Want to impress your posse by locating both Guinea and Equatorial Guinea? Memorizing the map of Africa is easier than you think, says Daniel Montello, who teaches geography and psychology at UC Santa Barbara. Here's how.
- Break It Up Divide the continent's 47 nations into five regions: north, south, east, west, central. Focus on one region at a time.
2. Give Them an Identity Create silly associations for the shapes of the countries. Think Niger looks like a drumstick? Imagine Niger the Tiger eating the leg of an antelope. The more unique the association, the easier it is to remember. 3. Put Them Together Connect the associations in a memorable sequence--like Niger the Tiger chasing a guy named Chad (who looks like a Venetian nobleman) right into a mouse named CAR (Central African Republic). Make the images detailed and full of action to cement the associations in your mind. 
4. Conquer the World You've mastered Africa. Now you're ready for a real geographic challenge: Central Asia from Azerbaijan to Uzbekistan. 
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