All over the map: test your geographic savvy.

There's been a lot of talk in the media lately about America's "geographic illiteracy."

Indeed, a poll this year found that 33 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds couldn't find Louisiana on a map, even after Hurricane Katrina, and 63 percent couldn't find Iraq, despite the war. The truth is that most of us, adults included, could improve our geographical knowledge.

The questions in our Geo Quiz are similar to those asked in later stages of the National Geographic Bee, an annual competition in which 15,000 schools participate.

Be warned: It's not easy. An atlas, almanac, encyclopedia, or Upfront's Oct. 23, 2006, World Affairs issue will help with some of the tougher questions. And don't be discouraged. When it comes to geography, half the fun is the exploration it takes to figure things out. (Answers on p. 22.)

2006 NEWS

1. The United States agreed to a nuclear pact with the world's largest democracy, a South Asian country that possesses nuclear weapons. Name this country.

2. On July 12, militants sneaked into Israel from a neighboring country, killed two Israeli soldiers and kidnapped two more, setting off a 34-day war. Name the country.

3. Scientists discovered traces of a civilization wiped out during a volcanic eruption on Sumbawa, one of the Lesser Sunda Islands. This island is part of which present-day Asian country?

4. Violent protests over foreign cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad turned deadly in Afghanistan. Name the country in which the cartoons were first published.

5. A royal family celebrated the birth of its first male heir in 41 years. For now, this ends the debate over whether a woman could ascend to the throne in what country?

6. Heavy rains and flash flooding caused a mudslide that killed hundreds of people and wiped out houses on Leyte Island in which Asian country?

   ECONOMIES

7. For more than a decade, what country has been the leading producer of nuclear energy?

8. The country that borders both the Gulf of Oman and the Caspian Sea is the world's leading producer of pistachio nuts. Name this country.

9. An Asian country with a population of more than a billion has become known as "the world's factory floor" because of its large, cheap, and reliable workforce. Name this country.

10. Through what strait located between Iran and the northern tip of Oman do tankers carry millions of barrels of oil each day?

11. Calico, a patterned cotton fabric, originated in the city of Calicut (now known as Kozhikode) in what major cotton-producing...