This is true? - Geographic oddities that defy conventional wisdom

[Scott5114]

I recently learned that Hawaii is not part of NATO.

The mutual defense part of the NATO treaty is only mandatory for member countries' territories within North America and Europe.  So not only Hawaii, but the British territory of the Falkland Islands are not covered, territories in West Africa that were ruled by France at the time the NATO treaty was negotiated, even Spain's little inholding of Cueta in Africa is not covered.

Doesn't mean the other NATO countries necessarily ignore it if such territories were invaded, but they would have an out of they wanted one.

Yeah, like I said upthread, if Putin decided he wanted to nuke Honolulu, I doubt anyone would object to the US invoking Article 5.

[kphoger]

Yeah, like I said upthread, if Putin decided he wanted to nuke Honolulu, I doubt anyone would object to the US invoking Article 5.

Except Putin, perhaps.

[Road Hog]

I recently learned that Hawaii is not part of NATO.

Neither is Mississippi. Damn.

[Scott5114]

I recently learned that Hawaii is not part of NATO.

Neither is Mississippi. Damn.

How do you figure? The reason Hawaii isn't technically part of NATO, so far as I can tell, is because it's south of the Tropic of Cancer.

[Road Hog]

I had to tick down the president's list and Arkansas has every early president between Washington and Van Buren as a county namesake – except Adams (both of them), funny enough.

[kirbykart]

It is possible to travel due south from Arkansas into all six of the states it borders.
In Northern Maine it is possible to travel due south on US 1 North.

[Road Hog]

I recently learned that Hawaii is not part of NATO.

Neither is Mississippi. Damn.

How do you figure? The reason Hawaii isn't technically part of NATO, so far as I can tell, is because it's south of the Tropic of Cancer.

Hawaii is one of the 50 United States, which is decidedly a member of NATO. Let's let Putin take a free whack at it and find out.

[Scott5114]

I recently learned that Hawaii is not part of NATO.

Neither is Mississippi. Damn.

How do you figure? The reason Hawaii isn't technically part of NATO, so far as I can tell, is because it's south of the Tropic of Cancer.

Hawaii is one of the 50 United States, which is decidedly a member of NATO. Let's let Putin take a free whack at it and find out.

Yes, but Article 6 of the North Atlantic Treaty states that NATO's "area of responsibility" only goes as far south as the Tropic of Cancer. This is because 1) the United States did not want to guarantee protection to the European powers' remaining colonies in Africa and 2) Hawaii wasn't a state yet when the North Atlantic Treaty was signed, so the US did not have any more reason to include Hawaii than it did any of its territories in the South Pacific.

As I said before, in practice, I don't think it would make much of a difference. I would imagine that if Hawaii were to be attacked, much of NATO would respond exactly the same as they would to an attack on any other US state. It's just that the other members of NATO would not be compelled to respond in the way they would be if Article 5 of the treaty were invoked. It would be a "NATO without NATO" sort of response, like the US-led coalition that conducted the Iraq War.

[Dirt Roads]

I knew this day would be coming.  Raleigh (mostly in Wake County) now extends west into Durham County.  Durham (mostly Durham County, duh) has crossed over west into Orange County for some time, and now extends east into Wake County.  Cary (mostly in Wake County) now extends southwest into Chatham County.  And Chapel Hill (mostly in Orange County), also extends east into Durham County and now extends south into Chatham County, as well.

Looking into the future... 
Mebane (mostly in Alamance County) is expanding so quickly eastward into Orange County that it would not surprise me that someday it will have more residents east of the line than in its home county.  Mebane's extrajurisdictional authority now extends almost to the Efland exit.  Traditionally, Triangle employees were moving west away from the higher taxes into Alamance County.  More recently, some of the Triad's employees are moving east into Orange County for the school system.  Nowadays, employees coming to the Triangle are moving anywhere within a 90-minute drive wherever they can find a house or land.  Ouch.

[michravera]

I recently learned that Hawaii is not part of NATO.

Neither is Mississippi. Damn.

How do you figure? The reason Hawaii isn't technically part of NATO, so far as I can tell, is because it's south of the Tropic of Cancer.

Hawaii is one of the 50 United States, which is decidedly a member of NATO. Let's let Putin take a free whack at it and find out.

By similar logic, neither is French Guiana. By the way, France's longest frontier is with ....






wait for it ...










