So, if there is an unwanted draft will the Aussies split for New Zealand the way the Americans split for Canada?

Trudy, this snippet from an Australian independent media newsletter was in response to a tongue in cheek question as to whether we should just give in and become new states of the USA. However I'd say that you'd get much the same in response to your question.

Lets join Canada they seem a better bunch than the Yanks, and they are members of the Commonwealth. Imagine how we would pummel every other Commonwealth nation in the 2006 Comm. Games right here in good old Melbourne. After all, there are quite a large number of accented Australians, so what difference would 31 Million more accented people make? Plus their health-care system is great, all those French lessons some of us did in high school would be put to good use.

On the map quiz I got all the ME and all the 'stans, I struggled with a few of the middly Africa ones. This is really good because it means that my geography knowledge on these areas has improved out-of-sight over the last few years but I realised as I was doing it that I probably wouldn't score half as well with map of the USA. I must rectify this situation and get a decent atlas.

I probably wouldn't score half as well with map of the USA

What, you think you're expected to know where all the states are?? Dude, place the country, know NY is on one side and California on the other, and I think that's good enough if you don't live here...(Lord knows I couldn't put the Australian states (provinces? whatever) on a map...I know the names of most of them, but. I'd do OK with Canada, but that's becuase it's *right there*)

I reckon I could figure out the ones that sound like they're closer to Mexico (deserty spanishy sounding names), and Florida 'cos it sticks out and Texas 'cos of size, and NY and California but that's about it.

With Canada I'm lost completely.

I got about 15 US states when I tried one of those "find the state" things. Europe I can do fine, Oz I just get cross because they're different in Life than in Risk.

I suspect I'd get about 2 US states right-- probably Maine and California. Considering that I had to guess after the first three or so on that map, and that I have a hard time sorting Europe out. "England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland" is about the limit of my geography.

"England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland"

"Scotland. England. Ireland. Wales.
Inside.
Outside.
Inside.
Tails."

Tag
You're IT!

Italy is easy. France, too. After them and the British Isles, I'd be guessing. I'm going back to that page to see if they have other maps. I never did find Bahrain. I blame old age.

I'd get the ones in the corners--Washington, California, Maine and Florida--and New York, Louisiana and maybe Texas (well, I'd just look for the biggest one). Oregon is just the one in between CA and WA isn't it, so I'd get that. Michigan perhaps, because it kind of sticks out. Alaska and Hawaii, duh. Other than that I'd be fairly stuck although in most cases I'd have a general idea where they are.

t edit As for countries, I hope I could do all of Europe and most of Asia. Africa I'd be pretty stuck with apart from a few, same with Central/South America.

I'm going back to that page to see if they have other maps.

No others like that, as far as I could see. There must be lots of things of the sort on-line somewhere, but I'm not finding them.

Other than that I'd be fairly stuck although in most cases I'd have a general idea where they are.

And really, isn't this the most important part? Not just with the states, but in general. I wish I'd done better on that ME/Africa map, because there was a time when I wouldn't have hesitated on any of them. But I knew which region each was - what's North African v. Gulf states, etc., and I hope I'd do as well on any continent. In terms of understanding political situations, that's a pretty good start, and the details can follow.

When I was a teenager I'd have scorned me for saying something like that. Ah well.