# Your geographical misconceptions **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 30, 2020, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294 "2020-12-30T20:58:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![Art\_Rock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/art_rock/32/525_2.png) [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/281 "2021-01-16T15:21:30Z")
Denmark itself is indeed pretty flat, with a maximum elevation of 171 m. Belonging to Denmark though we have the Faroe islands (max elevation 880 meter) and Greenland (3694 meter). ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/282 "2021-01-16T15:37:09Z")
So the highest mountain in Denmark is in Greenland. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/283 "2021-01-16T16:22:17Z")
Denmark. DeNederlands. The surname Daane (meaning from Denmark) is common in Zeeland, NL. My cousin thought our great-great grandparents came from Denmark and not Gelderland, NL. Maybe the two nations should just merge. ---
**Author:** ![Drsunflower1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drsunflower1/32/12711_2.png) [@Drsunflower1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drsunflower1)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/284 "2021-01-16T16:33:35Z")
Could be. Sjaelland/Zeeland is, apart from being a Dutch province, also an area in Denmark, btw. That’s the island where Copenhagen is. But Daane is indeed also a Dutch name. If we were to merge we’d also need to conquer part of Germany, though. That will probably not happen😁 ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/285 "2021-01-16T19:27:55Z")
Netherlands and Denmark share a taste for odd salty licorice. So there’s that. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/286 "2021-01-16T19:34:06Z")
dubbel zout! Prima! ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/287 "2021-01-16T19:40:29Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Netherlands and Denmark share a taste for odd salty licorice. So there’s that. We grew up getting salmiakki every year at Christmas from mom’s Finnish friends. I still love the stuff but friends who have tried it think I’m insane. ---
**Author:** ![Drsunflower1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drsunflower1/32/12711_2.png) [@Drsunflower1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drsunflower1)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/288 "2021-01-16T19:40:35Z")
Heksehyl! ---
**Author:** ![Drsunflower1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drsunflower1/32/12711_2.png) [@Drsunflower1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drsunflower1)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/289 "2021-01-16T19:45:01Z")
> [@kitap](#): > > We grew up getting salmiakki every year at Christmas from mom’s Finnish friends Salmiakki! Apart from licorice, a very yummy, very nasty alcoholic beverage. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/290 "2021-01-16T20:10:17Z")
I struggle with how weird time zones are. So I loved Munro’s map of what the world would look like if countries were where their time zones said they were. [XKCD Bad Map projection: time zones](https://xkcd.com/1799/) ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/291 "2021-01-16T20:34:05Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I struggle with how weird time zones are. So I loved Munro’s map of what the world would look like if countries were where their time zones said they were. > > [XKCD Bad Map projection: time zones](https://xkcd.com/1799/) That’s a good one. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/292 "2021-01-16T21:34:14Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I struggle with how weird time zones are. So I loved Munro’s map of what the world would look like if countries were where their time zones said they were. > > [XKCD Bad Map projection: time zones](https://xkcd.com/1799/) He should do one for state-provincial timezones in North America. They’re not quite as distorted as countries, but still not well aligned with the nominal zones. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/293 "2021-01-16T23:58:40Z")
I’m in the Cleveland area, and my financial advisor is in Atlanta. She keeps thinking I’m in the Central time zone, even though I’m farther east than she is. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/294 "2021-01-17T00:58:19Z")
Atlanta’s location is exactly what makes it such an excellent location for an airline hub. It is within about two hours flying time from nearly all the of the eastern half of the US. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/295 "2021-01-17T01:24:48Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > He should do one for state-provincial timezones in North America. They’re not quite as distorted as countries, but still not well aligned with the nominal zones. This. Most of what’s now in the Eastern time zone belongs in Central. etc. About 90% of the whining we get at each DST changeover date is not because of DST; it’s because you’re already in the wrong timezone and the DST change just makes it screamingly obvious instead of only very obvious. I’ve thought about posting a rant thread on this, but absent taking the effort to draw & post my own map to show where the TZ boundaries ought to be, the conversation would confuse more people than it would enlighten. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/296 "2021-01-17T05:51:21Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Then there’s the t-shirt I got in Vienna: > > **NO KANGAROOS IN AUSTRIA** A friend in Bangkok told me that a Thai, upon learning my friend was from Australia, complimented him on his good English. The best my friend could figure was the Thai had confused Australia and Austria. ---
**Author:** ![CorpusNeptune](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/corpusneptune/32/17561_2.png) [@CorpusNeptune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CorpusNeptune)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/297 "2021-01-17T06:07:29Z")
I keep forgetting where Switzerland and the Netherlands are. No idea why; I can just never remember (maybe because they’re pretty small compared to other countries). ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/298 "2021-01-17T13:27:35Z")
Extend the vertical lines at the top, and you can see where North American time zone boundaries should be. In general - they have been shifted too far west. Extreme example - Juneau (Alaska panhandle) and Attu (Alaska - in the Aleutian islands) are at roughly the same latitude, but today the sun rises two hours later in Attu (can you picture a 10:29 am sunrise and 6:45 pm sunset in the winter? It also means 7 am sunrises and midnight sunsets in the summer.) [https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/map/US-timezone\_map.htm](https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/map/US-timezone_map.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/299 "2021-01-17T13:30:32Z")
Blame Mercator again - Algeria and DR Congo are both bigger than Greenland, and Saudi Arabia comes close. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/300 "2021-01-17T16:42:49Z")
> [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](#): > > My other confusion comes with US-101. It runs from Los Angeles all the way up the coast to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. So of course the sides are designated north and south. But, for the first 120 miles or so, from Downtown LA to Gaviota Pass, it runs East-West. When I lived in the Valley it was always confusing to think “I need to get on 101-N to go west” or “get on the southbound lanes to go east”. You think that is weird, try the other end. Just take it north: it kind of teases at the Washington coast, showing you the actual ocean for a relatively short stretch about 80 miles north of Aberdeen, then cuts in toward Forks and Port Angeles. Keep following the road in the same direction and you will end up on 101 south headed toward Olympia. I am not sure where the north/south designation changes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294.md?page=16)