Kalistan

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New Kalistani Geography textbook contains egregious Error
"Someone's idea of a joke" explains publisher
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
December 19, 5650


The new Primary Geography textbook contains a major error in Chapter on Ocean Geography

The publishers of the new update of the 2nd Grade Geography Primer were required to make a public apology and refund the Ministry of Education for an egregious error found by 2nd Grader Jenny Calloway of Python, Duchy of Vrassa. Calloway was flipping through her text book this fall and when she got to the chapter on maritime geography, she noticed the error and brought the matter to her teacher, who contacted the local school board, who then contacted the Duchy's Public Education Commission

"The student, Ms. Calloway, discovered that the book referred to the sea on the east coast of South Seleya was mis-labeled 'Odufart Sea,'" said Vrassa Duchy Commissioner of Public Education Brian Alexander. "She then found several other references to Odufart through the book. We immediately contacted the Minister of Education and Culture, Janet Simmons, to confirm that Kalistan no longer refers to that sea in those terms. Minister Simmons clarified that that stretch of water between Kanjor and Noumonde is referred to as the Southern Anantonese Ocean, and has not been referred to as Odufart anything for millennia, by anyone."

Simmons added that the name "Odufart" was derived from Odufaray--the Duchy in Kalistan which is nowhere near the Southern Anantonese Ocean--but it had been misapplied during the colonial era by ignorant foreigners, who repeated it to other ignorant foreigners and the name just stuck for a little while. Maps get copied, and copies of copies are made, and the name irritatingly persisted into the 3000s, though the entire maritime region was previously delineated as a single body of water named the Anantonese Ocean, and several smaller arms got names as seas.

"Yes, the Minister is correct," said Veronica Wilson, spokesperson for the book Publisher Markies and Sons, who received the contract to publish the erroneous book. "That sea has been incorrectly labeled as 'Odufart' for centuries, and nobody has any idea why that dumb name persists, but as for it appearing in our book, usually our Quality Control catches errors like this. I guess this time it was left in because it was someone's idea of a joke. It's a tasteless one at any rate, and now it is also a costly one."

Wilson said that Markies and Sons was expected to reimburse the money the company earned from the contract, minus costs for publishing, and replace the books with corrected labels. A review of the book also revealed that Odufart is used in at least four other places in the book, including the index. No other significant errors were discovered elsewhere in the text.

Markies and Sons also offered Ms. Calloway, the young student who caught the error, an opportunity for an internship after she completes her National Service, if she is interested. "Anyone with Miss Calloway's eagle eye for detail is welcomed at our company," said Wilson. "But of course, we'd like her to graduate High School first."

@TheRepublic