spain Is No Longer European?
Thats Australia
For the peope who don't know, the reason why they know its Australia is becouse of the building in the distance. Its the Sydney Oprea House
"Canada Is Not In North America"
Buts It’s Obviously Europe
France In English
Europe Has Worse Roads Than USA “Europe Is A Kiddy Country”
you know what a real flex is? proper public transport making the use of cars less necessary.
Rip Geography
To be fair, there is a sovereignty movement here and HI is recognized as being illegally occupied by the US, by more than a few nations. So, ideologically (historically; technically?) OP is correct.
Getting Offended Over The Name Of A Country
Where Is He Taking His History Lessons From?
When Americans Don’t Understand European Date Format On An Imported German Product
For everyone confused, in America its Month/Day/Year, but in nearly every other country in the world its Day/Month/Year. But China and Japan do it Year/Month/Day. If I got anything wrong, tell me
Note: this post originally had 53 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.
Something I have also seen alot of online is people not thinking that Georgia is a country and that it’s only a state
Georgia, South Africa, Austria, and Spain are crying in unison.
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People are so ignorant about Africa and South Africa. Someone once asked me how I was online since he thought we didn't have internet in SA. How do you have internet but no houses he stupidly asked
Don't you live in a mudhouse and run from lions when you go to school? (Heavy sarcasm, in case it wasn't clear.)
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I think it was George Calin: "Think of the dumbest person you know, now understand 50% are dumber than that".
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When my Mom left Switzerland to follow my Dad back to the US, she often had to correct people that no, she wasn't from Sweden, but from Switzerland. She blamed it on the "Sw" at the beginning - and maybe folks just weren't paying enough attention to what she was saying, lol!
I get it! I once had to correct a coworker that thought Swedish was spoken in Switzerland!
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What amazes me is these younger folks who don't know what Google Earth is. I get they don't use paper maps or globes anymore, but the world is literally at your fingertips.
I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some, uh, people out there in our nation don't have maps and, uh, I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and, uh, the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and, I believe that they should, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, or, uh, should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future. For our children.
I couldn't finish reading this. I have concluded that the USA's primary failure is a lack of geography knowledge.
Thank you for your insightful observation. We are all eternally grateful, and will immediately start working to fix that.
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Safety regulations that keep stupid people alive.
Load More Replies... Come on, post Covid-19 I'm Australia apparently we're fake, this shot is craziest.
You could have used this to recycle some of the ignorant bi-weekly anti-USA posts. Like the unintelligent people who think we only have one type of cheese and have never heard of electric kettles.
A kid in my class had to do a graded project about Africa and he began his presentation by saying, “Africa is known for the Amazon Rainforest and the Amazon river.” Somehow he managed to barely pass. His friend thought Italy was the capital of Rome. The worst story though was when everyone in my class were arguing over the capital of Manipur which they thought was Tripura. My teacher, my crush and I had to explain to them that Tripura in fact was a state and not a city
Yeah, I think I've lost enough brain cells for today. I'm gonna go find some wholesome sh*t.
Atom Games Entertainment app, World Geography. You can learn countries, capitols, flags and much more. I knew my geography knowledge was lacking so I used this app and now I'm confident my world geography knowledge.
Something I have also seen alot of online is people not thinking that Georgia is a country and that it’s only a state
Georgia, South Africa, Austria, and Spain are crying in unison.
Load More Replies... People are so ignorant about Africa and South Africa. Someone once asked me how I was online since he thought we didn't have internet in SA. How do you have internet but no houses he stupidly asked
Don't you live in a mudhouse and run from lions when you go to school? (Heavy sarcasm, in case it wasn't clear.)
Load More Replies... I think it was George Calin: "Think of the dumbest person you know, now understand 50% are dumber than that".
Load More Replies... When my Mom left Switzerland to follow my Dad back to the US, she often had to correct people that no, she wasn't from Sweden, but from Switzerland. She blamed it on the "Sw" at the beginning - and maybe folks just weren't paying enough attention to what she was saying, lol!
I get it! I once had to correct a coworker that thought Swedish was spoken in Switzerland!
Load More Replies... What amazes me is these younger folks who don't know what Google Earth is. I get they don't use paper maps or globes anymore, but the world is literally at your fingertips.
I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some, uh, people out there in our nation don't have maps and, uh, I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and, uh, the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and, I believe that they should, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, or, uh, should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future. For our children.
I couldn't finish reading this. I have concluded that the USA's primary failure is a lack of geography knowledge.
Thank you for your insightful observation. We are all eternally grateful, and will immediately start working to fix that.
Load More Replies... Safety regulations that keep stupid people alive.
Load More Replies... Come on, post Covid-19 I'm Australia apparently we're fake, this shot is craziest.
You could have used this to recycle some of the ignorant bi-weekly anti-USA posts. Like the unintelligent people who think we only have one type of cheese and have never heard of electric kettles.
A kid in my class had to do a graded project about Africa and he began his presentation by saying, “Africa is known for the Amazon Rainforest and the Amazon river.” Somehow he managed to barely pass. His friend thought Italy was the capital of Rome. The worst story though was when everyone in my class were arguing over the capital of Manipur which they thought was Tripura. My teacher, my crush and I had to explain to them that Tripura in fact was a state and not a city
Yeah, I think I've lost enough brain cells for today. I'm gonna go find some wholesome sh*t.
Atom Games Entertainment app, World Geography. You can learn countries, capitols, flags and much more. I knew my geography knowledge was lacking so I used this app and now I'm confident my world geography knowledge.
