Geography Survey Inspires Carmen Sandiego

A 1988 National Geographic Society-sponsored Gallup survey found that one in four Americans could not locate the Soviet Union or Pacific Ocean on a map. Producers partly responded by creating the PBS children's game show Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, which turned geography lessons into fast-paced detective challenges. National Geographic World verified the program's questions and provided magazine subscriptions as contestant prizes. The series premiered in 1991 and produced 295 episodes across five seasons before ending in 1995.

Previous Fact Next Fact