Why don't many Americans know where Poland is?

Question

Poland is a pretty popular country but most

Americans have no clue where it is. This makes me mad.

Answer 1

i know its in europe, i can't tell you the exact location, but i know the capital is warsaw, and Pope John Paul II was frome there

Answer 2

I'm Australian and i don't know where it is. Why do u care anyway, I'm sure there's countries that you don't know where they are and poland's not the only country i don't know.

Answer 3

thats because most americans are self serving obese as*holes who wouldnt spend the time looking at a map for another country that hasnt hosted a girls gone wild party ever.  sorry kiddo.

Answer 4

I don't think that you have asked enough Americans. I know where Poland is and I actually have polish heritage. I am even trying to teach myself how to speak polish!  

Answer 5

Because they're not interested in geology/geography and don't care where everything is located?

Hmm.. Maybe they've got a negative connotation from it because of the whole WWII thing....

Answer 6

Listen, there are some Americans out there who still think that Ireland is part of Britain!

Talk about backward!

They'll catch up eventually, though, because they want to ....

Answer 7

lol ofcourse we do. i learned that when i was little. you can't group people together. i could say the same thing about so many other things. those people are just uneducated is all. Americans aren't as bad as the rest of the world thinks.

Answer 8

I know where it is and so does everyone I know.

P.S. I'm American.

It's pretty foolish to use "American" like that because there are a lot of us and just because some people suck at geography doesn't say a thing about the rest of us.

Answer 9

its between germany and russia i think... lol most americans dont worry themselves with geography of other continets. but ive always been descent at it.

Answer 10

Most Americans don't know where the state of Ohio is, so branching out into the rest of the world is pretty hopeless. Geography is not a concern or strongpoint here for some reason.

Answer 11

its in europe right? kinda close to france or germany or soemthing... =D sorry, but most americans are ignorant and happy. i guess your going to have to get over it. [but i try not to be ignorant if that makes you feel any better lol]

Answer 12

because in the schools that some of us go to, they dont teach about poland and most of the other places in the world either. They just tell us about the United States history, thats it, but theres no reason why they should'nt know where it is.

Answer 13

I'm Polish, so I definitely do - but I have always pondered this question and i guess my answer would have to be because our education has failed when it come to geography.  Especially since that's not even a subject in either high-school or grammar school, and only in College if you happen to be studying something related.  In Poland on the other hand it is a separate subject studied and if you ask any Polish student a question on almost any country they will be able to give you an answer as to location, neighbor, capital and etc.  They even know more then most Americans on the subject of 50 states, I know because I was often grilled by Polish kids to the point where I would always research American geography before going on vacation to Poland.

Answer 14

Well... I know the answer! Simply because it's not in States! :)

I'm sure if Poland was called i.e. Polsylvania or Polhio or Polabama or Polifornia then they would know where to look on the map...

No offense dudes but that seems to be the only explanation...

Did you know that over 40% of americans don't even have passport?

They only travel within States showing their ID if needed.

By the way, ask yourself a question. Why Bill Gates Foundation is investing in Education System in USA? There are holes in the system and some books needs updating especially those with "Map of the World" and put the rest of the world on it, not only America!

I don't mean to upset anyone. I just want to express my point of view... which is true... (sour true)...

God bless America!  

Answer 15

Unfortunatley, because many Americans (not all but many) have this 'we are the best country in the world we don't need to know the location of other countries' mentality or 'they don't affect us we don't need to know where it is' or 'it's not on the news' really stupid reasons that only those with the 'arrogant American' attitude could actually justify.

As for me, I'm part polish. My Father especially would be very disappointed not to mention appalled if I didn't know where it was located.

Answer 16

Many Americans can't name the first President of the United States. Also, the majority of Americans are no longer pure European. Alot of schools don't teach mandatory geography. Many Americans don't realize that New York City isn't the capital of New York State. Alot of people sleep through school and still graduate. Many Americans have little understanding of history, geography, math, science and even reading - we're falling far behind other countries and that makes me mad too! Many Americans depend on popular media to form their opinions rather than studying for themselves, learning about history and fully understanding issues and current events. Alot of Americans don't think - they make alot of decisions about their worldview based on political correctness and celebrity opinion. That also makes me mad.  

Answer 17

Your irritation should be aimed at the failures of the public school system.

They teach to "standardized" tests. If Poland isn't on the test the the students do not learn where it is, or it's important role in WWII.

I am a product of public schools but an early generation than these kids. We did not have tests we got exposed to all sorts

5 or more years ago there was a vast majority of the students that did not know that New Mexico was a state of the U.S. much less where it was located!!!!

Answer 18

I live in Canada, the Americas biggest neighbor and many Americans do not even know where Canada is.  To know where Poland is, you would have to know where Europe is, and Americans seem to only know about their own little piece of the world.  

Does not say much for their education system, does it?

Answer 19

Because some of us are very self absorbed, with the attitude- if it doesn't effect me why do I care.

I can say that because my world is my kids-outside of them nothing matters, I'm in California and couldn't find my way to Vegas if my life depended on it. I hate geography.  