Brazil!

[CNGL-Leudimin]

I found out that due how article 5 of NATO is worded neither Ceuta nor Melilla aren't part of it, but the Canary Islands are. Weird.

[kkt]

I recently learned that Hawaii is not part of NATO.

Neither is Mississippi. Damn.

How do you figure? The reason Hawaii isn't technically part of NATO, so far as I can tell, is because it's south of the Tropic of Cancer.

Hawaii is one of the 50 United States, which is decidedly a member of NATO. Let's let Putin take a free whack at it and find out.

Doesn't matter.  The United States is perfectly capable of defending Hawaii without requiring a response from other NATO countries.

[Rothman]

I recently learned that Hawaii is not part of NATO.

Neither is Mississippi. Damn.

How do you figure? The reason Hawaii isn't technically part of NATO, so far as I can tell, is because it's south of the Tropic of Cancer.

Hawaii is one of the 50 United States, which is decidedly a member of NATO. Let's let Putin take a free whack at it and find out.

Doesn't matter.  The United States is perfectly capable of defending Hawaii without requiring a response from other NATO countries.

USA!  USA!

Somebody's seen Iron Eagle II a few too many times.

[skluth]

I found out that due how article 5 of NATO is worded neither Ceuta nor Melilla aren't part of it, but the Canary Islands are. Weird.

I would guess by this logic, neither is Gitmo

[Road Hog]

Looking it up on a map, here's a geographical oddity: A sliver of Kazakhstan north of the Caspian lies west of the Ural Mountains, putting it technically in Europe!

[JayhawkCO]

Looking it up on a map, here's a geographical oddity: A sliver of Kazakhstan north of the Caspian lies west of the Ural Mountains, putting it technically in Europe!

UEFA agrees.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

Also, I wonder since when Armenia, and all of Georgia (former Soviet republic) and Azerbaijan are in Europe. I believe the boundary runs along the Rioni and Kura rivers, putting all of Armenia and parts of Georgia and Azerbaijan in Asia (and also making Atlanta Tbilisi transcontinental like Istanbul).

[Rothman]

It should just be Eurasia

[Scott5114]

In Mercator projection, Nevada has a perfect 2:3 aspect ratio.

[NWI_Irish96]

It should just be Eurasia

Geologically, it's clearly a single continent, but the ship has long sailed on considering as such.

The Ural Mountains make a clear boundary, but they don't run all the way down to the Caspian Sea and there's no real natural boundary in that area. I always thought the highest points of the Caucasus Mountains formed the boundary between the Caspian and Black Seas, but that's clearly not what is shown on the map.

For simplicity's sake, it would be easiest to just have Russia's borders with Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia serve as the dividing line from the southern point of the Urals.

[MATraveler128]

As the crow flies, the westernmost point of New York is closer to Downtown Chicago at 403 miles than it is to Montauk Point at the eastern tip of Long Island at 413 miles.

[CtrlAltDel]

It should just be Eurasia

I know this is just a vocabulary thing, but in my view at least, the whole thing should be just Asia, with Europe being the westernmost part of it.

Also, the French tend to think of North America and South America as two parts of the same continent (called l'Amérique), and I wish they would stop.

[JayhawkCO]

It should just be Eurasia

I know this is just a vocabulary thing, but in my view at least, the whole thing should be just Asia, with Europe being the westernmost part of it.

Also, the French tend to think of North America and South America as two parts of the same continent (called l'Amérique), and I wish they would stop.

Those two opinions somewhat seem in opposition.

[NWI_Irish96]

It should just be Eurasia

I know this is just a vocabulary thing, but in my view at least, the whole thing should be just Asia, with Europe being the westernmost part of it.

Also, the French tend to think of North America and South America as two parts of the same continent (called l'Amérique), and I wish they would stop.

The Olympic flag also thinks of the Americas as a single continent. Thus only five rings instead of six.

[CtrlAltDel]

It should just be Eurasia

I know this is just a vocabulary thing, but in my view at least, the whole thing should be just Asia, with Europe being the westernmost part of it.

Also, the French tend to think of North America and South America as two parts of the same continent (called l'Amérique), and I wish they would stop.

The Olympic flag also thinks of the Americas as a single continent. Thus only five rings instead of six.

They need to stop as well.