The research warns that most people are failing to make the most of their local area and have little knowledge of important geographical facts.

The survey was carried out to mark National Geographic's geography awareness week and also today's so-called "GIS Day", which aims to encourage young people to understand the extent to which geographic information - and increasingly the opportunity to use technology such as digital mapping - underpins our daily lives.

The UK is among more than 80 countries which will participate by holding local events such as workshops and school assemblies.

Asked how many countries there were in the world, only a third were correct in choosing 193. A third of people thought Mount Everest was either in the Alps or the UK - it is in Nepal - and only half of respondents knew that the Nile was the world's longest river.

Asked which facility had been visited the most during the past month, the DIY superstore came top with 39%. The local museum was bottom with only 9%. Almost a third said they had never visited their local museum or church and a quarter had never been to their leisure centre.

Respondents were also asked about what they remembered most about geography lessons at school from a list of eight topics. Maps came top with 24%, rocks/erosion and "don't know" were in joint second place with 16%, and farming in last with 5%.

The findings follow a separate survey carried out earlier this week by the British Council, which showed that UK children aged 11 to 16 have the lowest international awareness among their age group in 10 countries.

David Lambert, professor of geography education and chief executive of the Geographical Association, said: "Geography helps us make sense of the world and face vital issues such as climate change, energy, food production, the 'war on terror', water and poverty. It also touches all our lives every day, from businesses to schools, government to hospitals.

"Essential to a rounded education, young people should learn geography because it introduces them to relationships between the human activity within our physical world. This is key to gaining an improved understanding of the environment we live in today and in the future."