This is true? - Geographic oddities that defy conventional wisdom

[Chris]

I think from a European perspective, it is often thought that Hawaii is west of California, while in reality it is significantly farther south. Still, Hawaii is closer to Alaska than California.

One thing that blew my mind in that Wendover video about Guam is that Delhi is closer to Washington, D.C. than Guam is. The difference is not great, but still. It's easy to underestimate the size of the Pacific Ocean.

[vdeane]

The tip of Idaho is smaller then Delaware turned on its side.

*citation needed*

Not too surprising... the fact that this also holds true for Rhode Island might be though!  Longest N-S distance in RI is about 47 miles (measured with Google Maps), while the shortest E-W distance across Idaho is only about 45 miles long.  Delaware's N-S distance, meanwhile, comes out at a whopping 95 miles.

[empirestate]

I wonder how they claim it's America's most isolated territory when the very next island to its north is...another U.S. territory.

[Rothman]

The tip of Idaho is smaller then Delaware turned on its side.

*citation needed*

Not too surprising... the fact that this also holds true for Rhode Island might be though!  Longest N-S distance in RI is about 47 miles (measured with Google Maps), while the shortest E-W distance across Idaho is only about 45 miles long.  Delaware's N-S distance, meanwhile, comes out at a whopping 95 miles!

Ah, I misread the original assertion.

[vdeane]

I wonder how they claim it's America's most isolated territory when the very next island to its north is...another U.S. territory.

One could possibly make an argument on levels of development and the Jones Act... but it's probably based on "distance from US mainland" rather than "distance from nearest part of the rest of the US".

[english si]

^^ It's got to be distance from the mainland. The US has some atolls that are completely undeveloped.

[empirestate]

^^ It's got to be distance from the mainland. The US has some atolls that are completely undeveloped.

I think that's American Samoa, then. It's much farther from the Alaskan Peninsula than Guam is.

[vdeane]

Wendover measured relative to the lower 48.  He was also talking about how developed it is, and how it looks like Anytown, USA.  There was also the mention of how Guam is not exempt from the Jones Act, even though every other Pacific territory is, resulting in higher shipping costs.

Of course, this is Wendover Productions.  Even though it's on the main channel rather than Half as Interesting, I don't think Wendover was digging that deep.  He probably looked at a map, saw how far away Guam is, and deemed it to be the most remote part of the US.

Actually, come to think of it, I think he was measuring specifically to DC.

[SP Cook]

The significant part of the video is indeed how much like "Anytown USA".   And how much its GDP per capita and other economic measures are contrasted to other non-state island parts of the USA. 

If you look at the video and other photos and street view and such of the place, it easily looks like Florida, the Texas coast, or southern California.    US spec cars, US stores, US road standards, US road signage, including rejection of the metric system, US brands, US mail boxes and post offices, US flags.  Leaving out the ethnic make-up (it is 92% people other than black or white) you could film a movie set in southwest Florida there and only the most nitpicky would not fall for it.

[empirestate]

Wendover measured relative to the lower 48.  He was also talking about how developed it is, and how it looks like Anytown, USA.  There was also the mention of how Guam is not exempt from the Jones Act, even though every other Pacific territory is, resulting in higher shipping costs.

Of course, this is Wendover Productions.  Even though it's on the main channel rather than Half as Interesting, I don't think Wendover was digging that deep.  He probably looked at a map, saw how far away Guam is, and deemed it to be the most remote part of the US.

Actually, come to think of it, I think he was measuring specifically to DC.

He mentioned it being farthest from the "continental" U.S.–which would actually be American Samoa–but, as evidence for that, presented distances from Washington, DC, which of course is not the nearest point of the continent.

Guam may be the most distant territory from the 48 contiguous states, but at that point it's getting to be a pretty selective and arbitrary statistic, since there are two closer states of equal status to the other 48, and of course the very nearby territory of the Northern Mariana Islands. You may as well claim that it's the territory most remote from New England, or the most isolated from any state whose name begins with an 'I'.

[bing101]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeWOc-cjfY0

Disney World is the  same size as San Francisco.

[bing101]

[bing101]

[Flint1979]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeWOc-cjfY0

Disney World is the  same size as San Francisco.

And Boston as well.

