A recent geography quiz conducted by the Finnish magazine Me Nais has shed light on the significant gaps in geographical knowledge among Finnish citizens. The quiz included 12 questions about the ownership of various landmasses and regions across the globe. Surprisingly, only 15% of the approximately 140,000 participants managed to answer all questions correctly, indicating a concerning level of awareness about global geography.

For the easier questions, the results were more promising. High accuracy was noted with questions about well-known regions; 99% of respondents correctly identified that the Åland Islands belong to Finland, while 94% knew Mallorca is part of Spain. Additionally, 86% correctly answered that the island of Gotland is Swedish, showing that familiarity with popular travel locations may assist in geographical knowledge. However, there were some surprising misconceptions as well, with only 12% accurately stating that Sardinia is part of Italy instead of France.

The quiz results suggest a need for improved geographical education and awareness in Finland. While some aspects of geography were familiar to the majority, the overall performance on the quiz indicates that many adults may not possess a comprehensive understanding of global locations. This deficit could lead to challenges in navigation and global awareness, emphasizing the importance of education in geography from an early age to foster better-informed citizens.