Is Not Knowing the Capital of Canada a Problem?

[Madalch]

More like incomplete, not sloppy. But this goes back to the original idea. What do I, or most people, gain by knowing that Africa is continent and not a country? What is the incentive to memorize all the capitals of America, never mind a foreign country? Why should we hold on to a fact that will never be important outside a game of Trivial Pursuit, or Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, or something similar?

You don't think you will ever, ever travel outside of your home country? Or meet someone who is from one of those places?

Will you ever have to choose who to vote for based on what they say they are going to do with Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Somalia, Israel, Libya, Syria, Egypt or any one of the other hotspots in the world right now? And if so, doesn't it make sense that you have at least a smidgeon of information about that country (such as what continent it is on) before casting that vote?

 

[MikeG]

More like incomplete, not sloppy. But this goes back to the original idea. What do I, or most people, gain by knowing that Africa is continent and not a country? .......

It's the almost impossibility of NOT knowing that Africa is a continent which I am really struggling with. I simply don't understand how any person achieves adulthood without some idea of the world around them, and this is the sort of really basic stuff that I would expect most 12 year olds to know. I don't mean that perjoratively. I am wrinting this out of incredulity.

Every household in the western world has an atlas or a globe, surely? Don't you ever look at it? Don't you ever hear somewhere mentioned on the news or in a documentary and think "I wonder where that is?" When Libya was exploding, didn't you think "Where's that?" and have a look? Somali pirates..........Do you just nod and say "Foreign. Nothing to do with me?" Is it the same with, say, Afghanistan and Pakistan? US soldiers dying, drone attacks etc on the news, so do you show an interest, find out where it is? If not, why on earth not?

Forgive me if this sounds like an attack on you, because it isn't, or it isn't meant to be. It is simply my disbelief that such a mindset can exist amongst the educated.

 

[The Fallen Serpent]

Yes but prior to moving house, did you know that the weather is more changeable in the Pacific Northwest than in S California? I bet you did.

I also bet that little bit of information is portrayed more commonly, in fiction and nonfiction, than Ottawa is for the average Californian. It is not that Canada is unimportant to the USA, it is extremely important, it is just many details are often not necessary to know nor are they bandied about heavily. I wouldn't think a university attending Canadian is ignorant for not knowing the capitals of California, Michigan, New York, Texas, or Washington, yet all of those governments have major influence on Canadian exports. Even though they cannot make trade agreements directly, there are many ways states can improve or worsen trade with a country. However, in general that trade is reliable. Unless you are in the business or have some other direct interest I do not find such a single fact alone a good indicator of general knowledge or education.

 

[dudalb]

You thought Congress was in New York?

Hell,New York City is not even the capital of the State of New York.

 

[dudalb]

Basically this is just a problem of the "devoted capital city" problem. This arises because lots of people assume the biggest, most economically powerful cities in a nation are the capital of that nation. And there is reason to assume that. Of the hundreds of nations only 33 have a capital that isn't their largest city.

In fact Wiki has special list of those nations.

This typically happens in a nation that deliberately wants to separate the national capital from the influence of that country's economic power. But it can also happen in states. How many know the capital of Montana? Or that it is Austin in Texas? Has anyone not from New York ever even heard of Albany? The capital of Georgia is named Athens? (it isn't, but you just looked that up didn't you?)

Anyways I wouldn't be so concerned that someone makes a mistake like this. I'd prefer it if they did know it just because I'm always in favor of people having more knowledge but I would only get really concerned if they don't even know the major (non capital) cities of a nation of great importance (yes Canada is of great importance).

So don't worry if someone thinks Rio is the capital of Brazil. Get worried if they don't know where Rio is.







Without looking can anyone name the capital of Niger?

Quite a few people,when I visited the UK and we got into conversatations,were surprised that Sacramento was the capital of California,and not San Francisco or L.A.

 

[Steve]

Quite a few people,when I visited the UK and we got into conversatations,were surprised that Sacramento was the capital of California,and not San Francisco or L.A.

Well, apples to apples and all that - I bet that a lot less were surprised that Washington DC was the capital of your country.

 

[Meed]

No it jolly well isn't. Confusing "Americans" (which everyone understands to be shorthand for citizens of the USA) with "America" is forgetting those itsy-bitsy little bits of the North American continent which aren't part of the USA, such as Mexico and Canada.

Everyone knows what "America" means. And it doesn't mean "North America".

In the context of a thread about capitals, some sort of provision has to be made for accuracy. In the context of your question about Africa's capital, it is clear that you are sloppy about accuracy when it comes to geography.

...and the cheapshot.

