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There’s a certain baseline for geographical facts that we expect from the people we meet. Like knowing that New Zealand has millions of inhabitants and is not an uninhabited island. Understanding that Spain, Italy, and Greece are a part of Europe. And realizing that Africa and Hong Kong are not in South America. It sounds ridiculous when you say it out loud that someone would believe the opposite. Right..?

Well, hang on to your thinking caps and cling tight to your sanity, dear Pandas—we’re about to dive deep into our sad reality where public education has failed so many people. Bored Panda has collected some of the most egregious geography mistakes that folks have shared over on the r/facepalm subreddit, a giant online community of over 6 million.

If you know even the basics of geography, then odds are that you might find this list very painful, dear Pandas. Scroll down for some truly awful geographical mixups, and remember to upvote the pics that made your inner critic cringe the most. Got your adventuring gear ready? Good, it’s time to head into the lush jungles of This Hurts To Read.

Bored Panda got in touch with Patrick McGranaghan, the founder of another massive subreddit that unites nearly 2 million map lovers around the world. He was kind enough to share his thoughts about ignorance about geography and why it's important to make the subject exciting and not teach it in isolation.

#1

Someone Failed Geography

Someone Failed Geography

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DDmaybeandor
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is sarcasm. Yes, there are Americans who don’t know those countries are in Europe, but they are the same people who don’t know Greece is a country.

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In Patrick's opinion, geography has a negative reputation among some students. What's more, geographic education isn't prioritized in many schools.

"I think that a lot of geography ignorance comes from the lack of geographic instruction in schools. Schools have an increasingly long list of subjects that must be taught and geography is losing its share," he told Bored Panda.

#2

And I Thought Americans Only Knew American Geography

And I Thought Americans Only Knew American Geography

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"Geography has this reputation of rote memorization of things like countries and capital cities. This is not exciting to most students," Patrick pointed out that many students don't get hooked on geography because of the associations the subject has. That's why it's vital to change people's perspectives on it.

"The way to encourage geographic learning is to make it exciting," Patrick shared with us.

#4

Geography Is Important, Kids

Geography Is Important, Kids

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Caro Caro
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Don't you need brains for a mental breakdown? Amsterdam??? Do they have cheese there? Asking for a friend ;)

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#5

Looks Like Someone Failed Geography

Looks Like Someone Failed Geography

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Susie Elle
Community Member
1 year ago

We're proud though

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"This may be by including geography lessons in learning about different cultures around the world. Geography is a component of current events and there needs to be an emphasis on how these events are occurring in a geographic context. Geography should not be taught in isolation, it should be tied to some context such as history, the physical Earth, culture, or travel," he explained that the entire approach to the subject should be altered.

#7

Bye!! America See You... Never!

Bye!! America See You... Never!

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Chinmayee Kalghatgi
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What kind of world does this person live in? Is education that bad in some schools in the US?

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#9

Geography Wasn't Their Strongest Suit

Geography Wasn't Their Strongest Suit

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Look, nobody saying that everyone’s born knowing every tiny part of the globe. Education, learning, collecting knowledge—they’re all processes. Everyone makes mistakes, everyone learns at their own pace. We get that.

Some of us have made really embarrassing geography slip-ups, too: for some reason, yours truly got it into their head since they were a kid that New Zealand was northeast of Australia, instead of southeast, where it actually is. However, natural curiosity, a willingness to be humble, and fixing our mistakes means that, eventually, we get to correct our geography fails. Or, well, some of us do.

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#10

Statistics Are Hard. So Is Geography

Statistics Are Hard. So Is Geography

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Firefoxy3121
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dogs are not inherently vicious. They respond to treatment by their owners. Pitbulls are pretty nice dogs depending on the owners, same with most breeds

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#11

How Many People Failed Element School Geography

How Many People Failed Element School Geography

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Wilf
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A very good illustration of why it was a bad idea to let people vote about the UK's membership of the EU. Most Brexit supporters have the brain capacity of a damp sponge.

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Lady Goldberry
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There you go, Americans! Our dumbassess are just as bad. Don't feel picked on, just remember that knuckle dragging oafs are everywhere...

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JASH80
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

oh, I'm Swiss, so that means I'm not European, as we are not part of the E.U... but then again we're not an island, so what am I? Send help!

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Jantje Groot
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love how this post is making fun of semanitcs, yet the title of the post is "How Many People Failed ***Element*** School Geography." I never graduated "element" school. I guess I was a total Boron!

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Sandra DeRosia
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The dumber they are the more confident they are. More intelligent people are always questioning and wondering if perhaps they are wrong and willing to modify their viewpoints.

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Bacony Cakes
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Europe" refers to a continent referring to the part of Eurasia west of the Ural mountains and Istanbul. It includes islands such as Cyprus, Ireland, Sicily, Iceland, The Balearic Islands, Great Britain, Corsica, The Orkney Islands, Sardinia, The Svalbard Islands, and Malta.

