Test your GQ (geographic quotient)

Here are a few questions to determine how much importance you attach to your geographic environment, orientation, geographic situation or knowledge of world geography in general.


1) Do you like watching maps for fun ?

2) Do you usually check a map of a city/town

3) Are you good at remembering metro/tram/bus station and line names in general ?

4) Can you find your way easily just after arriving in a city/town where you have never been before ?

5) Can you instinctively find your way back to where you come from in a city without a map (just "feeling" the direction you have to head to) ?

6) Can you name all your continent's countries ?

7) Can you name all your continent's capital cities ?

8) Can you name over 200 countries in the world ?

9) Can you name the world's your contient's longest river, tallest mountain and biggest lake ?

10) Do you usually pay attention to details on buildings in the street outside your neighbourhood or work area (e.g. shop names, street names, carvings on a facade, frame colour, door knobs...) ?

11) Can you easily draw your (or other) country's map so that other people recognise it easily ?

12) Do you have a good idea of the population of all/most countries on your continent ?

13) Can you name the world's ten most populous countries ?

14) When you hear or read a country's name, do you automatically picture the map of this country (on its position on the globe) in your head ?

15) Do you have a good idea of the population of the main cities in your country (with and without suburbs) ?

16) Do you have a good idea of the population of the world's major cities ?

17) Can you name at least 10 mountain ranges, 10 peaks above 3000m, and 10 rivers longer than 1000km ?

18) Can you name all European countries (including micro-states like Monaco or Andorra), as well as all US, Canadian and Australian states ?

19) Can you name all Indian states ?

20) Can you name all Chinese regions ?

21) Can you name all countries in Africa ?

22) Can you recognise over 200 country flags ?

23) Do you have a clear idea of the century (and if possible decade) in which each formerly colonised countries got their independence ?

24) Do you know what are the dominant and/or official languages of each country on your continent ?

25) Do you know what are the dominant and/or official languages of most countries worldwide ?




Count your points. If you have doubts about the answers to each question, check Wikipedia or Google for answers (but admit your mistakes, if any).

Ah~, I answered "yes" for some of them.
I love looking at maps; I have my world map on the wall right in front of me as I type, and I look at the map of the mountains I climb all the time.

I've been lost in the mountain once, but thanks to my husband who had a GPS and navigated all of us right where we started. I think it was best not to follow our feelings which might have led us to deeper in the woods.

Those questions are very hard, though. You wouldn't know all of them unless you are a gegraphy teacher or something.

My geography education was practically non-existent, and my geog classes finished at the age of 13. The only knowledge I have is out of own interest, so I know that my knowledge on such things is really poor.

I answered 'yes' to questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11 and 14 only, and that's mostly because (a) I love maps and always have done and (b) I have a fairly 'visual' way of looking at and remembering things. For question 9 I knew the first 2 but I don't know the biggest lake. :bluush: For question 8, I think I might be able to name over 200 countries but I haven't got time to try it right now (I'm supposed to be working! :bluush: ).

I'll start by nit-picking. There are only 194 recognised countries in the world. They break down as 23 in North and Central America; 12 in South America; 53 in Africa, 14 in Australasia, 48 in Asia and 44 in Europe (I have included the recent vote for independence in Montenegro as one of the countries) and yes, I can name them all. If you add territories you will then get over 200.
I get 15 if I am totally honest with myself. I used to be able to name all the capital cites of Europe and a lot of other countries when I was younger. I can name all Canadas Provinces (not states in Canada) and territories and used to be able to do all of the states of the US. Thinking of it now I can manage around 40. I might be able to go higher if pushed. Flags are not much of a problem as I am into Vexillology.
Two good sites for flags:
http://www.flags.net/
http://www.allstates-flag.com/fotw/flags/ This one is a brilliant if you like flags

15/25 I have Yes. I love maps, and normally only have to look at it once.

But naming 200 countries is a bit difficult haha, I maybe could...