Actually its pretty bad with New Zealand too but its not just Americans - I've heard plenty stories about Britons and Canadians that have said stupid things about NZ. For example, phrases said to myself and other family members while travelling:
- "Which part of Australia is NZ?" - Americans, Canadians, Britons
- "Did you see the thing on the news about Australia?" - Canadians (even though they have been told repeatedly that the person is from NZ)
- "Isn't it near Iceland?" - Americans
- "Isn't it above Canada?" - Americans
- "What language do they speak in NZ?" - Americans, Colombians
- "Do you have laptops and ipods in NZ?" - Britons
- "Are there any sealed roads in NZ?" - Americans
And my personal favourite:
-"Do you walk to Australia when the tide is out?" - Americans, Canadians (no, actually there's 2500km/1200mi of water between us)
Even though its a small, insignificant country its annoying when people have all these nonsensical ideas about it. I wish they would just admit that they don't know anything about it than make stuff up and regard it as good as fact.