This is true? - Geographic oddities that defy conventional wisdom

[freebrickproductions]

Wonder if any of those islands are disputed.

Dokdo Takeshima The Liancourt Rocks, disputed between Japan and South Korea (and, by extension of the latter, North Korea, but Kim Jong-Un isn't interested in that)

I suppose if he's ever able to conquer South Korealiberate the south from the US empire and reunify the peninsula under the Workers' Party of Korea, I wouldn't be too surprised if he turns his attention to the disputed territories like those islands...

[bing101]

Here are interesting parts on how New York Boroughs were drawn. 

[Poiponen13]

A few sunrise/sunset time oddities:
- Iceland is in wrong time zone, at least in winter. In Reykjavik, sun rises at 11:23 in winter solstice. At lunchtime. In start of February, sun still rises few minutes past 10:00.
- Belarus is also in wrong time zone, at least in winter. In Minsk, sun rises at 9:28 in winter solstice. Three minutes later than Helsinki. Sun never sets before 16:47.
- In northern Japan, sun rises as early as 3:35 in the winter, 19 minutes earlier than Helsinki, despite being located about 15 degrees further south.

[hotdogPi]

- Iceland is in wrong time zone, at least in winter. In Reykjavik, sun rises at 11:23 in winter solstice. At lunchtime. In start of February, sun still rises few minutes past 10:00.

How is this evidence that it's in the wrong time zone? Something just barely below the Arctic Circle will get just the tiniest amount of daylight on the winter solstice. You should be checking solar noon instead.

I am seeing a lopsided sunrise-sunset time (10:46-16:31 for today), so there's a decent possibility it's in the wrong time zone, but your statement doesn't show it.

[Poiponen13]

- Iceland is in wrong time zone, at least in winter. In Reykjavik, sun rises at 11:23 in winter solstice. At lunchtime. In start of February, sun still rises few minutes past 10:00.

How is this evidence that it's in the wrong time zone? Something just barely below the Arctic Circle will get just the tiniest amount of daylight on the winter solstice. You should be checking solar noon instead.

I am seeing a lopsided sunrise-sunset time (10:46-16:31 for today), so there's a decent possibility it's in the wrong time zone, but your statement doesn't show it.

The solar noon today is at 13:38, whereas in Helsinki for example, it is at 12:30 (sunrise being at 9:02 and sunset at 15:59). In most of Europe solar noon is slightly after 12 in winter and slightly after 13 in summer, but in Iceland, it is close to 13 all the year. This is because Iceland in on UTC+0 all the year, despite that its longitude would put it at UTC-1 (and it is even close to theoretical eastern boundary of UTC-2). If Iceland used UTC-1 instead, the sunrise/set would be ) 9:46-15:31, more normal for that latitude in that time of year.

[Rothman]

It is time for Poiponen to be stopped.

[Poiponen13]

It is time for Poiponen to be stopped.

I just like to discuss sunrise and sunset times. Does this forum have an astronomy thread? I like to tell how odd the Reykjavik rise/set times are, and compare them to Helsinki.

[kphoger]

I just like to discuss sunrise and sunset times. Does this forum have an astronomy thread? I like to tell how odd the Reykjavik rise/set times are, and compare them to Helsinki.

Then join an astronomy forum.  Any discussion on this forum about sunrise/sunset times will invariably lead to arguing about DST, and those threads all end up getting locked—to the point that DST is a de facto prohibited topic.

[Poiponen13]

I just like to discuss sunrise and sunset times. Does this forum have an astronomy thread? I like to tell how odd the Reykjavik rise/set times are, and compare them to Helsinki.

Then join an astronomy forum.  Any discussion on this forum about sunrise/sunset times will invariably lead to arguing about DST, and those threads all end up getting locked—to the point that DST is a de facto prohibited topic.

In my post about Reykjavik times, I tried to avoid saying "DST" as well as possible. I just tried to format my sentences so that they will not contain things like "because it doesn't use DST".