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Carbonel
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It’s ok Europe… you don’t want to be the same as him anyway.

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cybermerlin2000
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sometimes putting your head under a pillow is less painful than banging your head against a wall but can achieve the same results

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More!
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’ll probably get told off for this but as an Australian, I was taught that people from GB are British and those on the continent are European. When I think of Europe I think Italy, France, Spain and all the other fabulous countries that have a ‘European’ language. One that is usually exotic and beautiful, but not English. So I can see the persons point of view, however, the replies make sense too. Either way, I wish I could visit Europe again (GB included of course)

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Rosie McLeod
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be fair to Brexiteers, the average reading age in the Uk is 8 years old. The papers supporting Brexit were pitched at this demographic, this is where they got their information and they were lied to about everything. The people to blame for this mess are the government, who should never have called the referendum in the first place.

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AAPnonraeba
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Don't argue with stupid. They will outyell you, dumb you and win from experience.

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Thomas Turnbull
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can’t argue with an idiot they always they always think they won

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PandaGoPanda
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But he's right in a way ... in the UK when you say "European", you mean "continental European". Not anywhere in the British Isles.

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Marnie
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I actually never thought of the British as being European. Maybe that was utterly ridiculous, or maybe something to do with when I was born?

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Mark Howell
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We are just going to start-up the Boris engines and move to a better climate ;o)

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SelkieBlackfysh
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What point was he trying to make other than poorly ripping off the quote from breaking bad? Lol

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Lady of the Mountains
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Don't engage with stupidity, they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience- a quote I found on a bp post a while ago

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bob bruce
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the difference between ignorance and stupidity.

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RafCo
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, he's right and I can prove it. European food is delicious.

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Ozymandias73
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No bruh, hopefully there are no others like you. But alas, this thread is proving there are many "like you"

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malenchki
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I did this once... I hadn't slept the night before and it showed

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Mitchell
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So I must be a dunce too, I see a lot of white Americans referring to themselves as European, whereas I call them Western. I would not refer to an American or a Brit as European, I’d call them American, British, western, or Caucasian . Once I met a Brit at a health retreat in Asia, and on the intake form, we were asked to choose from “Caucasian”, “African”, “Asian”… and he asked me, a Caucasian, what he should check. When I told him he was Caucasian, he didn’t believe me, he crossed out all the options and wrote “white”. So in defense of the goose in this post, I think different countries refer to…ethnicity? Colour? I don’t know..,.but we refer to things differently and this goose may not actually be stupid.

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Rosie McLeod
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm English, we're European...we're literally in Europe so... Why would you call us Caucasian to mean British? A lot of British people aren't white. In Europe, there's a good chance the people you're talking to are European, whether they're white or not. Also that dude you met was probably being facetious, we know what Caucasian mean.

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Randolph Croft
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The English were famous in days of yore for their stationary life-styles. Many never passed more than a few villages in their lifetimes.

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Trillian
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just wait till he finds out he speaks a Germanic language. Although he's ENGLISH!

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A.J Milne
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think he meant that he is the language itself, makes much more sense

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Carries
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ah yes, because repeating it over and over will make it true

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Katinka Min
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, indeed, we are not the same. The majority on the continent is rational and not so dumb to catapult their country back into the 1960s. But, hey, blue passports, right?

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finisz
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There is a good reason why the UK is called, The-USA-of-Europe.

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NsG
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They're doing us a disservice. Given the abundance of idiots like these we should be the Florida-of-Europe!

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Brenda Finley
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1 year ago

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I am making a good salary from home $6580-$7065/week , which is amazing under a year ago I was jobless in a horrible economy. I thank God every day I was blessed with these instructions and now it’s my duty to pay it forward and share it with Everyone, Here is I started.……......>> 𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦

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Some of the most embarrassing geography fails and facepalms happen when news presenters end up having to stand in front of error-filled maps. Or when high-profile figures get their info mixed up. Maybe someone made an honest mistake. Or maybe someone is actually incredibly ignorant. Whatever the case might be, these are the moments that end up being photographed, screenshotted, and shared for years and years on the internet.

It’s very hard to recover from a public fail like this. On the other hand, acknowledging the fact that we made an embarrassing mistake opens us up to a lot of growth potential. And it can actually win us the respect of our peers.

#13

Geography...

Geography...

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Marco Conti
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You don't really want to say "German patriots" too loud. The last bunch sort of left a mess.

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#14

Geography Is African Hard Subject

Geography Is African Hard Subject

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#15

Geography Fail

Geography Fail

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Mona Lisa
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've been stuck inside a museum for most of my life an even I know Geography better than these dumbos!

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Recently, Bored Panda spoke about accepting our flaws and those of others with psychologist Lee Chambers, from the UK. 

“As humans, we are a wonderfully unique mix that is personal to each one of us. It can always be difficult to find peace with our flaws Whether they [the flaws] be physical, mental, intellectual, or social, many of us will at some point in our childhood been bullied or singled out for our differences,” he told us.

