Why Icelandic TikTok has dubbed this guy 'the smartest man in Canada'

A Canadian geography nerd has become a bit of a TikTok sensation in Iceland after he wowed a social media influencer with his detailed knowledge of the country.

On Sept. 9, Icelandic TikToker Ólafur Jóhann Steinsson approached Aidan Simardone on the streets of Toronto with a microphone and posed a simple question: "Do you know where Iceland is?"

Not only did Simardone know exactly where the island nation is, but he immediately went on to describe Iceland's capital city, nearest neighbours, population, flag and international affiliations. 

The response left Steinsson speechless. He titled his video "Smartest man in Canada." And Simardone is thrilled by his newfound Icelandic fame.

"Oh, my gosh, it is phenomenal," Simardone, a 29-year-old immigration lawyer, told As It Happens host Nil Köksal. "One day you're being interviewed on the street, the next day you're big in Iceland, and now on the CBC."

Steinsson, who also works as a flight attendant for Icelandair, told CBC he shot the video during a one-night stopover in Toronto. His job often brings him to the U.S., he says, where he likes to prompt strangers with the same question. 

"I've never been to Canada before and when I'm always in the U.S.A., 90 per cent of people don't get this question right," he told CBC in an Instagram message. 

"I was testing my theory that Canadians are smarter, and I was correct."

Simardone says that as soon as he saw the TikTokker approach, he knew what kind of video this was going to be. The phenomenon of asking strangers seemingly simple questions and documenting their comically incorrect answers has a long history on TikTok, YouTube, and before that, TV shows like Rick Mercer's Talking To Americans. 

"I flipped the script. These videos are meant to humiliate people, but I kind of just put him in disbelief, right?" Simardone said. 

Steinsson says he was, indeed, blown away. 

"I have never got that response before and was speechless. The best answer I have ever gotten," he said. "The response from Icelandic people [is] amazing. People are amazed that he knows more than they do, and they live there."

'Nerding out on my geography'

But he could have asked Simardone about just about any country and gotten a similar response. 

Quizzed by Köksal about the population of Guyana (just over 804,000 in 2021) and the capital of her native Turkey (Ankara), Simardone passed with flying colours — and even offered some additional factoids.

"Ever since I think I was like three or four years old, I've always been so fascinated by just the world's countries, their flags, their capital cities, their population," he said.

"While other kids were reading Harry Potter, I was kind of flipping through atlases and nerding out on my geography."

LISTEN | As It Happens quizzes the 'smartest man in Canada': 

As It Happens1:16Quizzing a world geography nerd

It's an ability that comes in handy for an immigration lawyer, he says. 

"People are so used to their countries not being known in the West," he said  "Whether it's clients from Nigeria, Philippines or whatever, being a bit of a geography nerd helps me to understand where people are coming from and help them the best way possible."

But Iceland, he says, does hold a special place in his heart — even though he's never been there.

"I'm the only member of the family who has not gone yet," he said. "I'm super jealous because I'm an Iceland fan."