Answer 20

I think is because americans don't really know much about world geography. Plus we lack the exposure to the other side of the world. For some american haven't even been outside there hometown or even state and for that the whole country. So how can you expect them to know where Poland is located. (Between russia and germany Czech Republic). But hey that's life and what can you do.  

Answer 21

im polish myself when i first came to US ( 3 years ago) and when i said in classes that im from Poland most people didnt know where that is they thoguh that i was talking about Portland Oregon ,i think its because most schools dont have it in the history curicculum(  probably misspelled)

and the only thing that they go over in school is lech walensa

and solidarnosc and thats all they know

also for some american polish people have weird accent also most schools here ( well now im living in NYC) have italian,spanish  or german as the "foreing language" they first school that i went had polish ( well by only for polish students) last year i was learning spanish but i didnt passed it cause it was  too hard for me

Answer 22

Are you aware of how many Polish descendants are in the U.S.?

Most people have a pretty good idea where it is.

I can tell you that Poland is in eastern Europe. I may not know exactly where the spot it is, but that's like asking someone from Poland to pinpoint Pennsylvania on a map of the U.S.

Europe has so many countries that it's hard to be able to remember where each one is. I wouldn't expect you to know exactly where every state is in the U.S. either.

Answer 23

There isn't much connection with people who come from Poland and then come to the U.S., they aren't unified as much as the russians are, Polish people never really carry their flags around the UN, and people are unaware what a rich history it has, how much it is connected to the Vatican (it produces many popes!)...I am of Polish descent on my paternal side, don't get mad, just do something about it, make a website explaining where Poland is, what the history is, etc.. and then try to spread the word if you are really serious about keeping the heritage alive.

Answer 24

Are you kidding? Why would you expect Americans to know Where Poland is if we  cant even name every state and capitol in our own country.  I once asked how do you pronounce the capitol of Kentucky.

Is it looee vill  or is it Louis ville?

I wait until someone argues before I tell them it is pronounced Frankfort.

And why would we care about Poland.  Not to be mean but, how has Poland contributed or influence the world today?  Most people only know about Poland because of the n**i concentration camps.

Answer 25

HAHA.

because they spend too much time watching king of the hill while stuffing their faces with fried stuff.

no.

i think it's really stupid that most people in the states don't know where poland is.

and holland and poland are not the same.

[i was in philadelphia once, and i had to show my passport to a lady in a store. and she was like, 'this is a joke right? what the h**l is dutchland?'. and i'm like, 'it's the netherlands, or holland, it's a country.' and then her husband was like, 'yeah, holland is a city in the netherlands!'  

seriously. no joke.]

Answer 26

Why on earth would something this stupid make you mad?

Most americans don't speak Polish either... Does that make you mad too?

I'm saddened that many American's can't even find Iraq on a map or even name all 50 states but getting MAD about it doesn't do any one any good.

Answer 27

Same reason that Poles can't point out the Congo or Belize on a map. I bet that pisses them off too.

But seriously, you might want to be honest with yourself and take a critical look at Poland, and the education system and where it's going. You can find plenty of people in Poland (hello countryside and disco polo), that have no clue at all about things like "Where is Indonesia on a map?", or "Who is current Japanese Prime Minister?", "What is the capital of Canda?", etc.

The truth of the matter is that the answers to those questions aren't really important to the average Pole, they just don't care. As such, Americans could care less where Poland is on a map, they have no reason to care where it is.

Answer 28

Well I have heard of Poland and if I didn't look where it was I wouldn't know either. Although I am pretty young and some schools learn about foreign countries more than others I recommend since you know so much about it try to inform others about Poland and get them interested and want to learn more.

Answer 29

Lol um... I know where Poland is that's easy it's east of Germany and South of the Baltic. I really have never met an American who didn't know where Poland was, but I guess that's because i never really bring it up in a casual conversation.

Give Melody 10 pts. hers is so true. I get the same    thing My friends mom asked me where my mom was from "So your moms from Turkey and She's a Greek?" automatically I become a Muslim even though I Greek Orthodox.... What's is wrong with this picture...

Answer 30

ppppfffffttt....what's on the news. They don't even know that!!! I'm Persian and Iran is on the news every single day but when i say I'm Persian, they say so you're from Palestine, but my favorite is when i say I'm from Iran and the give me that blank look smile and say oh.

The reason why they don't know where Many Many places are on this planet is because the American quality of education is poor--beyond imagination!! And the education that they do have is focused on this country...you know land of the free home of the brave...blah blah blah!!

Don't worry though, because if they did know where Poland was they would link it to some stereotypical BS.

The french smell and their toilettes don't have flush

All middle easterns are terrorists

Sweden is where they have polar bears wandering around in the street

once I was talking about how I was in Iran during the world cup when Italy won...and a guy actually asked me "you have tv's in Iran??"

my point is, don't let them get to you, there is so much they don't know!!!

Answer 31

"I personally believe that US Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don't have maps and I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and the Iraq everywhere like such as and I believe that...." miss teen south carolina summed that up for us last year LOL