# Ask the Geography Maven **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 8, 2000, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-geography-maven/24970 "2000-07-08T19:09:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![eponymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e0b2c6/32.png) [@eponymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eponymous)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2000, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-geography-maven/24970/61 "2000-07-10T20:17:01Z")
Oops, Sorry…I gotta read through the threads more carefully. ---
**Author:** ![Cumulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Cumulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumulus)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2000, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-geography-maven/24970/62 "2000-07-10T20:21:00Z")
Good job, eponymous. I assume you didn’t see that I provided the answer when I didn’t hear from matt\_mcl. Your next challenge: Bhutan. ---
**Author:** ![eponymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e0b2c6/32.png) [@eponymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eponymous)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2000, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-geography-maven/24970/63 "2000-07-10T20:32:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cumulus \* > \*\*Good job, eponymous. I assume you didn’t see that I provided the answer when I didn’t hear from matt\_mcl. > > Your next challenge: > > Bhutan. \*\* Cumulus, Easy…Thimphu (By the way, Bhutan is the only Bhuddist kingdom in the world). Now your turn…Brunei. ---
**Author:** ![Cumulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Cumulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumulus)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2000, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-geography-maven/24970/64 "2000-07-10T20:33:44Z")
Does it have anything to do with states that border the Mississippi River? I need help desparately, man. You’ve confounded the Geography Maven! ---
**Author:** ![eponymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e0b2c6/32.png) [@eponymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eponymous)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2000, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-geography-maven/24970/65 "2000-07-10T20:37:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CalMeacham \* > \*\*I posted this one on the Trivia thread, but you might not have seen it there. This is appropriate for a “geography maven” > > There is, of course, one place in the US where four states come together at a single point. There are plenty of places where three states come together in a single point. There is, however, only one set of three states that come together not only in one single point, but in three separate and distinct places. > > What are the three states? And how can they do this? \*\* CalMeacham, Tough one…Three states that come together at one point in three places? That’s how I’m interpreting the question. Some place along the Mississippi? ---
**Author:** ![Cumulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Cumulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumulus)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2000, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-geography-maven/24970/66 "2000-07-10T20:39:04Z")
Bandar Seri Begawan. How about Cameroon? ---
**Author:** ![eponymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e0b2c6/32.png) [@eponymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eponymous)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2000, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-geography-maven/24970/67 "2000-07-10T20:44:36Z")
Cumulus, Yaounde. Cape Verde… ---
**Author:** ![Cumulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Cumulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumulus)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2000, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-geography-maven/24970/68 "2000-07-10T20:48:59Z")
Praia. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2000, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-geography-maven/24970/69 "2000-07-11T00:00:00Z")
Oh, all right. Yes, it is along the Missisippi. In fact, that has a lot to do with the situation. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2000, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-geography-maven/24970/70 "2000-07-11T00:49:20Z")
Togo. ---
**Author:** ![Cumulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Cumulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumulus)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2000, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-geography-maven/24970/71 "2000-07-11T01:19:16Z")
Lome. In keeping with Africa, how about Burundi? ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2000, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-geography-maven/24970/72 "2000-07-11T04:03:41Z")
Bujumbura. Swaziland? ---
**Author:** ![Cabbage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@Cabbage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabbage)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2000, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-geography-maven/24970/73 "2000-07-11T06:18:06Z")
> [@](#): > > There is, however, only one set of three states that come together not only in one single point, but in three separate and distinct places. > > What are the three states? And how can they do this? OK, I think I’ve found it: Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee. The Mississippi dips down into Tennessee, allowing a chunk of Missouri to enter Tennessee, separating Kentucky into two pieces. The three states then meet at three points: On either side of the small, isolated piece of Kentucky, and also at the remaining corner of the “mainland” of Kentucky. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2000, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-geography-maven/24970/74 "2000-07-11T13:27:06Z")
Congratulations! You are correct. Apparently the course of the Mississipi changed after the boundaries were originally drawn, cutting off a small portion at the extreme western end of Kentucky, so that it’s surrounded by Tennessee and Missouri, kinda like Lesotho and San Marino are surrounded. The question is usually stated "which state is it impossible to go from the eastern to the western end of without crossing another state, but my way seems more confusing. ---
**Author:** ![Cumulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Cumulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumulus)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2000, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-geography-maven/24970/75 "2000-07-11T13:28:55Z")
Awesome, CalMeacham. By the way, I noticed that that area is very close to New Madrid, Missouri. Did the New Madrid earthquake have anything to do with the change in the Mississippi? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2000, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-geography-maven/24970/76 "2000-07-11T13:54:55Z")
Cumulus: I’m afraid I don’t know. It’s possible, but not necessary. The Mississippi is well known for its “Ox-Bow” phenomenon, which will cause the river to throw off wild loops that may, in time, become ox-bow lakes. Here’s one I don’t know the answer to right now – How many sides does Colorado REALLY have? I think it’s more than four, but you have to get a good map of the state to verify this. ---
**Author:** ![Cumulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Cumulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumulus)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2000, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-geography-maven/24970/77 "2000-07-11T14:01:10Z")
Well, by your question, it appears the answer is not the obvious “four.” Although I can tell you that my atlas does not show the boundary phenomenon on Colorado as one sees on Saskatchewan. ---
**Author:** ![eponymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e0b2c6/32.png) [@eponymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eponymous)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2000, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-geography-maven/24970/78 "2000-07-11T14:18:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by matt\_mcl \* > \*\*Bujumbura. > > Swaziland? \*\* matt\_mcl, Mbabane…although the legislative capital is in Lobamba (OK, OK…I admit it. I looked up my answer to see if it was correct, and I found the legislative capital.) matt\_mcl, Cumulus, anyone else? Maldives… ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2000, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-geography-maven/24970/79 "2000-07-11T20:32:02Z")
Cheat! Anyway, the capital of the Maldives is Malé. What’s the capital of the Gambia? ---
**Author:** ![eponymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e0b2c6/32.png) [@eponymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eponymous)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2000, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-geography-maven/24970/80 "2000-07-12T00:58:11Z")
matt\_mcl, Male is correct. Argh!!! You stumped me! And me a geographer! OK :: looks through atlas :: Banjul. Solomon Islands… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-geography-maven/24970.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-geography-maven/24970.md?page=5)