Geography isn’t everyone’s strong point. After your school days, aside from booking a holiday, many people won’t learn anything more about the countries of the world well into adulthood.
This unfortunate fact got us thinking – just how good is the UK’s geography knowledge anyway?
Using Google search data from the past four years, compartmentalised into each major area of the UK, we sought to understand the scale and specifics of any gaps in British grasp of geography.
UK areas with the best and worst European geography
The areas of the UK with the worst geography skills was determined by the total number of searches of “where is [European Country]”, divided by the total population in hundreds of thousands.
West Midlands
The West Midlands (Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire) boasted the best European geography ability on our list, with 3,540 searches a month from its population of around 5.5 million.
North East
The North East (Northamptonshire, Tyne and Wear, County Durham, Tees Valley) were pipped to the first spot, enjoying the second lowest number of searches compared to the population of the area.
East Midlands
The East Midlands (Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire) had the third best European geography knowledge.
South West
The South West (Gloucestershire, Bristol, Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall) came fourth, with just 4860 searches each month on average from a population of over 5,340,000.
Scotland
Generally, northern areas fared best in terms of knowledge of the continent, with Scotland enjoying an acceptable (5,370 from 5,373,000 residents) number of people looking to find out more about where European countries are located.
Yorkshire
God’s own country (North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, East Yorkshire, South Yorkshire) had a very reputable European expertise level, with a relatively small number of searches compared to its large population.
South East
The South East (Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey, West Sussex) had decidedly average geographical wisdom of our fair continent, with an average of 8,880 searches from a population of almost 8.7 million.
Wales
Wales were on the margins of a ‘Poor’ ranking but crept into the middle bracket with 3,530 monthly searches compared to its population of around 3 million.
North West
Disappointingly, our local area, the North West (Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside) had a poor knowledge of European countries, with a high percentage of the population using search engines to expand their European geography each month.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland had more monthly searches than one of the areas ranked ‘Very Good’ – the North East – despite having a population almost a million people smaller. This discrepancy places Northern Ireland second bottom in our rankings.
Greater London
Surprisingly, the capital came rock bottom for geography knowledge, with a massive 12,830 searches enquiring about countries in the continent each month. Even when scaled by the huge population of the capital and surrounding area, Greater London still came comfortably last.
Capital cities
Capital cities of European countries were also a big issue for UK searchers.
Our research revealed some surprisingly obvious countries hitting the top spots – including German, Spain, Italy, and France.
Is it in Europe?
Our research also looked at the number of people taking to search engines to check if a particular country was in Europe.
Over the last four years (May 2013 – April 2014 to May 2016 – April 17), many European countries have seen big rises in the number of people wondering if they are in Europe. For example:
- “is Azerbaijan in Europe” increased by 284%
- “is Greece in Europe” increased by 171%
- “is Iceland in Europe” increased by 160%
- “is Russia in Europe” increased by 124%
One standout location from the list is Iceland, as the popularity of the frozen wonderland has boomed in recent years, growing as a major destination for UK travellers. Not surprising, then, that many potential holidaymakers are curious as to what continent it’s in.
“Is Australia in Europe?”
Interestingly, there was a 555% rise in searches for “is Australia in Europe” from May 2013 – April 2014 to May 2016 – April 17, with almost all the searches coming in May – the month of the annual Eurovision song contest.
This coincides with Australia being allowed to enter the Eurovision Song contest for the first time, making their debut in 2015.
It seems the public couldn’t comprehend why the Aussies were entered into the competition and took to Google to try and understand why.
Is the UK’s European geography getting worse or better?
To determine whether the UK’s knowledge of Europe is getting better or worse over time, we looked at the percentage increase of the overall population and compared it to the percentage rise in searches about where European countries are found.
The population rose by:
- 3.19% from 2013-14 to 2014-15
- 0.60% from 2014-15 to 2015-16
- 0.61% from 2015-16 to 2016-17
The number of search queries rose much higher each year (apart from this year):
- Increase of 39.40% 2013-14 to 2014-15
- Increase of 27.30% from 2014-15 to 2015-16
- Small decrease of 1.96% from 2015-16 to 2016-17
This suggests that while expertise about Europe got dramatically worse in the last few years, it seems to have stabilised for now.
