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Most of us have been there: you post something online that you’re 100% sure is the absolute truth, flexing those big cognitive muscles of yours… only to realize that you made a mistake. You blush. You start sweating. You realize that you’ve made an utter fool of yourself. On the internet of all places! And now, your blunder will forever live in the Internet Hall of Infamy, also known as the r/facepalm subreddit.

The online community is full to the brim with people making epic mistakes. But few of them are as painful to see as when someone boasts about their [cough] ‘deep’ knowledge of geography [cough]. For anyone even with a rudimentary knowledge of geography, the posts you’re about to see might make you lose a bit of hope in humanity. Put on your safari hats, scroll down, upvote the worst geo fails you’ve seen, and don’t forget to share your unfiltered opinions in the comments, dear Pandas! Just remember not to feed the F-grade students…

Once you’ve completed the trek through this list and if you feel like you’d love to go on another humorous adventure, then you’ll probably love Bored Panda’s previous article about facepalm-worthy geography fails. Check it out right over here.

#1

You Can Only Pity Such People

You Can Only Pity Such People

aaravaryaman Report

#2

When You Dont Know What You’re Talking About

When You Dont Know What You’re Talking About

Weak_Significance_97 Report

#3

Blindly Playing Yourself

Blindly Playing Yourself

okiedokie64 Report

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jeremybayer avatar
Jeremy Bayer
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Detroit has a lot of abandoned homes. I took my Spanish friend to tigers baseball game and as we drove through Detroit he asked me why it looked like Europe after WWIi

rchargel avatar
RafCo (he/him)
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I can't tell if Amanda is joking. The poorest states are all republican states. The wealthiest, except Texas (which benefits from oil and gas production) are all democratic states. Just look at the 10 wealthiest vs 10 poorest states.

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

Also socialism and communism are not the same for the millionth time

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

Wonder if this OP knows the US military is fundamentally a socialist organization. I doubt it. (For those who don’t realize it: the military has their own legal, medical, and pay scale structure. All members are entitled to essential benefits for food, housing, medical, legal and other needs, and can earn further benefits due to their rank or life situations such as being married or having kids. All payed for or subsidized by the government = socialist ideology. )

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

I would say most US citizens definitely DON'T realize that. And one of the big lures of joining the military are the benefits you laid out

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

There was a programme shown in the UK about Detroit recently. It's terrifying...

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

As a native Michigander I feel like the only people who get to talk about Detroit are people actually from Detroit.

staphgirl79 avatar
Mistiekim
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why? It’s a study in how one industry more or less drove the economy and once it left, so did the people. And it has happened countless times across the country. We need to talk about it and try to figure out how it all went wrong.

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

Bad mouthing Socialism by pointing out countries with overtly corrupt political leaders isn't proving anything. But this is simply blatant ignorance.

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

also the USSR was Communist not Socialist, there’s just so much wrong with this photo

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

No the USSR wasn't communist, communism is a stateless classless moneyless society. The USSR was a state, had classes, and had money.

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

The USA suffers a lot of Urban Blight, towns & suburbs that are run down, dilapidated. No businesses, no work. People move away to cities for employment. The lack of basic infrastructure & zero maintenance on what is there. No investment No decent schools. It’s really sad to see the places taken over by drug dealers & gangs.

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

The United States is a military country, most of the Government resources go towards National Defence, Space Exploration. There is not much difference between The United States and Russia in that regard. That’s why it is the only industrialized country without universal healthcare. About 10% of Americans cannot afford Healthcare.

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

This is satire. Libertarian-Blade, the original poster, came out as a staunch leftist.

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

Capitalism corporatism and Newt's contract with America have all ruined this country. There are many socialist countries that are actually democratic socialist countries that thrive compared to us here in the not always exceptional USA. In this country we could greatly benefit from a true democratic socialist agenda.

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

That must explain why so many people immigrate to Russia and Cuba...oh, wait...

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

Yeah, but socialism still sucks. I lived under it half of my life, I know.

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

Memes like this one are the epitome of misleading. So you show just one specific building and we're supposed to believe a whole country looks like this? I'm pretty sure that all cities in the world have both beautiful places and unfinished constructions like the one on the right...

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

"Social Media Scientist" activated and then de-activated by Boogi.

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Douglas Tomm
Community Member
1 year ago

This comment has been deleted.

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

This is like those American memes showing empty store shelves in early 2020 stating that "This is your country under socialism!!!" Um... remind me again who was in office in early 2020?

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

Libertarians are undeveloped Republicans their dumb hasn't blossomed into aggressive stupidity

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

A few localized failing economies are still better than an entire country in deep trouble.

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

Can't you buy a house in Detroit for the less than the cost of a PS5?

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

I was extremely uncomfortable in Detroit, in daylight. Almost made me long for Gary, Indiana at 2AM.

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

Sooo simplistic views on this. (But communism sucks, indeed).

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

So does unfettered capitalism. The net result of both is a super rich oligarchy and the rest that can barely pay rent/mortgage.

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boredpandasucksbigtime avatar
A B C the Third
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tell me you're an offended US American without telling me you're an offended US American.

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Look, Pandas, we all had our favorite and least favorite subjects back in school. For instance, yours truly always enjoyed history, literature, and biology. Math, on the other hand, was a pure nightmare. For me, personally, geography fell squarely in the middle of the pack.

The subject itself was incredibly interesting. After all, who doesn’t enjoy learning about volcanoes and global cultures, and drawing maps in class? However, a lot of this enjoyment rose and fell depending on the teacher. Some were very strict and gave you awful grades for failing to memorize all of the important geographical locations around the world. Others, however, made the subject fun, relatable, and, well, not a chore.

#5

They Don't Teach Flags In High School Geography?

