A map of success

The winner of the 2007 National Geographic Bee is an eighth-grader from Redmond.

That likely engendered some puzzled looks from the audience at the Washington, D.C., competition. (Redmond? Is that inside or outside the Beltway?) Tongue firmly removed from cheek, the answer is neither. The center of the geographical universe is west thanks to the Geography Bee's newest champion, 14-year-old Caitlin Snaring.

Snaring is the first girl to win the competition in 17 years. Her interest in geography has been fueled by a love of travel and future aspiration to discover every part of the planet.

This is a girl who knows her place is anywhere she wants it to be.

Snaring's flawless performance in the competition — she did not miss a single question — propelled her past the nine other finalists. Nearly 5 million students from grades four through eight competed for the title.

The question that sealed the winning deal was an impressively tough one. A city that is divided by a river of the same name was the imperial capital of Vietnam for more than a century. Name this city, which is still an important cultural center.

Snaring's competitor responded with Ho Chi Minh City. Wrong

The correct answer: Hue.

Snaring was a finalist last year. Not the type to give up, she spent this year studying color-coded maps imbued with details on world politics, industry and religion. It paid off.

Now Snaring, who is home-schooled, plans to learn Spanish and Chinese, perhaps becoming an international diplomat negotiating trade deals between countries.

Understand where she's coming from? It is a remarkable place.