This Is Just Sad....

[abaris]

It's gotten far worse all around the globe. The reason being less funding and interest for public educational purposes.

But I don't think, geography is the best of indicators. The examples you posted in your OP aren't that bad in their majority. Honestly, I expected worse. If I were presented with an empty map, only showing the outlines, I would be hard pressed the farther east I move in Europe, namely all the former soviet territories. And I would be hard pressed to name most of the American states also, apart from the coastal states.

Things would look differently if asked to find any nation on an actual map, since I would know roughly where to look.

[Marsellus Wallace]

I just love it when they remember Luxembourg, but forget other bigass countries

[Regina]

I can't help but feel some of those maps are satire.

Nobody found Malta, I see, but I expect that from anyone

With that said I try not to judge too hard. I have a degree in Geography, so I do have a good knowledge of place even looking at a blank map (I could name most of The US states on a blank map, and probably have a good go at a lot of countries on a blank world map). Not everyone has that knowledge of Geography, especially when their own country is continent-sized in the first place.

[Marsellus Wallace]

I can't help but feel some of those maps are satire.

Nobody found Malta, I see, but I expect that from anyone

not from me though. 

[downbeatplumb]

I am relieved by the US's inability to locate my country on a map. Much less likely to invade somewhere that can't find.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Well yeah, if a person can use that knowledge to grow as a person and apply it in real life situations then absolutely. Though people use their intelligence differently. A person may not be good at geography but their only claim to knowledge is science and math and they use that knowledge to cure the sick. That is more useful than a person who is knowledgeable on many things but never applying it.

No argument there. Intelligence has many different uses. That's all the more reason to cultivate it as broadly as possible.

I do confess favoring the polymath over the specialist, though, in a conversation -- or in general thinking, for that matter. Breadth of knowledge doesn't guarantee depth of insight, but the more data points one has (from any and all disciplines), the more detailed a picture one might draw when connecting the dots.

Additionally, I regard geographic knowledge as a metric of a person's interest in foreign cultures -- fairly or unfairly, who knows? But how likely is a person to know much about a nation without being able to put it somewhere on a map?

[Cato]

This young woman knows what the problem is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww

[downbeatplumb]

I am relieved by the US's inability to locate my country on a map. Much less likely to invade somewhere that can't find.

I really will have to start bringing my reading glasses home from work!

[downbeatplumb]

This young woman knows what the problem is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww

Who cares how dumb she is she's drop dead gorgeous. I've never been good looking enough to get by on looks and unfortunately I was too poor to get a university education.

[energizer bunny]

This young woman knows what the problem is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww

 That question seemed to have caught her off guard. And she probably felt that she had to answer it. That along with the nerves of being in front of people and on tv, i can understand why she flopped. Though i don't think most are understanding enough to take that into consideration and are more likely to criticize and make fun of her for that mistake. I would've loved to see her fire back with "What does this question have to do with winning miss usa?" because that's what i would like to know.