Worldwide geography
We didn’t stop at Europe, either. Our research also involved looking at how many searches the British public were performing for every country in the world.
From this data, we determined the top ten countries that people are most curious about:
1. Where is Malta?
2. Where is Mauritius?
3. Where is Montenegro?
4. Where is Morocco?
5. Where is Singapore?
6. Where is Bulgaria?
7. Where is Croatia?
8. Where is Aruba?
9. Where is Costa Rica?
10. Where is Azerbaijan?
We’re hypothesising that travel has had a big impact on these search rankings – after all, all of the locations in the top ten are brilliant holiday destinations.
How’s your geography? Could you name every European country from the top of your head? Let us know on Twitter @eShores.
Why choose eShores?
One to One Service
Our experienced personal travel consultants will ensure you find the most suitable holiday, whilst taking care of every last detail. Everything from start to finish will be effortless.
100% Tailor Made
We can use any hotel, in any destination, so we will craft an itinerary to suit your exact needs. Also, as we can provide any itinerary, the only holiday we'll offer, is the one that's right for you.
Fully Protected
Our ATOL bonding provides you with the financial protection you need and as a member of the Travel Trust Association, you'll have 100% financial protection. Covering you for any eventuality.
Competitive Pricing
As a tour operator & travel agent, we'll search the market to ensure that we find you the best price. Also as an online business, we can ensure our prices are as competitive as possible.
-
Terence
I found eShores very helpful Indeed organising everything and explained our holiday very clearly, we can relax now as it’s all done
Posted 12 hours ago -
JenniferElizabeth
Very professional service. Michelle a friendly member of the team answered my query within a few hours and also gave me alternatives for the accommodation. She also held the flights for a few days so I could discuss the quote with my family, I didn't feel pressurised to commit straight away.
Posted 2 days ago -
Anonymous
We have recently returned from the advertised eShores multi-centre city break to Prague, Vienna and Budapest. We had a fabulous time and are very grateful to Dave Felton who organised everything for us. We didn't have to worry about booking any of it ourselves, as Dave arranged the flights, transfers, hotels and train tickets for us. He responded quickly to our queries and he also gave us tips about places we might like to see on our trip. We received all the information we needed in good time, and appreciated the additional details that eShores include, for example, telephone numbers for transfers and details of exactly where to find the driver at the airport, contact details for the hotels, and advice on travel.
Posted 2 days ago -
Mark
This is the third time of booking with eshores. They are absolutely brilliant at what they do. Tell them where you want to go and when and they will do the rest. Both previous holidays went as smooyh as could be. Every time I have booked I have dealt with Michelle. She is totally fantastic. Very knowledgable very friendly and always ensures the best deal. Will definitely be using again and again.
Posted 3 days ago -
Tricia
I have just returned from Japan having enjoyed a great adventure with my son. Eshores was recommended to me and has lived up to my expectations in every way. Michelle couldn't have been more helpful with the planning. Don't hesitate to use their service.
Posted 4 days ago -
TracyLouise
Rachel has been absolutely amazing, she has gone above and beyond helping me find a suitable itinerary for our Thailand trip with endless emails back and fourth as I work full time. At last it booked and we are so looking forward to it. Will use eshores again in the future.
Posted 4 days ago -
Deborah
great Holiday to Athens and the Saronic Islands booked by Nick for us. Everyting went very smoothly and and queries were dealt with quickly. Prices seem tio be very competitive compared to booking the trip yourself. Would definitely recommend
Posted 4 days ago -
Cheryl
Laura was very good at suggesting our itinerary. Also very patient with changing it! I found them very competitive also.
Posted 4 days ago -
Julia
Matt dealt with my request for a bespoke trip to Kerala incredibly promptly with good options even though he’d literally just returned from holiday himself. Good prices, changes on my part dealt with quickly and I am so pleased my friend recommended eShores else I’d never have found them
Posted 4 days ago -
Fay
Myself and my partner have just booked through eShores for a holiday/honeymoon of a lifetime. Our travel consultant Hannah has been so helpful and resourceful throughout the whole process and has designed us a custom getaway to suit every detail. All of the stress was taken out of the booking process which means we can prepare for our holiday peacefully. To say we’re excited is an understatement! Thank you Hannah! 🩷
Posted 5 days ago