# where can you see four countries at once? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 21, 2003, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-see-four-countries-at-once/183454 "2003-06-21T19:17:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-see-four-countries-at-once/183454/41 "2003-06-26T00:19:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by froggg \* > \*\*Slight hijack though, what are my chances of successfully taking sealand by force? \*\* [It’s been tried already](http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sealand): > [@](#): > > In 1978, while Prince Roy was away, a German man and several Dutch citizens forcibly took over Roughs Tower and held Prince Roy’s son, Michael, captive, releasing Michael several days later in the Netherlands. Prince Roy enlisted some well-armed help and, in a helicopter assault, retook the fortress. He held the invaders, claiming them as prisoners of war. The ringleader of the invasion, a German citizen, had previously been granted a Sealand passport, and was charged by Prince Roy with treason against Sealand and imprisoned on Sealand indefinitely; the Dutch participants in the invasion were repatriated at the cessation of the “war.” The governments of the Netherlands and Germany petitioned the British government for his release, but the United Kingdom disavowed all responsibility, citing the 1968 court decision. Germany then sent a diplomat to Roughs Tower to negotiate for their citizen’s release. After several weeks, Prince Roy released his prisoners, and claimed that the visit by the diplomat constituted de facto recognition of Sealand by Germany. [**Roughs Tower** in the above quote is the name of the anti-aircraft platform upon which Sealand is constructed.] Sealand is more heavily armed nowadays, IIRC. Still, I doubt if it would be too hard to take over if you _really_ wanted to. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-see-four-countries-at-once/183454/42 "2003-06-26T05:30:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dtilque \* > This is a stretch, but it’s about 200 Km to St Croix from Mt. Liamuiga and the high point on St. Croix is 474 m. It’s just open ocean in between, so maybe on a clear day you can see the US Virgin Is. too. Oops, my mistake. that 474 m mountain is on St Thomas which is further away from Mt Liamuiga. The highest point on St Croix is 334 m (1096 ft). ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-see-four-countries-at-once/183454/43 "2003-06-26T19:57:19Z")
[ul]As any southerner can tell you, it is possible to see: **Seven states from** Rock City\*\*[/ul] > [@](#): > > _from [**seerockcity**](http://www.seerockcity.com/seerockcity/sevenstate.asp)_ > \*\* By the time the Civil War reached the slopes of Lookout Mountain, more and more people had discovered what was already being called “the Rock City.” During the famous battle of Lookout Mountain, both a Union officer and a Confederate nurse speculated in separate diary entries that one could see seven states from atop the summit. The Seven States Flag Court stands as a lasting tribute to each of these states - Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Check out the world-famous view and see how many states you can identify!\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-see-four-countries-at-once/183454/44 "2003-10-17T09:52:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Antonius Block \* > \*\*There’s [Snaefell](http://www.sftpwtg.com/data/ism/ism130.htm) on the Isle of Man, > \*\* England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, The Isle of Man, Heaven, Earth As is the claim - 7 kingdoms from snaefel. I am drunk so don’t pay any attention to anything I say. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-see-four-countries-at-once/183454/45 "2003-10-17T10:00:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kniz \* > **[ul]As any southerner can tell you, it is possible to see: > Seven states fromRock City**[/ul] \*\* …written on the side of a birdhouse. My family lives a few miles from Rock City. Lamest. Attraction. Ever. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-see-four-countries-at-once/183454/46 "2003-10-17T10:02:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lobsang \* > \*\*I am drunk so don’t pay any attention to anything I say. \*\* At this time in the morning?!? ---
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-see-four-countries-at-once/183454/47 "2003-10-17T10:15:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*At this time in the morning?!? \*\* I was wondering about that, too, **jjimm**. Perhaps it’s easier to see the Kingdom of Heaven from Snaefell when you’re flat on your back and the earth is spinning…:). I think that maybe our Manx friend intended to post in [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=212588&pagenumber=2) IMHO thread. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-see-four-countries-at-once/183454/48 "2003-10-17T10:52:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lobsang \* > \*\*I am drunk so don’t pay any attention to anything I say. \*\* Amazing. This is like the first time ever I’m posting drunk, and I find a partner in crime. Nothing to add except to say that at one point I stood in Sweden and pissed into Norway. That’s education for you. ---
**Author:** ![Popup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@Popup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Popup)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-see-four-countries-at-once/183454/49 "2003-10-17T12:02:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dragon Phoenix \* > \*\*The Mont Blanc presumably. \*\* I think we can strike that one. I’d be very surprised if you could see more than France, Switzerland and Italy. While I haven’t been at the top, I’ve been fairly close, and I couldn’t see any guys in Lederhosen:) [hijack] There’s an unresolved border dispute between Italy and France, where the italians claim that the border goes right up to the summit of Mt Blanc, whereas the French claim that they have several kilometers all around.[/hijack] There is however a point in Appenzell (Switzerland) where you can see (IIRC) all of Lichtenstein, some of Austria and (this is where my memory gets unreliable) Germany. And of course Switzerland, where you’re standing. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-see-four-countries-at-once/183454/50 "2003-10-17T13:50:07Z")
From the top of Mt. Pilatus in Switzerland, our tour guide pointed around the railings of the observatory deck and showed us Switzerland (in which we were already standing), French Alps, Italian Alps, and claimed that on a clear day in the directions he pointed, we would be able to see Austria, Germany, and Lichtenstein… ---
**Author:** ![Robbbbb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e9a140/32.png) [@Robbbbb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robbbbb)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-see-four-countries-at-once/183454/51 "2003-10-17T15:26:56Z")
> [@](#): > > And then there’s the area at the eastern end of the Caprivi Strip where Namibia comes within about 15 Km of Zimbabwe. It shouldn’t take too high a hill for someone to be able to see Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana. Not 100% sure what the terrain is in that area, but I think it’s fairly flat so there may not be a suitable hill. I’ve actually been to this spot (I was on Impalila Island in the Caprivi Strip, Namibia); if I remember correctly, the borders of four countries meet at the confluence of the Zambezi and the Chobe rivers. I think it’s the only spot in the world where four countries meet at one point. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-see-four-countries-at-once/183454/52 "2003-10-17T19:16:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*At this time in the morning?!? \*\* I work nights. Drinks in the morning breakfast in the evening. ---
**Author:** ![Trygve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4af34b/32.png) [@Trygve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trygve)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-see-four-countries-at-once/183454/53 "2003-10-17T20:21:35Z")
On a night flight over the Persian (Arabian) Gulf, it is possible to see Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar the UAE (faintly) and Iran (faintly). It is only 3, but from Piran, Slovenia Croatia and Italy are very close - you could swim to either, though Croatia would be easier. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-see-four-countries-at-once/183454.md?page=2)