The world

[ghoti_mhic_uait]

Not long ago, we were having a conversation as to whether Boston or Manchester was more northern. Now, apart from the fact that Boston is in Lincolnshire, and thus clearly south of Manchester, I was confused by this.

I still am confused by this, and as I am a bear of very little brain, y'all will have to help.

According to Benedict's globe, and my Peters projection, and I can't find a handy Mercator projection, but I'm sure it's not that much different, according to those sources, the UK is north of all of the US except Alaska.

Is this wrong? Is there some other definition of north which I'm not taking into account?

Comments

[jaq.livejournal.com]

As a certain someone has pointed out to me, Boston MA is at the same latitude as the Mediterranean.

UK is north of all of the US except Alaska

[ewx.livejournal.com]

Sounds about right to me...

[silverfiligree.livejournal.com]

It seems odd because we're on the same parallel as the chillier bits of Canada, and we expect cold countries to be further north. Large continental masses are generally colder than islands, and we have a freak warm climate because of the Gulf Stream.

I remember the fuss about the dawn of the Millenium, when people were surprised that East Anglia wasn't the eastern-most part of the country. IIRC that point was somewhere near Dover. We get used to maps that tilt the UK upright.

I lived in High Wycombe for three years without realising it was to the North of London. I didn't do O level Geography, funnily enough!

[fanf]

Wycombe is at the same latitude as the northern suburbs of London (e.g. Barnet, Edgware) but 40km to the west of the centre.

[zotz]

I'm very fond of pointing out that Edinburgh is not only west of London, but also west of Bristol.

I'm sure there's a Manchester in the States, so there still might be a sense in which it's so. Doesn't seem likely, though.

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

Last week we drove through/past both Manchester, PA, and Manchester, MD, so it is definitely so. Oh, and there's Manchester, SD, that I can personally vouch for, although that has a population of 15 so you may wish to discount it. ;-)

[gnimmel.livejournal.com]

The UK is actually really quite far north compared to most countries. In Scotland in summer it's light nearly all night, for example. However we're in the path of the Gulf Stream and are also surrounded by water, so we have a much milder climate than places on a comparable latitude such as Canada and Siberia.

[olithered.livejournal.com]

You are indeed utterly correct. I was probably confused by the climate...

[ghoti.livejournal.com]

it wasn't your confusion that was confusing me so much as the way that wehn people went off ot check, they seemed to come back saying that boston, MA, is indeed north of Manchester. I thought maybe they meant in relative terms, as a proportion of the coutnry, or something.

[sparrowsion]

Lincolnshire [...] clearly south of Manchester

Erm, why is that clear? (See, to my way of thinking, Licolnshire starts at the Wash and goes north, and the Wash is at much the same latitude as the Wirral, and hence Liverpool and Manchester.)

[ghoti.livejournal.com]

You're riht, it's not clear. Hmm.

[nja.livejournal.com]

I was surprised the other weekend when I visited the Peak District and found myself in Staffordshire - the PD is north of Leicester, and Staffordshire is west. Similarly when I drive east to Norfolk I'm always slightly annoyed when I get to Northamptonshire, which is clearly due south of Leicester and shouldn't be anywhere near Peterborough. Why can't counties stay where they are supposed to be? I wonder if people living around Stamford ever know where they are.

[sparrowsion]

The problem there is that Staffordshire has a definite north-south length, and the Peak District an east-west one. So the nearest points to Leicester may well be directly west and north, but if you go north-west you'll find both of them.