Human intelligence is not particularly dependent on geography.

Judge as of 2013-03-12 against the research literature, taking the claim to mean that human intelligence or cognitive capacity is not substantially determined by geographic location or origin. True: the research consensus finds no substantial intrinsic link between geography and human intellectual capacity; observed regional gaps in test scores are attributed mostly to non-geographic factors such as education, health and economics, and claims of a geographic link are not supported. Mostly true: the consensus broadly supports the claim, but there are minor recognised geography-linked influences (e.g. parasite load, nutrition environment) that it slightly understates. Mixed: the literature is genuinely split, or geography-linked environmental factors are recognised as significant contributors. Mostly false: credible research shows substantial geographic dependence and the claim overstates its absence. False: strong consensus evidence shows intelligence depends heavily on geography.

Set before the research began.

1. E1 Why national IQs do not support evolutionary theories of intelligence Personality and Individual Differences (Elsevier), authors Wicherts, Borsboom, Dolan (University of Amsterdam) · 2010

   “In addition, we show that national IQs are strongly confounded with the current developmental status of countries. National IQs correlate with all the variables that have been suggested to have caused the Flynn Effect in the developed world.”

2. E2 London15V Heiner Rindermann, TU Chemnitz (conference slides, London Conference on Intelligence) · May 2015

   “Geography (drought, heat, “no tameable and domesticable animals and plants” etc.) is a manageable challenge and it is theoretically (contentwise, substantially) not convincing.”

3. E3 London15V Heiner Rindermann, TU Chemnitz (conference slides, London Conference on Intelligence) · May 2015

   “Background factors evolution and culture are theoretically and empirically important global factors explaining stable pattern differences between nations in cognitive ability and in aspects of economy, politics and society.”

4. E4 Massive IQ Gains in 14 Nations: What IQ Tests Really Measure Psychological Bulletin (American Psychological Association), James R. Flynn · 1987

   “Therefore, between-groups IQ differences cannot, at present, be equated with intelligence differences. Environmental factors with a large impact on IQ have not been identified.”

5. E5 Why national IQs do not support evolutionary theories of intelligence Personality and Individual Differences (Elsevier), authors Jelte M. Wicherts, Denny Borsboom, Conor V. Dolan · 2010

   “In addition, we show that national IQs are strongly confounded with the current developmental status of countries.”

6. E6 Why national IQs do not support evolutionary theories of intelligence Personality and Individual Differences (Elsevier), authors Jelte M. Wicherts, Denny Borsboom, Conor V. Dolan · 2010

   “For instance, from the scatterplot given in Fig. 2, it can be seen that the correlation between national IQ and our geographic distance measure is driven by the low scores in Sub-Saharan African countries.”

7. E7 Massive IQ Gains in 14 Nations: What IQ Tests Really Measure Psychological Bulletin (American Psychological Association), author James R. Flynn · 1987

   “The Dutch data prove the existence of unknown environmental factors so potent that”

8. E8 Evolution vs. culture as background factors for international intelligence differences Heiner Rindermann, TU Chemnitz, London Conference on Intelligence 2015 (slides) · 8 May 2015

   “Geography (drought, heat, “no tameable and domesticable animals and plants” etc.) is a manageable challenge and it is theoretically (contentwise, substantially) not convincing.”

9. E9 Cognitive Capitalism: The Effect of Cognitive Ability on Wealth, as Mediated Through Scientific Achievement and Economic Freedom Psychological Science (Rindermann & Thompson; SAGE), hosted copy at gwern.net · 2 May 2011

   “Yet nations can exercise greater control over precisely such variables than over factors such as the nation’s history, terms of trade with other countries, available mineral resources, or geographical conditions.”

10. E10 Cognitive Capitalism: The Effect of Cognitive Ability on Wealth, as Mediated Through Scientific Achievement and Economic Freedom Psychological Science (Rindermann & Thompson; SAGE), hosted copy at gwern.net · 2 May 2011

    “But—depending on educational policies, demographic factors, and migration— human capital and abilities can change.”

11. E11 Cognitive Capitalism: The Effect of Cognitive Ability on Wealth, as Mediated Through Scientific Achievement and Economic Freedom Psychological Science (Rindermann & Thompson; SAGE), hosted copy at gwern.net · 2 May 2011

    “Traditionally, differences in wealth between nations are explained by differences in institutional, economic, geographic, and historical-political factors (Landes, 1998).”

Wicherts, Borsboom and Dolan (2010) report that national IQs are strongly confounded with countries' current level of development and track the factors proposed for the Flynn effect (E1, E5). They also report that the correlation between national IQ and geographic distance is driven by low scores in Sub-Saharan African countries (E6). Flynn (1987) describes environmental factors that are not yet identified but strong enough to produce large IQ changes, which points away from a fixed link to geography (E4, E7). Even Rindermann, who gives evolution and culture weight in explaining differences between nations (E3), calls geography a "manageable challenge" that is "not convincing" as an explanation (E2, E8). These sources broadly support the claim. However, they are few and do not show the full research consensus, and they do not rule out environmental influences tied to geography, so the verdict is mostly true rather than true.