Quote Originally Posted by gwahir View Post
i agree, except knowing where a country is on a map isn't quite the same thing as knowing about its history, citizenry, political climate or etc. knowing exactly where something is on a map isn't that important, really, except inasmuch as its location directly comes into a discussion about something else that IS important. like its proximity to israel and the consequences thereof.
shut up convict

knowing a country's location is important to understand historical change. if you're talking about the history of europe, the middle east, asia, etc., you need to know regions and locations to put it in context. the islamic world stretched from the iberian peninsula to the steppes so if you're going to talk about the history and spread of islam you're going to want to know who ruled over what region and how that had an impact on future states