Is it true that only around 20% of Americans have passports?

Question

And if so, what does this say about them as a country?

Answer 1

Before I get started here, I'll tell you that I have traveled all over the world. I've been to more countries outside the U.S. than I've been to states within my own U.S.A. I've been fortunate to be able to travel, so I'm doing it while I can and while I'm still relatively young. When I retire, I'll get a motor home and see lots more of my OWN country! ;-)

As stated by another poster, the main reason for 20% passports is that the U.S. is so incredibly HUGE. I'm sure you're aware of that, but people who don't live here really don't understand the full scope of that. Take a peek at these 2 charts showing mileage between major cities in the U.S. and between cities in Europe.
I just picked Europe as and EXAMPLE. I realize you may not be from Europe. Both show kilometers. For the European one, I chose Prague as a starting point only because it's sort of in the center of the European map:

http://www.hm-usa.com/distance/usa.html

http://www.travelnotes.org/Europe/Distances/Prague.htm

Now, keep in mind also when viewing this data, that a good deal of European roads are winding, curving, meandering roads. Not that Europe doesn't have highways, too, but in the U.S., we have MAJOR expressways, straight shots, from coast to coast. So, factor that in when comparing the charts, as well.

Any climate, any landscape, any activity that you could possible choose to see or do can be found in the U.S.A. We even have a great deal of cultural differences from state to state. We've got big cities, we've got mountains, beaches, volcanoes and forests. Everything.

Every state speaks the same language and the laws are universal all over the U.S.

We also are not exposed to other cultures as much as most of the world, mostly since we ARE so big. It's just not a part of our everyday life.

Lastly, when we do travel outside our country, many of us have traveled to Mexico or the Bahamas, all places where we didn't HAVE to have a passport, until this year that is. I expect to see the numbers rise due to that fact.

Long story short, though, many people are content to see the vast wonders within our own country.

Peace!

Polly

Answer 2

It isn't true. The numbers are always different. Somebody else on here heard that it was only 10%, while I read somewhere that it was 35%. So, who knows?

And, by the way, I've had my passport since I was 15. And most of the people I know own one. And what would it say about us if we didn't anyway? Europe is great, but lets face it....you can find everything here in America. You want skiing? Go to Colorado. You want mountains? Go to Tennessee. How about the desert? Arizona is the place to go.....

Are you getting it?

Answer 3

what number Europeans have left Europe? Africans left Africa? the U. S. citizen up until eventually at present ought to bypass everywhere in North us of a devoid of a passport. it truly is worse than it type of feels. North us of a is fairly huge and Europeans needed a passport to commute in Europe. The smaller the country the extra passports are issued in the adventure that they have got an identical element of society. certain I actually have a passport merely were given it renewed very last year!

Answer 4

Would you really bother to travel in the rest of the world if you had so many different places to go into your own country? New York is a challenge for someone from a smaller state. A new yorker wants to go to L.A. and Florida..e.c.t. They don't need to go to places full of foreigners. One of the reasons they don't really learn any foreign language apart from spanish,which is spoken from half their nation.

Answer 5

Maybe it says... why bother to have a pass sport if you don't plan on leaving the country? In the U.S. we never need to show "papers" to anyone while traveling around our own land.

Answer 6

It's not that strange, America is huge and each state is as big as a country, it's the same as anyone that has not left europe!

Answer 7

I heard something like this too.........i think it just means that they have a huge country and don't have to travel so much?

Answer 8

They like to visit other parts of their vast county ho and they don't travel that well because they are mainly insular and backward apart from in the big cities.

Answer 9

I don't know if it is true, but I can say that I don't have one.

Answer 10

It says they have a great country.