
Which lines of longitude and latitude pass through the most countries? - fanf2
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2929721.html
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melenaos
This line passes right on the Delphi, Greece. Known as the center of earth
(Ομφαλός της γης), named by the ancient Greek people. coincidence? I think so.

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racer-v
I'm trying to identify exactly what the borders of "the Delphi" are. UNESCO
identifies it as "between two towering rocks of Mt. Parnassus". Liakouras is
said to be the highest peak of Parnassus - would the Delphi be between there
and the second highest peak?

[http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/393](http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/393)

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melenaos
Trying to get directions of the Delphi like the ancients is pretty fun there
is a 'Maps' link on the page,
[http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/393/multiple=1&unique_number=4...](http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/393/multiple=1&unique_number=453)

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roessland
I wonder what great circle or small circle passes through the most countries.
Looks like a fun optimization problem.

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mci
I'm not sure if you have seen this:
[https://marcinciura.wordpress.com/2015/11/17/slicing-
earth-c...](https://marcinciura.wordpress.com/2015/11/17/slicing-earth-
carefully/) — loading country polygons instead of land polygons and changing
the LengthOfIntersectionInKm() function should be enough to answer your
question. Be wary, however, that parts of France lie in Africa and the
Americas
([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_department](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_department)).

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gsich
just count the mainland.

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mci
Doesn't work for island countries. Think Japan, Philippines, or Indonesia.

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gsich
then just use the biggest islands.

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mrb
Then you would ignore 98% of the territory of the Republic of Maldives.

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Ranlot
Reminds me of this app. Showing what lies directly across the ocean:
[https://ranlot.shinyapps.io/coastlinetrip/](https://ranlot.shinyapps.io/coastlinetrip/)

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aw3c2
Enjoy! [http://andywoodruff.com/blog/beyond-the-
sea/](http://andywoodruff.com/blog/beyond-the-sea/)

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foobarian
That reminds me of this fun question: what is the only U.S. city such that
going in all four cardinal directions enters the same neighboring state?

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nextstep
City of New York and the neighboring state being New Jersey?

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aptwebapps
The southernmost tip of Staten Island works if you count the part of the bay
that belongs to NJ.

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HoochieKoo
So Chad and Sudan would be the only countries that are in both lists of
countries?

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mannykannot
On account of the vastness of the Pacific ocean, there's broad scope for the
antipodeal intersection to be outside of any nation state.

Someone (Charles Darwin's son George?) proposed that the Pacific basin was a
consequence of the moon being spun off from the Earth, but plate tectonics put
an end to that theory.

[https://imgur.com/r/Mapporn/QDeiIpc](https://imgur.com/r/Mapporn/QDeiIpc)

[http://lunarorigin.com/lunar-origin-models/](http://lunarorigin.com/lunar-
origin-models/)

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tamaharbor
I didn't realize latitude and longitude lines have width.

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officemonkey
The fine article says:

"In fact there is quite a wide band, between the westernmost point of Bulgaria
at 22°31'35.2"E, and the easternmost point of Slovakia at 22°33'32.1", which
passes through no less than 26 countries. This is 22 km wide at the equator,
but obviously narrows as you get closer to the poles."

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Taniwha
yes, I think the idea is that there's an infinite number of infinitely thin
lines between 22°31'35.2"E, and 22°33'32.1"

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labster
That idea sounds somewhat derivative.

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lerie82
Did I miss the point of this?

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saagarjha
That it’s an interesting question?

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dalacv
No. Yours was.

