Piotr,

> I could certainly quote some anecdotal stuff from my own experience

(like the astounding question I heard from a Utah-born
Californian: "Do you still have any Native Europeans in Europe?").
Nevertheless, since I'm not sure about the statistics of ignorance, I
prefer to ascribe such ideas and attitudes to individuals rather than
nations. There are already more than enough national stereotypes in
circulation. I know quite a few profoundly ignorant Europeans and
quite a few polymath Americans.

The Utah-born Californian isn't really that off mark. In the United
States of America (U.S.) we have Native Americans who now are being
given much attention, affection and monetary reinbursements not to
mention the rights of owning and operating gaming casinos. It's very
lucrative being a Native American today, expecially for college aged
applicants. Who were the first aboriginal tribes to appear in
England, for example? In my History of England classes I learned
that the early tribes consisted of Angles, Saxons and Jutes (the
Jutes kept changing but the A & S always remained constant).
Nationalism has always raised its head at peculiar times.

Gerry