“It can be easy to ignore them [the flaws], and pretend they don't exist, but the real power comes in accepting them, embracing them, and realizing that some flaws we can change, and others might not be flexible,” the mental health expert said.

#16

3 Different Geography Fails Along With Some Ebola Panic

3 Different Geography Fails Along With Some Ebola Panic

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#18

They Didn't Get An A In Geography! One Facebook Poster's Point About People Mourning The Death Of Cecil The Lion Who Was Killed By A Hunter In Zimbabwe Was Somewhat Lost

They Didn't Get An A In Geography! One Facebook Poster's Point About People Mourning The Death Of Cecil The Lion Who Was Killed By A Hunter In Zimbabwe Was Somewhat Lost

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Luther von Wolfen
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Geographical knowledge has nothing to do with being upset about a lion getting killed.

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According to Lee, we can lead a high quality and rewarding life when we adopt a growth-oriented mindset. He said that the point is to develop in other ways and have amazing strengths despite our flaws. In short, messing up with geography or anything else isn’t the end of the world if you don’t let it be. But owning up to your fail and learning from it all can be very powerful.

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#19

European Airline Failed Geography

European Airline Failed Geography

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#21

Geography Is Tough

Geography Is Tough

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Chinmayee Kalghatgi
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These people seem to be homeschooled by uneducated parents. Any 7 year old would know that it is Africa

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“The beauty is that sharing our flaws helps us to become more human and connect with others, as we all have weaknesses, and being vulnerable and open will have others seeing you as authentic, honest, and courageous,” the psychologist said.

#22

Geography Probably Isn't Their Strongest Subject

Geography Probably Isn't Their Strongest Subject

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#24

Someone Needs To Go Back To Geography Class...

Someone Needs To Go Back To Geography Class...

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“The process of taking ownership of your flaws is powerful as it also makes us more accepting of the flaws of others and less worried about fitting in. For as long as we don't embrace our flaws, we will be running from them and be more judgemental of others, less tolerant of differences, and more controlling.”

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#26

East Virginia

East Virginia

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Fishy Squid
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why is south Virginia above Virginia? I’m Australian am I correct that that south Virginia doesn’t even exist?

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Which of these geography fails did you think were the worst of the bunch, dear Readers? Do you think that geography classes should be given a higher priority in schools everywhere? What have been your own biggest geography mixups or mistakes? Share your thoughts with all the other Pandas in the comments. We can't wait to read what you have to say!

#28

Geography Class Aint Gonna Go Well

Geography Class Aint Gonna Go Well

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Commander OwO
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Most Maldivians can’t point to where Maldives is in a map, mostly because it’s not even there in a lot of maps!

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#29

So... Came Across This Excellent Lesson In Geography On My Insta Feed Today

So... Came Across This Excellent Lesson In Geography On My Insta Feed Today

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#30

So I Guess She's Never Learned Geography Either

So I Guess She's Never Learned Geography Either

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#31

Some American Level Geography Skills From My Friend (Who Isn’t American)

Some American Level Geography Skills From My Friend (Who Isn’t American)

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#32

I Think They Didn't Pass Geography Class

I Think They Didn't Pass Geography Class

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#33

Throwing Darts At The Map Would Be More Accurate

Throwing Darts At The Map Would Be More Accurate

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#35

Someone Skipped Geography Class...

Someone Skipped Geography Class...

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Unni Panda
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Maybe they're predicting the future, the way things are going in the US...

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#36

I Love The State Of Canada

I Love The State Of Canada

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Nadine G
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know we're America Lite, but we still have clear distinctions; like the f*****g border you have to cross to get here, poutine and murder geese.

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#41

“College Geography”

“College Geography”

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#42

Try Taking A Geography Course

Try Taking A Geography Course

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#44

Travel Blog Really Knows Their Geography

Travel Blog Really Knows Their Geography

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#46

Geography Is Not Their Strong Suit

Geography Is Not Their Strong Suit

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#47

Geography Is Hard

Geography Is Hard

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#48

I Can't Tell Whether This Is Satire Or Not But They Should Have Looked Up The Geography Of The UK Before Claiming Racism

I Can't Tell Whether This Is Satire Or Not But They Should Have Looked Up The Geography Of The UK Before Claiming Racism

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#49

Up Is Down, North Is South, Chaos Ensues

Up Is Down, North Is South, Chaos Ensues

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Susie Elle
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I didn't even see north and south were swapped as I was looking at the map trying to figure out what was wrong and I questioned my own existence there for a second

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#50

When You Don’t Understand Geography

When You Don’t Understand Geography

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Laura Mende (Human)
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But question though: What is about Yugoslawia in the 90s? Wasn't that a war too? Or am I stupid?! Ukraine is the first war in Europe since '45? That can't be right...

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Note: this post originally had 86 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.