[bing101]

[CNGL-Leudimin]

Already in the first page I mentioned Virginia reaches further West than West Virginia. Now I've found the Republic of Ireland reaches further North than Northern Ireland.

[adwerkema]

Already in the first page I mentioned Virginia reaches further West than West Virginia.

Virginia even reaches further west than downtown Detroit.

[jmd41280]

Already in the first page I mentioned Virginia reaches further West than West Virginia.

Virginia even reaches further west than downtown Detroit.

Interestingly enough, the SW tip of Virginia (Cumberland Gap) is closer to downtown Detroit (397.22 miles) than it is to Virginia Beach (426.62 miles).

[mrpablue]

1. Seattle is farther north than Quebec City
2. Monaco is farther north than downtown Toronto (Similar comparisons between North America and Europe have probably been made here before)

Someone move Canada farther north

[kalvado]

1. Seattle is farther north than Quebec City
2. Monaco is farther north than downtown Toronto (Similar comparisons between North America and Europe have probably been made here before)

Someone move Canada farther north

Someone needs to compare fraction of Canada population living south of 49th parallel to fraction of land below 49th.
Crude estimate for population is at least 1/3 (6.4M Toronto, 4.1M Montreal, 0.95M Ottawa 0.5M Quebec city  areas = 12M, out of 36 M total population. But that is low estimate as most of Ontario population - 13.6 M  - seems to be south of 49th. That would add another 6M;  so I wouldn't be surprised majority of Canadians live south of 49th..

[hotdogPi]

http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/mapping/popest/gpw-v4/

You can create your own polygon, and it will determine the population living within that area. The one I created had 22 million, and I was very cautious not to include any of the United States, so it might be higher.

EDIT: I included 4 areas in the United States (one ME, one NY, two MI) totaling about 38,000 people. This should be more than made up for by considering that Kingston, ON and Windsor, ON were outside the polygon.

[MikeTheActuary]

I know that discussion has moved on, but a thought occurred to me....

I wonder how they claim it's America's most isolated territory when the very next island to its north is...another U.S. territory.

I wonder if the claim is based on a view of the United States that predates the mid 80's.

While the Northern Mariana Islands are now a territory of the United States, that is a relatively recent status IF one considers the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands to have been an area merely administered for the international community by the United States (as successor to the prior Japanese mandate over the former German imperial claims), rather than being actual US territory.

The other successor components of the TTPI did, after all, choose to be sovereign entities (albeit with continuing close ties to the US).

[ghYHZ]

I was watching NBC News last evening and correspondent Stephanie Gosk....reporting on the heat wave made the comment that Burlington Vermont reached 90 deg and only 50 miles from the Canadian Border!

Wow!.....Imagine That! How could it possibly get that warm in Burlington so close to Canada!  And looking at the weather map NBC presented.....those soaring temps just stopped at the Canadian Border. Guess it's just a big arctic wasteland above!

I'm in Fredericton, New Brunswick today.... also 50 miles from the Border. Today's high is 32 with a humidex of 41 and in case you're wondering....that's 90 with a "˜feel like' temp of 105.   

[kalvado]

I was watching NBC News last evening and correspondent Stephanie Gosk....reporting on the heat wave made the comment that Burlington Vermont reached 90 deg and only 50 miles from the Canadian Border!

Wow!.....Imagine That! How could it possibly get that warm in Burlington so close to Canada!  And looking at the weather map NBC presented.....those soaring temps just stopped at the Canadian Border. Guess it's just a big arctic wasteland above!

I'm in Fredericton, New Brunswick today.... also 50 miles from the Border. Today's high is 32 with a humidex of 41 and in case you're wondering....that's 90 with a "˜feel like' temp of 105.   

First of all, you probably saw journalists located in NYC - who barely differentiate between Upstate NY and North Pole. Second... You'll never see three digit heat in Canada, as you just demonstrated..

[english si]

Second... You'll never see three digit heat in Canada, as you just demonstrated..

Err, Winnipeg has record highs for 5 months (May-September) in the 100s. Toronto has three (July-Sept).

Even Edmonton, at 53N, has reached 99F (though Moscow - similarly a long way from the softening effects of the ocean on temperature is at 55N and has gone over 100F).