# 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:** 52
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/1024 "2026-09-24T19:59:32Z")
From the westernmost point of the mainland of South America, if you draw a line due north it will pass through: - FL - GA - NC - SC - VA - WV - MD - PA - NY - ON - NU (Nunavut) > [@dtilque](#): > > I think you mean Ecuador. Actually, Easter Island (Chile) is also due south of Mexico. But it, and the Galapagos, are on the Nazca Plate. I don’t know if that’s considered geologically part of South America, but they are politically part of SA. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/1025 "2026-09-24T20:39:25Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > But as you proceed downwards into & through Mexico, the whole thing leans strongly to the right as it tapers into Central America. If it’s any consolation, Mexicans also have trouble with this. Everything “beyond” Mexico City (Oaxaca, Chiapas, the Yucatan Peninsula…) is considered “southern Mexico,” even though it’s really mostly _east_ of Mexico City. (Some of it is even a little _north_east!) Another oddity is that Mexicans distinguish between “Mexico City” and the “interior” (everything else), even though Mexico City is very much in the interior of the country. ---
**Author:** ![Ancient\_Nerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Ancient\_Nerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ancient_Nerd)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/1026 "2026-09-24T21:08:47Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > I used to use a bamboo Post for multplication, square roots and trig. Mine is aluminum and I still have it. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/1027 "2026-09-24T21:14:03Z")
Reminds me of how different sets of New Yorkers refer to _upstate_. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/1028 "2026-09-24T21:41:17Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Reminds me of how different sets of New Yorkers refer to _upstate_ Ah, you mean Westchester. 😁 ---
**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:** [September 24, 2026, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/1029 "2026-09-24T22:50:57Z")
Upstate is everywhere north of where I’m standing? 🤪 ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/1030 "2026-09-24T23:42:48Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Upstate is everywhere north of where I’m standing Only if you’re in NYCity or maybe Westchester County. North of there, upstate is where you are. Downstate starts about twenty miles south of you. Which term (if either) is pejorative also switches. ---
**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:** [September 24, 2026, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/1031 "2026-09-24T23:55:06Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Which term (if either) is pejorative also switches. Ahh, _now_ we get to the heart of the matter! State regional rivalries are so fun. And so vicious because the differences (in culture if not geography) are (usually) indistinguishable to outsiders. Such fun. **LSLGuy** Originally from California, the state that would be 5. At least. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/1032 "2026-09-25T06:56:16Z")
To a New Yorker ( city), Albany is just south of Montreal. And north of Westchester, you’re likely to be attacked by bears or moose. ---
**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:** [September 25, 2026, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/1033 "2026-09-25T13:37:23Z")
When I was attending the University of Rochester, my advisor frequently got calls from people inviting him to come down to New York City for lunch. A lot of people in NYC clearly have no conception of how big New York State really is. ---
**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:** [September 25, 2026, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/1034 "2026-09-25T13:58:23Z")
After saying “No thank you, I’m booked today”, it’s useful to return the favor by calling them tomorrow and inviting them up to Rochester for lunch. I just looked. Getting between the University of Rochester and Rockefeller Center in central Manhattan is 350ish miles and 5-1/2 to 6 hours of driving. One way. Come on up for lunch; it’s very pretty here by the lake. Tee hee. Sometimes one object lesson is worth a thousand conversations. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/1035 "2026-09-25T18:36:13Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Which sloppy surveying led to the Toledo War, which did get as far as actual shots being fired, but the only casualty was one pig. And the next day the first Tony Packo’s opened. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Ancient\_Nerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Ancient\_Nerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ancient_Nerd)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/1036 "2026-09-25T21:08:18Z")
The place I was working at the time acquired a company in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It surprised me the first time I tried to make a phone call that they were in the eastern time zone. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/1037 "2026-09-26T02:33:37Z")
Since you mentioned time zones, there’s a one hour period each year (during the DLS switchover) where parts of FL and OR are at the same local time. Not really geographical, but cute trivia. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/1038 "2026-09-26T11:08:14Z")
I assume this will occur in about a month or so. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/1039 "2026-09-27T06:12:57Z")
GOD creates the Niger river. [![](https://images.spot.im/image/upload/v200/qg0kvy1ufyjxntzskrre) ](https://images.spot.im/image/upload/v200/qg0kvy1ufyjxntzskrre) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/1040 "2026-09-27T14:02:22Z")
“Inland delta” There’s a phrase you don’t see every day. Niger River: Man, I need to unload; how do I get outta this continent? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/1041 "2026-09-27T15:26:16Z")
Similarly, the Jefferson and Yellowstone rivers have their heads practically right next to each other, but don’t join up until North Dakota. ---
**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:** [September 27, 2026, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/1042 "2026-09-27T15:53:56Z")
Jefferson is one of the sources of the Missouri, so it is not actually called the Jefferson in ND or north of Belgrade (where it joins the Madison and Gallatin). ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/1043 "2026-09-27T16:08:39Z")
🎶 There lived a maiden, Darcy Farrow was her n… 🎵 Sorry, wrong river. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294.md?page=51) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294.md?page=53)