 

[Mudcat]

You don't think you will ever, ever travel outside of your home country?

I hope I will someday, but I don't expect I ever will. But to put it into perspective I don't need to know that the capital of Georgia is Athens in order to visit there, neither do I need to know that Athens is the capital to find my way there.

Or meet someone who is from one of those places?

I have met plenty of people from foreign countries. A teacher from my school is from Russia. I don't need to know that the capital is Moscow to be her friend or hold a conversation, however.

 

[Polaris]

Quite a few people,when I visited the UK and we got into conversatations,were surprised that Sacramento was the capital of California,and not San Francisco or L.A.

"What's the capitol of Texas?"

"Austin."

"No commie, it's Houston!"

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

There's the trouble. Again, I'm not trying to make light of Canada, but it is a relatively unimportant country as far as most US citizens are concerned. Nothing that could plausibly happen there will have any effect on the lives of more than a few people living here in the States.

Whatever you say Joe. Whatever you say.

Northeast_blackout_of_1965^WP

This was our fault:

The cause of the failure was human error that happened days before the blackout. Maintenance personnel incorrectly set a protective relay on one of the transmission lines between the Niagara generating station Sir Adam Beck Station No. 2 in Queenston, Ontario. The safety relay, which was to trip if the current exceeded the capacity of the transmission line, was set too low

But don't worry. It will never happen again.

 

[joesixpack]

Whatever you say Joe. Whatever you say.

Northeast_blackout_of_1965^WP

This was our fault:



But don't worry. It will never happen again.

I'm assuming this is tongue in cheek, but just in case it's not;

This wasn't an action taken by the government in Ottawa. And furthermore, knowing the capital of your fair nation didn't turn the lights on for anyone.

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

Hell,New York City is not even the capital of the State of New York.

No that's Buffalo Albany.

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

I'm assuming this is tongue in cheek, but just in case it's not;

This wasn't an action taken by the government in Ottawa. And furthermore, knowing the capital of your fair nation didn't turn the lights on for anyone.

Oh. Come on Joe. You said, "Nothing that could plausibly happen there will have any effect on the lives of more than a few people living here in the States."

I just provided a counter example.

 

[lobosrul]

"What's the capitol of Texas?"

"Austin."

"No commie, it's Houston!"

Easy, darlin'! You've seen too many movies!

 

[Travis]

Well, apples to apples and all that - I bet that a lot less were surprised that Washington DC was the capital of your country.

I think part of the problem is when something is reported on as happening in our government "DC" is all one needs to hear to know that. But when Canada is debating something they just deploy a field reporter to Winnipeg and just assume that since all Canada is the same why even bother being in the right city?

 

[joesixpack]

Oh. Come on Joe. You said, "Nothing that could plausibly happen there will have any effect on the lives of more than a few people living here in the States."

I just provided a counter example.

By "there" I meant the seat of government.

 

[theprestige]

I agree with you as far as the day to day lives of people in the States, but I see that as more Americans just being ignorant of how their lives are affected every day by things that happen in Canada. The most gung-ho patriots in the States should darn well understand the role that Canada plays as a partner in the War on Terror, for example. Folks in the States should understand that the vast majority of "foreign oil" we import comes from Canada. History buffs should give Canada (specifically Newfoundland) props for working with us to keep trans-Atlantic trade (relatively) safe from German U-boat attack during WWII.

While I wholeheartedly endorse all of that, I don't see how knowing the name of the capital of Canada is especially helpful for any of that. All of those things can be better understood, and appreciated, without knowing that Ottawa is the capital of Canada (though you'll probably learn it along the way).

 

[theprestige]

I bet educated Germans and Belgians can do that too. At least they wouldn't regard it as obscure and trivial knowledge, which is my main point.

And if they regard it as being much more meaningful knowledge than it actually is, in practical terms?

 

[GlennB]

It probably boils down to how much a person can expect to be exposed to the 'outside world'.

In Europe we're barraged by European affairs - whether Merkel gets re-elected or the employment crises all over the place or whether Berlusconi's latest affair will bring down the Italian government or whether Bosnia and Herzegovina will join the EU. We get refugees and immigrants from N Africa and the Middle East and take a keen interest in their business.

And our football teams play all over Europe so we tend to learn some geography trivia that way. Oh, and the Eurovision song contest - "Reykjavik/ Vilnius/Helsinki/Valletta, time to cast your votes"

And, of course, Britain pretty much used to own half the world so we get fed this knowledge from the cradle

 

[ZirconBlue]

Every household in the western world has an atlas or a globe, surely?

I very much doubt it.