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Location: Near Tours, France about 47°10'N 0°25'E
2,825 posts, read 5,270,664 times
Reputation: 1957
It seems that for many people have mental maps that are distorted in geography, especially concerning the latitudes thing.
The most obvious is the difference in betwen the mental represention of Europe vs North America where many people seem to assume that Spain is lined with tropical or subtropical places like southern US, Florida or even the Caribean or even with Mexico or central America!... while New York is pictured to be lined with Maybe London (maybe du to the fact that they are the two big Anglo cities in the world)
But also concerning the location of European neighboring countries there is often a distortion of the repective latitudinal location of each one.
For exemple I noticed that the northern half of France is often thought way further north than it really is: many will assume that Paris is lined with Berlin, while it is more or less lined with Austria. Inversely, many people seem to expect Austria to be lined with the french Alps, in the south east of the country, while austria lies at the latitudes lined with the northern half of France.
Many people would be surprised to realize that Italy is as much in line with France than with Spain in terms of latitude. Italy and Spain are though to be at the same latitudes while The majority of Italian population actually live further north than Northern Spain, in areas lied with central-south France (Milan, Turin, Venice, Genova, Bologna, etc. are lined with Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble or Bordeaux). The latitude of Pyrenees is about in the middle of the Italian boot; which mean that Rome, in central-south Italy is actually lined with northern Spain, even Naples the quintessentially southern Italian city about lined just a few kilometers further south than Barcelona in northern Spain.
Last edited by french user; 05-30-2014 at 04:07 AM..
It seems that for many people have mental maps that are distorted in geography, especially concerning the latitudes thing.
The most obvious is the difference in betwen the mental represention of Europe vs North America where many people seem to assume that Spain is lined with tropical or subtropical places like southern US, Florida or even the Caribean or even with Mexico or central America!... while New York is pictured to be lined with Maybe London (maybe du to the fact that they are the two big Anglo cities in the world)
But also concerning the location of European neighboring countries there is often a distortion of the repective latitudinal location of each one.
For exemple I noticed that the northern half of France is often thought way further north than it really is: many will assume that Paris is lined with Berlin, while it is more or less lined with Austria. Inversely, many people seem to expect Austria to be lined with the french Alps, in the south east of the country, while austria lies at the latitudes lined with the northern half of France.
Many people would be surprised to realize that Italy is as much in line with France than with Spain in terms of latitude. Italy and Spain are though to be at the same latitudes while The majority of Italian population actually live further north than Northern Spain, in areas lied with central-south France (Milan, Turin, Venice, Genova, Bologna, etc. are lined with Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble or Bordeaux). The latitude of Pyrenees is about in the middle of the Italian boot; which mean that Rome, in central-south Italy is actually lined with northern Spain, even Naples the quintessentially southern Italian city about lined just a few kilometers further south than Barcelona in northern Spain.
I think it has to do with climate. Spain has a mild climate for it's latitude, as does Western Europe in general, so people are surprised that New York City is about the latitude of Rome, and Paris lies about the US/Canadian border.
Yes, Italy too is considered a warm country, and while it is fairly warm, much of it can be on the cool side much of the year. Many would be surprised that Milan is significantly colder than Paris or London.
Location: Near Tours, France about 47°10'N 0°25'E
2,825 posts, read 5,270,664 times
Reputation: 1957
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Postman
I think it has to do with climate. Spain has a mild climate for it's latitude, as does Western Europe in general, so people are surprised that New York City is about the latitude of Rome, and Paris lies about the US/Canadian border.
Yes, Italy too is considered a warm country, and while it is fairly warm, much of it can be on the cool side much of the year. Many would be surprised that Milan is significantly colder than Paris or London.
I'm not sure that it has to do with climate, as for exemple Spain's climates are nothing like those of southern US, and especially nothing in common with the tropical climates of Florida or the caribean. Spain has temperate climates: mediterranean (which is not a "warm" climate in my point if view since winters are quite cool), oceanic and semi-continental in central Spain. The only warm region is the canaries.
NewYork climate is not similar either to London's.
I tend to think that people (especially in the US) tend to make correspondances between places in each continent (Europe and America) asuming that Spain is somehow the European equivalent of Mexico, miami or Cuba thinking that thise countries because they speak spanish are all
Hot countries with exotic people...
I'm not sure that it has to do with climate, as for exemple Spain's climates are nothing like those of southern US, and especially nothing in common with the tropical climates of Florida or the caribean. Spain has temperate climates: mediterranean (which is not a "warm" climate in my point if view since winters are quite cool), oceanic and semi-continental in central Spain. The only warm region is the canaries.
NewYork climate is not similar either to London's.
I tend to think that people (especially in the US) tend to make correspondances between places in each continent (Europe and America) asuming that Spain is somehow the European equivalent of Mexico, miami or Cuba thinking that thise countries because they speak spanish are all
Hot countries with exotic people...
Well a lot of people don't know that, they might not even know the difference between Mediterranean or tropical. I mean they think Italy is further south than it is too, probably.
It could be heard 3000 miles (4,828 kilometers) away. That's the distance of about Perth to Ho Chi Minh City!
It was the loudest ever sound on earth.
Its 3,000 miles to New York to here. I wonder do they mean on a seismometer? Because I honestly couldn't imagine hearing an eruption from New York.. seems a bit far fetched.
It seems that for many people have mental maps that are distorted in geography, especially concerning the latitudes thing.
The most obvious is the difference in betwen the mental represention of Europe vs North America where many people seem to assume that Spain is lined with tropical or subtropical places like southern US, Florida or even the Caribean or even with Mexico or central America!... while New York is pictured to be lined with Maybe London (maybe du to the fact that they are the two big Anglo cities in the world)
But also concerning the location of European neighboring countries there is often a distortion of the repective latitudinal location of each one.
For exemple I noticed that the northern half of France is often thought way further north than it really is: many will assume that Paris is lined with Berlin, while it is more or less lined with Austria. Inversely, many people seem to expect Austria to be lined with the french Alps, in the south east of the country, while austria lies at the latitudes lined with the northern half of France.
Many people would be surprised to realize that Italy is as much in line with France than with Spain in terms of latitude. Italy and Spain are though to be at the same latitudes while The majority of Italian population actually live further north than Northern Spain, in areas lied with central-south France (Milan, Turin, Venice, Genova, Bologna, etc. are lined with Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble or Bordeaux). The latitude of Pyrenees is about in the middle of the Italian boot; which mean that Rome, in central-south Italy is actually lined with northern Spain, even Naples the quintessentially southern Italian city about lined just a few kilometers further south than Barcelona in northern Spain.
Yes I have that at first I was surprised how far north we are in the Northern hemisphere and then realised that the Canary islands are almost at the tropic of Cancer!
Its 3,000 miles to New York to here. I wonder do they mean on a seismometer? Because I honestly couldn't imagine hearing an eruption from New York.. seems a bit far fetched.
Seems completely believable to me, it was and enormous eruption.
But how can you physically hear sound from 3,000 miles there just no way
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