Most Ridiculous Geography Questions People Asked Google

Geography can be confusing. We get it. That’s why geography trivia night is a thing. But if you’re over the age of 15, there is some basic geography knowledge you should know.

Online searches tell us a different story. These are the most ridiculous geography questions searched on Google, as well as threads from websites like Reddit and our own unfortunate personal experiences.

What Country Am I In?

Why would anyone on this good Earth ever have to ask that question? And why is this common enough to come up as a top autofill option on the search bar? 

This question makes us a little bit afraid for the future of humanity.

Is Africa a Big Country?

In the age of the internet, people still haven’t gotten it through their heads that Africa is not a country. Even worse, they aren’t sure if it’s a big "country."

Africa is actually the second-largest continent in the world, and it’s pretty easy to see that on a map. There really is no excuse for this level of ignorance.

Does Mexico Count as International Travel?

As should be obvious from the word itself, international travel is when you go to another country. 

So, yes, if you are not in Mexico, it’s international travel. We don’t get where the confusion is coming from.

Is Asia in Europe?

Whoever asked this needs to go back to third grade and make sure they learn the seven continents. 

Even if you have a different educational system and learn five or six continents instead of the Anglo-centric seven, this question makes no sense. 

To take it even further, if you learn that Eurasia is a single continent, you would still have no business asking if Asia is in Europe. 

There just isn’t any logical explanation for why someone needed to look this up.

Is New Zealand Real?

New Zealand is so beautiful that it is difficult to believe it can be real. There’s a reason why Kiwi national Peter Jackson chose it as the filming location for his fantasy trilogy "The Lord of the Rings." 

But despite this, we can assure you the country is, indeed, very much real.

Where Is Cinco de Mayo?

In our hearts and spirits. It lives on as we commemorate the Mexican victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla by getting drunk. 

Let its memory always remain there.

Is Peru Bigger Than England?

Peru is the 19th-largest country in the world. The United Kingdom is the 78th. So yeah, Peru is much, much bigger than the entire United Kingdom, let alone England. 

However ridiculous, this question can be partially blamed on the maps we use, which have distorted the true size of countries.

What Country Am I in If I’m [in the] U.S.A?

We don’t even know how to respond to this, and we want to bet Google was as confused as we are. 

If you find yourself not knowing the answer, we cannot help you.

Is Africa a Third World Country?

Again, Africa is a continent made up of 54 countries. Generalizations like this seem a bit absurd. 

While it’s true that many African countries rank low on the Human Development Index (HDI), it's ludicrous to think every country’s situation is the same.

Economic and social situations vary greatly. For example, African countries like Mauritius and the Seychelles rank higher on the HDI than some Eastern European countries.

Where Is Arendelle Located in Real Life?

We hate to break it to the people who were Googling this, but "Frozen" is not real. 

The setting was inspired by Norway, but this is just a weird way to phrase a question. There are also people Googling "is Arendelle a real country?"

We’re not sure which one is worse.

Is South America Part of the United States?

It’s a very difficult concept to grasp, but there are countries outside of the United States. 

Another very difficult concept is the fact that continents are made up of countries. This means that, by definition, a continent can’t be within a country. 

We pity all the geography teachers who have to deal with this.

Does Africa Have a President?

What is it with people thinking Africa is a country? 

Some countries within the large continent have presidents. Others do not. Is there someone who presides over the whole continent? No, this isn’t "The Fifth Element."

We don’t have global presidents yet.

Is Argentina in Spain?

Argentina was once a Spanish colony, so most of the country now speaks Spanish. But why would that make people think one country is within the other? That would be like thinking the U.S. is within the U.K.

And before you go on an "Americans are so ignorant rant," we should disclose it was a European person who asked this.

Is Korea in Japan or China?

You mean there are other countries in Asia besides Japan or China? Nonsense.

Who would’ve thought Korean food, Korean language and K-pop came from a country with its own cultural identity?

Who Is the King of Africa Now?

OK, we need this to stop. If there is just one thing you take away from this whole article, let it be that Africa is not a country.

Again, some African countries like Morocco have kings. Others do not.

And the king of Africa is as real as the king of Europe.

Is Mexico an Island?

What confuses us about this is that Mexico is a pretty big country. The 13th largest in fact. 

So we don’t fully understand how people have been looking at maps and missing the giant chunk of land that Mexico is. 

The U.S.-Mexico border has also been a hot topic for quite a while, so we don’t really get what people were imagining.

Do Mountains Last Forever?

To quote Outkast’s best song, "nothing lasts forever."

This includes mountains. The good news is that they are fairly sturdy and tend to last for a long time, given that physical geographic changes are usually slow. 

Short of another meteor impact, we are willing to bet most mountains will stay around during your lifetime, so there’s not much to worry about.

Which Continent Is Also a Country?

This confusion probably happens because some genius decided to use the name Australia for the continent that includes Australia, Tasmania (part of Australia) and New Guinea (an island divided by Papua New Guinea and Indonesia). 

Others claim that what was traditionally referred to as Oceania, a continent that included the above plus New Zealand and the Pacific Islands is now collectively referred to as the Australian continent.

We concede this is confusing. Just not enough for someone to think that the country of Australia is an entire continent in itself. It's not. 

Is America in European?

Where to even begin with this? 

It seems like people searching for this don’t fully understand the difference between a noun, "Europe," and an adjective, "European." But even if we give their grammar a pass, it is hard to believe that they would think that the U.S. is in Europe. 

