Map shows countries that are due east or west from any spot in the Western Hemisphere

boing
22

Edinburgh is (just) north of Moscow.

Years ago, I went on holiday to Orkney for the summer solstice. You could (just) read outside at midnight without artificial light.

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23

What surprised me about this map is how far north the UK and Portugal
are. The UK is above the continental US, and I would have thought
Portugal would be closer to Mexico’s latitude.

Really? So that whole bit about Ben Franklin and the Gulf Stream in high school just passed you by.

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24

I remember when I was studying abroad in Spain in 2006 that I got into a ridiculous argument with another American student about how close in latitude Madrid and New York were. I told them they were basically the same (Google has New York at 40.7° N and Madrid at 40.4° N). The other person was adamant that Madrid much further south. Unfortunately, being abroad 10 years ago meant none of our group had a smartphone, so the argument just ended with both of us convinced we were right. I’ll never be able to get that victory >.<

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25

American types who visit the UK in winter are often disturbed by the hideous smothering darkness that descends in the afternoon and continues until late the next morning. And that’s when it’s not overcast.

It is a much better idea to visit in summer, when it stays light until 10pm.

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26

You’re saying he’s not keeping current?

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27

Not just American types. My partner is from southern Germany, and talks about living in the East Midlands like it was inside the arctic circle.

28

also, @RadioSilence

Plockton, West coast of Scotland:

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29

Those aren’t palm trees, BTW.

They’re some arboriform species of Yucca. They’re not quite Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolis), but they’re not palms. Palms don’t branch.

The yucca/palm confusion has historical precedent:

A group of German and Swiss Lutherans, journeying westward to the promised land of California, was told to keep going until they saw palm trees.

They settled in the Antelope Valley in the Mojave Desert, in an area thick with Joshua Trees, and named their settlement “Palmenthal” (“Palm Valley” in German). It was later known as “Palmdale”.

There were, however, no palms in Palmdale until later immigrants imported them from elsewhere.

(There were no antelope, for that matter. Still aren’t, as far as I know.)

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30

Dude.

31

Many things that aren’t palm trees are commonly called “the [somethingorother] palm” because they resemble palms. That’s true of tree-shaped Yuccas as well.

But a ‘water bear’ isn’t a bear and a ‘polecat’ isn’t a cat and the ‘cabbage palm’ is no more a palm tree than it is a cabbage.

It’s more closely related to asparagus than it is to palm trees.

32

Are you feeling ok?

I didn’t ever call it, or think it was, a palm.

33

Ah. Your point eludes me, then.

34

It is a non-native species which has been cultured and survives on the west coast of Scotland due to the effects of the gulf stream.

You’re the one who went all crazy about palm trees


You’ll have noticed that my comment is in reply to this:

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35

Ah, now I see. My apologies. I leapt to the conclusion that you were illustrating @radiosilence’s remark about palm trees on the coast of Scotland.

And then went wandering off into nerdy local-history trivia (a sometimes-annoying habit of mine, I know)

(-:

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

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36

Radiosilence did mention palm trees but he was echoing the sentiment about non native species being able to survive because of the gulf stream.

I did like the bit about Palmdale though. Perhaps that story also echoes the confusion in our interaction, so there’s a nice crust of synchronicity we can enjoy too. :slightly_smiling:

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37

either a band name or a very cheesy romantic comedy

38

So, SummerIsle isn’t a myth?

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39

It always surprises me that grown people who presumably went to school and studied at least a little physical and political geography find so many of these things surprising. While in North Carolina I had to find a map to convince the locals that they were at the same latitude as Morocco.

40

I can’t say I was surprised. I’ve known I’ve been living within the same range of latitudes as Southern France for a few decades now. I’m living on the wrong side of a continent with prevailing Westerlies.

41

Romantic Comedies encourage rape culture