Some common geographic mental misplacements
This is a fascinating survey of common misconceptions we share about where geographic locations are in relationship to each other.
It never occurred to me that the northern tip of Africa shares a latitude with Norfolk, VA. Nor did I know that Chicago and Rome also share latitudinal parity, that the entirety of the South American continent lies to the east of Jacksonville, FL, or that South America is closer to Africa, its neighbor to the east, than it is to Houston, TX.
"If learned early on, a foundationally incorrect view of the world can perpetuate, as students naturally build knowledge in light of a past, incorrect, understanding. Something as basic as our assumptions about the relative locations of Earth's continents is an interesting, and actually sort of fun, example of how we can get things wrong right off the bat.
"Ultimately, everything is learned, but some curious geographic errors tend to persist more than others. So what are some tantalizing locational mistakes that seemingly come pre-installed in American students’ minds that geography teachers wrestle to overcome?" - John Nelson
Have fun.
Interactive Website: Misconception