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NONSENSE OF DIRECTION

Millions of Brits don’t know where Manchester, Birmingham and even London are on a map – and experts blame mobile phones

Four in 10 people struggle to locate the nation's capital on a map - with others admitting they don't even know how to read a map

FOUR in 10 people struggle to pinpoint where London sits on a map with millions left scratching their heads when it comes to finding Manchester, Birmingham and Oxford.

The shocking results, which also reveal that 86 per cent of people don't know where Edinburgh is, have been blamed on people's dependence on mobile phones and technology to help them know where they are going.

 Millions of people struggled to pinpoint where London was on a map - with some even putting it in the north
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Millions of people struggled to pinpoint where London was on a map - with some even putting it in the northCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
 Just 22 per cent highlighted the right spot for Manchester according to new research marking National Map Reading Week
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Just 22 per cent highlighted the right spot for Manchester according to new research marking National Map Reading WeekCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

A spokesman for Ordnance Survey, which commissioned the research as part of National Map Reading Week, taking place in October, said: "Many people are lacking in both the basic knowledge of where places are in Britain, and the ability to read a traditional map.

"This could be due to our increasing reliance on technology like Sat-Navs and mobile devices to tell us where we are."

Almost one in 10 people put the Isles of Scilly, found off the coast of Cornwall, in place of the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, while another one in 20 believed the isles sit off the western coast of Scotland.

 Almost one in 10 put the Isles of Scilly, found off the coast of Cornwall, in place of the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, while another one in 20 believe they sit off the western coast of Scotland
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Almost one in 10 put the Isles of Scilly, found off the coast of Cornwall, in place of the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, while another one in 20 believe they sit off the western coast of ScotlandCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

The spokesman said: "Great Britain is relatively small, yet it seems many of us struggle to pinpoint the positions of cities and locations which may not even be that far from where we live.

"Despite this, many claim to have a good sense of direction - although maybe not those who believe the Isles of Scilly are off the Scottish coast.

The survey results found that although 86 per cent of Brits believed they had a good sense of direction, just 57 per cent of people could point out where London sits - with one in 10 putting it closer to the Midlands than the southeast.

Just 22 per cent of people managed to highlight the right spot for Manchester, while 85 per cent struggled to mark the spot for Birmingham.

People also struggled to find Stonehenge, The Peak District and Snowdonia on a map.

But it wasn't just pinpointing where towns and cities sat that left Brits struggling, with others admitting they didn't even know how to read a map.

Just four in ten can confidently read a map with another 44 per cent admitting they have no idea what traditional map symbols mean.

Even worse, some people were unable to name the countries which make up the United Kingdom and Great Britain.

Seven in 10 think that Northern Ireland is part of Great Britain, while more than one in ten think the same of the Republic of Ireland.

 The Peak District was pinpointed along the country's west by struggling map readers
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The Peak District was pinpointed along the country's west by struggling map readersCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
 Stonehenge, one of the most iconic tourist attractions, was not easily marked by those surveyed
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Stonehenge, one of the most iconic tourist attractions, was not easily marked by those surveyedCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
 Most people managed to get Oxford's position right, but the overall poor results have been blamed on people's tendency to use technology to find their way
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Most people managed to get Oxford's position right, but the overall poor results have been blamed on people's tendency to use technology to find their wayCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
 About 85 per cent struggled to mark Birmingham on the map according to the new study
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About 85 per cent struggled to mark Birmingham on the map according to the new studyCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

Sixteen per cent also think the Republic of Ireland is part of the UK.

Almost one in ten admit to having NEVER used a traditional paper map - one which isn't on their phone tablet or Sat Nav.

Sean Conway, adventurer, and #GetOutside ambassador for OS, said: "I take OS maps with me on my adventures. My recent world's longest triathlon around the whole coast of Great Britain could have been even longer, maybe next time I'll do the whole of the UK, and include Northern Ireland too."

Nick Giles, Managing Director of Ordnance Survey Leisure, added: "We've been making maps to help people get outside for 225 years, and still sell over 1.9 million paper maps each year, so it is worrying that so few people know the basic geography of Great Britain.

"Hearing that less than 40 per cent of people can confidently read a map is a concern, as we want people to explore Britain safely.

"To help people out, we're holding a National Map Reading Week for the first time. From 17-23 October we'll be hosting free map reading workshops and will have some fantastic resources, from videos to handy guides, readily available on our site.

"We urge everyone to take part, top up on their navigation skills and then grab a map and get outside safely."


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