They Don't Teach Flags In High School Geography?

beerbellybegone Report

#6

More Liberian Flag Confusion

More Liberian Flag Confusion

flopsychops Report

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

Hm, I somehow expected the dumbest /most non-educated blogs in the top 5, but here the posts deteriorate even the more I scroll down... 🫣🙄 (PS: I posted this comment when this post was around #18... 😬)

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It’s not surprising that some people are completely awful at geography. After all, the world is full of folks who fail at math, science, history, and all the other subjects that some of us know and love. You’ll never find a subject where everyone’s a pro.

#8

Ah, Yeah. I Swear It's Always Us Americans Who Don't Realize There's A Country Called Georgia

Ah, Yeah. I Swear It's Always Us Americans Who Don't Realize There's A Country Called Georgia

lazarushelsinki Report

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

It's hard to have sympathy for people bad with geography and maps when they post dumb comments on the internet that has Google earth, maps and all kinds of reference material. I used to have to walk to the library to find out information. Now even Wiki has disambiguation pages to help sort out all the Georgias.

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However, this doesn’t excuse someone from being ignorant about basic things. You know, common sense stuff like how time zones work, what language is spoken in the United Kingdom, what the map of your country looks like, and knowing that there are currencies besides the dollar used around the globe. We all make mistakes. But it’s a bit embarrassing when you don’t have a working knowledge of the basics of geography.

#10

Imagine Being This Uneducated

Imagine Being This Uneducated

astronaut12 Report

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

I would like to see them redo the General Lee with that flag. Also The Hazard County Bobsled Team would make an interesting sequel.

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#11

America Is The Whole Globe

America Is The Whole Globe

kayserfaust Report

#12

Canada Is A Country In Eastern Europe! Read A Book, Bro

Canada Is A Country In Eastern Europe! Read A Book, Bro

jombrowski Report

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Nobody’s saying that you should be at the level of a PhD candidate (and even they make silly mistakes!), but you have to at least be aware of your place in society and the world at large. It’s perfectly possible to spend your entire life not knowing what’s beyond the borders of your tiny little town, but it’s debatable how much fulfillment you’d find living this way.

#13

I Posted A Picture On Another Subreddit About A River In The Country Georgia And This Person Had A Lot To Say

I Posted A Picture On Another Subreddit About A River In The Country Georgia And This Person Had A Lot To Say

whitebathingsuit Report

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

And then they don't even use the American flag emoji as they declare how American they are -_-

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Almost all of the r/facepalm geography fails are related either to ignorance or arrogance. Sometimes, both! People either don’t know basic facts. Or they think they know something, only to be proven very, very wrong.

In cases of extreme embarrassment, your instinct is probably to shy away and defend yourself. However, that’s really not the best approach because it may lead to deep-seated feelings of shame further down the line.

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#18

A Girl At Work Drew What She Thinks The Map Of The USA Looks Like. She's Almost 30 With 2 Kids. The Nc Public School System Has Really Failed Her

A Girl At Work Drew What She Thinks The Map Of The USA Looks Like. She's Almost 30 With 2 Kids. The Nc Public School System Has Really Failed Her

Katewalsh83 Report

No, the mature way to react is to lean into your embarrassment. Embrace those uncomfortable feelings. Show everyone that you do feel embarrassed. Acknowledge that you’ve made a mistake. That might actually work out in your favor and improve your reputation—through humility, you become more likable.

#19

Someone's Geography Needs Some Upgrading

Someone's Geography Needs Some Upgrading

Innocent_Killer Report

#21

Getting Offended Over The Name Of A Country

Getting Offended Over The Name Of A Country

BalkanTrekie Report

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

Bored Panda I’m gonna need to have a serious talk with whoever decided to censor the country N***r. The COUNTRY WITH THE CAPITAL OF NIAMEY, to be clear, since it’s not letting me say it

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Previously, during an interview with Bored Panda, geography and cartography expert and land surveyor Patrick McGranaghan shared his thoughts about the state of the subject. He pointed out that some students see geography in a pretty negative light. Meanwhile, geography isn’t a priority in some 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 shared with us.

#22

I Guess He’s Half Right

I Guess He’s Half Right

Lexi_The_G Report

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

Nick Adams was born in Australia. In 2010, Adams served as the PR consultant for The Halloween Institute, a march to make Halloween a public holiday in Australia. It was later revealed those who 'protested' were paid actors. Nick Adams is a top-shelf, class-A, bona-fide, full-blown idiot, and Australia does not want him back, thank you.

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#23

I Thought The USA Was The One Bad At Geography, I Swear To God, (UK Politics Subreddit)

I Thought The USA Was The One Bad At Geography, I Swear To God, (UK Politics Subreddit)

an_reddit_man Report

"Geography has this reputation of rote memorization of things like countries and capital cities. This is not exciting to most students," the land surveyor and geography enthusiast told Bored Panda earlier. "The way to encourage geographic learning is to make it exciting.”

#25

Geography Is Hard

Geography Is Hard

SquishyNiko Report

#26

Asian/Chinese Currency

Asian/Chinese Currency

cornplantation Report

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

i strongly recommend that you & your wife stay home, where, we all hope, that you’re safe & able to function on your own dude

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#27

Amsterdam = Country

Amsterdam = Country

Surer123 Report

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

I mean, more than once I've had a convo go like "where are you originally from?" -"the Netherlands" "huh? -"Holland" "umm" -"Amsterdam?" "Oh yeah! Coffeeshops!" 😑

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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.”

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#29

Definitely The Shape And Flag Of Colorado

Definitely The Shape And Flag Of Colorado

A-reddit_Alt Report

#30

Countries On Map Of Africa Labelled Incorrectly On Gcse Geography Paper

Countries On Map Of Africa Labelled Incorrectly On Gcse Geography Paper

tyw7 Report