14 DAY TRIAL // Harvard students were asked a simple question on camera by their campus newspaper, the Harvard Crimson, and surprisingly the Ivy League school's attendants did not know the answer. The question was related to their neighboring country, Canada, and it concerned the state's capital city.
So, “What's the capital of Canada?” Most students answered “I don't know” or “I have no idea.” Some tried guessing by naming all of Canada's major cities “Alberta – no, that's not right,” “probably Vancouver or something,” “is it Toronto?”
Other students, ashamed of their lack of knowledge concerning their neighbor, said “Oh my God, it's really bad I don't know,” or “I'm sorry Canada.” Just one of the students from the video got it right, but she was Canadian. It may seem that geography is not Harvard's strongest point.
Canada's capital city is Ottawa, but it's not surprising that most people don't know the answer to this simple question. Ottawa is the fourth biggest city of Canada, yet people don't even hear of it, knowing mostly of Vancouver, Quebec or Toronto and assuming one of them is also the state's capital.
Ottawa is Canada's center of government after being selected by Queen Victoria herself back in 1857. Well, no wonder why it may not seem so interesting to Harvard students when they have so many other things to learn.