European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 24, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 columns the stars and stripes James j. Kilpatrick knowledge of geography remains inadequate x,.-,v-, .v\\v-,wi\voo\c\1nxvk,vvn.,. Let us take heart americans Are not wholly Igno rant of geography. Not wholly. In a poll taken by the Gallup Survey this question was asked what is the capital of the United states a Tough question. If you can believe it 95 percent of the 1,611 respondents got it right. They actually got it right washing ton . Only 64 persons Flat out did t know and Only 11 put the capital somewhere else. Boise maybe or Sioux Falls. Whoopee. After that it was downhill All the Way. One out of four did t know North from South or East from West. One out of three could t read a simple map. Barely half could locate the state of new York. Some of the respondents thought the sandinista and the contras were fighting in Norway. On a map of the world the United states turned up in India the soviet Union China Australia Brazil and Botswana. If the findings weren t so sad the findings would be funny. This Survey commissioned by the National geographic society was taken among 10,820 persons inline countries Between april 30 and May 14. Mind you these were adult persons. Almost 80 percent of the . Respondents had at least a High school Educa Tion. How did . Citizens stack up against the com petition Only Italy and Mexico scored lower. In the 18 to 24 age bracket our respondents were dead last. Itis not As if our people had anything against the study of geography Only 25 percent found it Dull stuff. The others replied helpfully that they found geography either somewhat interesting or very interesting and the wished they had been subjected to More of it. Some of Gallup s findings were downright de pressing How could 23 percent of americans fail to locate the Pacific Ocean other findings were literally unbelievable. Many respondents must have been fib Bing when 29 percent said they had a Globe of the world in their Home and 58 percent professed to own an Atlas of the world. Almost half professed to be fluent in a language other than English. But taking those answers at face value it is evident that Many of those globes have gathered dust and Many an Atlas lies untouched. The great bulk of our people let us face it Are woefully ignorant of the world in which we live. Gaz ing at a map of South America More than half of the respondents could identify Only a single country. That was Brazil. Looking at a map of Europe they fare somewhat better 74 percent could identify Italy it looks like a Boot remember and half could pick out Anthony Lewis Cufr  England France and Spain. Beyond that zilch. To be sure the study of geography involves far More than naming the coloured patches on a map. Gallup s pollsters did not get into economies climates cultures religions and races around the world. Nothing was asked about natural resources. Only one question Deal with history where did Christopher Columbus think he was going not quite half of the respondents correctly answered  this won t do. It May be banal to observe that metaphorically the world shrinks but banalities Are embedded with kernels of truth. The Gallup Survey con ducted substantially this same study 41 years ago. The findings were dismal then. Today s adults scored no better said the study director. Given the generally higher level of education today Lack of Overall improvement suggests that the situation is actually  since the 1947 Survey the invisible cords of satellite communication have bound our world More tightly together. Investors Trade stocks by night and by Day in new York Tokyo and London. The unite states which once dominated world Commerce has become a debtor nation. Population pressures have increased dramatically in Asia and in Africa. China is finding its place among the superpowers. The perils of acid rain deforestation and depletion of the Ozone layer have found their Way into common talk. Nearly80 percent of the . Respondents in the 1988 Survey knew of wind patterns that spread the fallout of Cher Nobyl. We Are All passengers on the same train. It May be futile to urge that More geography be taught in our schools. More of everything should be taught in our schools More of history science literature computer technology social studies but Geog Raphy is a critical discipline. This is a foundation Stone one of the great blocks on which everything rests. It must not be neglected. Universal press Syndicate . Could Hove major role in angolan peace it is a tantalizing diplomatic agreement. The terms announced this month by Angola Cuba and South Afri Ca Promise so much to a ravaged Corner of Africa. But there have been promises before. The bitter history of the Region requires a degree of scepticism about the prospects now. But i think there Are realistic grounds for Hope. New factors Are work ing for peace and a process has  need is to carry that process for Ward to test the commitment of the Par ties As each has to face the hard questions that Are still unsettled. The announced agreement ties Dow Only opening Points. South Africa will withdraw its invasion forces from an Gola by sept. 1. Its forces and the opposing ones of Cuba and Angola have Al ready ceased fire. South Africa also said it would begin nov. 1 to carry out a . Plan for the Independence of Namibia which it Ille Gally occupies. But that step will not Hap pen unless there is agreement first on schedule for the withdrawal of cuban troops from Angola the first of Many Large ifs. Although Cuba has talked of with drawing for Over four years a Short schedule would be safer militarily a events in Afghanistan suggest. Politi Cally too Fidel Castro would probably prefer a Quick exit. He raised Domestic expectations with a speech last Mont saying a solution to the 13-year-old an Golan War was at hand. But it would be very hard for Cuba to withdraw if the brutal War Between the angolan government and the unit guerrillas were still going on. The negotiations mediated by . Assistant Secretary of state Chester Crocker have not touched on the internal angolan  after this month s announcement Unita said it would keep attacking. For those reasons Fidel Cas Tro would probably like to see the an Golan government negotiate with Nita. The soviet Union is thought to have the same View. But Angola s Lead ers understandably fearful of being left alone to face a Unita supported by the United states have so far refused to move in that direction. The three parties said they had undertaken to reach agreement. By sept. 1" on a timetable for cuban  is they agreed Only to try to agree. And beyond the cuban and angolan difficulties already mentioned there is a further Large obstacle to agreement. Thatis doubt about South Africa s intentions. Has South Africa really made the political decision to let Namibia become Independent there has to be doubt about that intention. Pretoria agree years ago to the . Plan but then it found one excuse after another to  the Likely Winner of a free election in Namibia is still Swap the Independence movement that Pretoria denounces As communist. South african officials Are Superb at negotiating away from seeming agreements. They have already mentioned a number of issues that could again serve As excuses questions about the United nation s impartiality in Over seeing the Namibia plan funds to carry it out the terms of the election and so on. On the other hand there Are new Reali ties. One is military a Large cuban Force in Southern Angola that has inflicted casualties on South Africa and raised Politi Cal concerns at Home. Another is the approaching end of Ronald Reagan s term the friendliest president Pretoria sever Likely to see and his possible re placement by a Tough Michael Dukakis. Inave no doubt that these factors have concentrated the South african mind. Some experts believe that the first Stepin the new agreement is what Pretoria really wants disengagement from a Mili tary quagmire in Angola. But if the pro Cess does Stop there nearly 50,000 cubans would still be in Angola. There can be no certainty about South Africa s True intentions until they Are tested. And that is the Point to test them. If Cuba and Angola offer a reason Able troop withdrawal timetable South Africa s reaction will Tell much about its commitment to the process that has started. If the South african government is serious it has finally decided to let go its grip on Namibia then there should Beno partisan division in this country about encouraging it to proceed on that path. A democratic administration started a negotiating process on Nami Bia and Crocker has been dogged in pushing it to this latest turn. Whatever differences behave on How Best to end official racism in South Africa we can surely agree on the desirability of freeing Namibia from it. One aim of any . Policy must before South Africa to leave its neighbors alone. That could have a radiating effect internal As Well As external. New York times news service the opinions expressed in the columns and cartoons on this Page rep resent those of the authors and Are in noway to be considered As representing the views of the stars and stripes or the United states government