That shows a major lack of understanding of Western history.

Where Is the Internet?

Ah, yes, the ultimate existential question. If the internet cannot be seen or placed on a map, is it even real?

We’re sure philosophers will debate this for centuries to come.

Do Rivers Flow Into Oceans?

There are, in fact, some rivers that do not flow into an ocean, like the Okavango River, which actually evaporates in the Kalahari Desert. 

However, they are a rare exception. The vast majority of rivers flow into the ocean. It’s kind of what rivers do.

Which is why this question is so strange.

Is Asian a Nationality?

It is truly worrisome that there are people out there who really don’t get how political geography works. 

Since Asia is a continent made up of 48 countries — and therefore, 48 nationalities — it is absolutely ridiculous to make this question. 

Does Africa Have Water?

We hate to break it to you, but water is necessary for life. This is why scientists are so desperate to find proof of water on Mars. 

So if there is life in Africa, you can safely assume that, yes, there is water on the continent. 

Do Continents Have Capitals?

There are some people out there who are very, very confused about what a continent is. 

No, continents do not have capitals. And it’s for the best.

There would certainly be wars fought over that.

Is Egypt in Europe?

Egypt is one of the most famous countries in the world, which we hoped would mean people knew where it was. Apparently, that’s not the case. 

Though if you want a cool geography fact most people get wrong, Egypt is in both Africa and Asia. 

Still, there’s no excuse for thinking it’s in Europe.

Is Central America a Country?

No. There is no country called Central America. It’s as if people had never heard of Costa Rica, Guatemala or Panama. 

Central America is actually a region that covers, well, the central part of the American continent.

That big chunk of land includes countries between North and South America.

What Language Do They Speak In France?

We get that you can’t know everything about every country in the world but, come on.

The language is literally in the name.

At least try to take a guess.

Does Europe Have States?

Since Europe is not a country, it doesn’t have states. Unless you mean nation states, in which case the question could make a little more sense. 

Most countries within Europe do have internal areas they separate, though the name used varies from country to country.

For example, Spain has provinces, Germany has states, and France has regions.

Is Alaska an Island?

What is so worrisome about this question is that it probably comes from the fact that on maps of the United States, Alaska is shown as an island just floating about. 

This is just because Alaska is attached to Canada, so they have to detach it and include it in a little square which is more symbolic than literal. 

It is a sad, sad day for geography teachers everywhere.

Is Brazil Bigger than California?

Brazil is the fifth-largest country in the world. On top of that, it is actually larger than the contiguous 48 states.

Even with the distortion of the Mercator map, this should not be a question anyone would ever ask.

Related: Geography Facts That Will Blow Your Mind

Are There Kangaroos In Africa?

We don't expect everyone to know everything about every animal. But kangaroos are very famously an Australian thing. 

These incredible species are some of the animals you can only find in one place. We had assumed everyone knew this, but apparently, a lot of people are wondering if they're also in Africa.

Maybe they just remember it's a place that starts with "A."

Where Is the United States on the Map?

Again, we don't expect everyone to be able to place every country on a map. However, the United States is gigantic. You literally can't miss it on a map, even if you try your best. 

The U.S. is also a world superpower, so it's kind of important to know where it is.

Where Is United States Customs?

How do you even answer this? Like in most countries, U.S. Customs are located in any point of entry into the country. Whether it be land, air or water. 

Maybe people are just trying to see where the headquarters are? But why would you need to know this in the first place?

We have many questions.

Why Is Asia an Important Continent in the World?

We would argue that every continent is important to the world given that there are humans and other species on it. And every country plays an important role in the giant ecosystem that is planet Earth.

But if you want to be more practical about it, Asia is the largest continent and has some of the world's top economies, including China, India, Japan and South Korea. The continent is also important for trade, since it has major manufacturing and transportation hubs.

And then there are the numerous oil reserves within it, which are of extreme importance to the global economy.

Where Is South America Located?

This may be difficult to believe, but South America is located in the south of the American continent. 

We know. Shocking.

Why Is Europe a Continent?

Yes, and why does the Earth exist? Why did humans evolve to use language? We love these existential questions. 

Joking aside, there may be a legitimate reason for this question since Europe is not, technically a continent. Rather, Eurasia is one. Some people think Europe, Asia and Africa should all be considered one together given that they are only separated by a small canal.

Still, this question seems silly given the political divisions that usually take precedence over topography when dividing land.

Does Europe Have Free Healthcare?

There are 44 countries in Europe if you go by the United Nation's official list. Given this, it seems strange to ask about the healthcare system of the continent.

Each country in Europe handles its healthcare differently, though many Western European nations like Denmark and Switzerland do have universal healthcare that is very affordable.

Are There Interstate Highways in Hawaii?

"Interstate" refers to something that is across multiple states. So interstate highways are highways that cross and connect several states to one another. 

Does a group of islands in the middle of the Pacific have a highway that connects it to the continental United States?

We'll let you figure out the answer on your own.

Is Australia an European Country?

Australia was once a colony of England — but so was much of the world.

At no point, then, has it really been European. Especially since it's actually very, very far from Europe and much closer to Southeast Asia.

Maybe whoever asked this was thinking of Austria?

Why Is Canada Not Part of the U.S.?

We hate to break it to Americans once more, but there are other countries in the world. That's just how it is.

Why isn't the United States part of Canada? The answer lies in the long and complicated history of the world.