[Poiponen13]

None of Slavic countries (Poland, Czech Rep., Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, N. Macedonia, Bulgaria, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia) have their capital on coast, despite that Poland, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Russia have coastline. Of Balto-Slavic countries (adding Latvia and Lithuania), Latvia however has its capital, Riga, on coast.

[dlsterner]

None of Slavic countries (Poland, Czech Rep., Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, N. Macedonia, Bulgaria, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia) have their capital on coast, despite that Poland, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Russia have coastline. Of Balto-Slavic countries (adding Latvia and Lithuania), Latvia however has its capital, Riga, on coast.

Not sure how that "def(ies) conventional wisdom".  Many countries that come to mind have their capital off the coast.  I guess Finland is an aberration.

[GaryV]

Most of the biggest capitals in Europe are not on the coast: London, Paris, Madrid, Rome and others.

The 3 large countries in North America don't have their capitals on the coast.

Many Asian capitals are not on the coast.

About half of the South American capitals are not on the coast.

It's not that much of an oddity.

[Scott5114]

It would be kind of weird if Ukraine did have its capital on the coast—Kyiv has been the seat of power in the region since the 800s or so.

[kkt]

The coasts are dangerously exposed.  An enemy could assemble a fleet just out of sight of shore and land them and take the capital without much warning.

[Rothman]

The coasts are dangerously exposed.  An enemy could assemble a fleet just out of sight of shore and land them and take the capital without much warning.

And then there's the case of NYC during The War of 1812, which was defended by a "meat grinder" complex of forts...which totally deterred the British from coming in there.

[mrsman]

The coasts are dangerously exposed.  An enemy could assemble a fleet just out of sight of shore and land them and take the capital without much warning.

Of course.  That's why the capital cities for much of the old countries were a little bit upriver from the actual coastline.  Coast is kind of close, but not directly near those cities.

In the modern day, there are very few coastal capitals.  Here is an interesting map I discovered.  No claims as to accuracy.

https://mapsontheweb.zoom-maps.com/post/653617733525749760/countries-with-coastal-capitals-by-geoduchy

[Poiponen13]

The coasts are dangerously exposed.  An enemy could assemble a fleet just out of sight of shore and land them and take the capital without much warning.

Of course.  That's why the capital cities for much of the old countries were a little bit upriver from the actual coastline.  Coast is kind of close, but not directly near those cities.

In the modern day, there are very few coastal capitals.  Here is an interesting map I discovered.  No claims as to accuracy.

https://mapsontheweb.zoom-maps.com/post/653617733525749760/countries-with-coastal-capitals-by-geoduchy

The map is wrong. Seoul and Pyongyang are on coast.

[jlam]

The map is wrong. Seoul and Pyongyang are on coast.

No, they aren't.

[Rothman]

*sigh*

[Road Hog]

Does it count if a capital is on a tidal estuary? I believe Washington, D.C. is.

[jlam]

Does it count if a capital is on a tidal estuary? I believe Washington, D.C. is.

According to the map, no. See the Thames estuary.

[Bruce]

The map is wrong. Seoul and Pyongyang are on coast.

Seoul has sprawled all the way out to the coast, but Pyongyang isn't even the first city on the Taedong River.

[vdeane]

The map is wrong. Seoul and Pyongyang are on coast.

Seoul has sprawled all the way out to the coast, but Pyongyang isn't even the first city on the Taedong River.

The development has, but Seoul itself isn't on the coast, that's Incheon.

[Poiponen13]

The map is wrong. Seoul and Pyongyang are on coast.

Seoul has sprawled all the way out to the coast, but Pyongyang isn't even the first city on the Taedong River.

The development has, but Seoul itself isn't on the coast, that's Incheon.

Seoul and Incheon used to be separate urban areas with farmland in between, but they now are connected with deveploment.

[kphoger]

Seoul and Pyongyang are on coast.

Seoul and Incheon used to be separate urban areas with farmland in between, but they now are connected with deveploment.

So you agree, then, that Seoul is not on the coast.