Nov 21, 2013 08:36 AM EST By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

The United States and Canada share borders, exchange goods worth $1.6 billion every day and also have one of the closest and most extensive bilateral relationships in the world. However, some of the brightest minds at Harvard University are clueless about the most simple and basic facts of its neighboring country.

Many Harvard students couldn't answer a simple question of world geography. When the school newspaper, Harvard Crimson, asked several students to name the capital of Canada, answers ranged from 'Ontario' to blank looks to a simple 'I don't know.'

Probably Vancouver or something," one guy answered.

"Alberta?" guessed another. "That's not right. I have no idea."

"Is it Toronto?" said one student at the school in Cambridge, Mass., which is about a seven-hour drive from Ottawa.

"Is it Quebec?"

"Oh my God, I don't know. Um. Wait, that's really bad. That's really bad that I don't know," said one male student, who covered his mouth in shock.

"I don't know, I'm sorry, I'm sorry Canada," another responded.

Only one student correctly identified Ottawa because she was basically a Canadian.

Although it sounds simple, it is actually a tricky question. Ottawa is not a very prominent city; hence people might think that the capital of Canada could either be Vancouver, Quebec, or Toronto, Macleans reports.

Other not so prominent capitals are:

Australia - Canberra (people might have thought Sydney)

India - Delhi (many would have replied Mumbai)

Brasil - Brasilia (not Rio de Janeiro).

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