Washington, D.C. (Pierre L’Enfant’s Plan)
Latitude: 38.8951° N
Longitude: 77.0364° W
Significance: The layout of Washington, D.C., was designed by Pierre L’Enfant in 1791, with surveying playing a crucial role in the city’s development and its symbolic significance.
Royal Greenwich Observatory (Herschel Meridian Circle)
Latitude: 51.4778° N
Longitude: 0.0014° W
Significance: The Herschel Meridian Circle at the Royal Greenwich Observatory marked a key advancement in astronomical surveying in the 19th century.
Cahokia Mounds (Illinois, USA)
Latitude: 38.6556° N
Longitude: 90.0621° W
Significance: The Native American city of Cahokia, with its complex of mounds, highlights early North American surveying and city planning techniques.
Paris Observatory (France)
Latitude: 48.8361° N
Longitude: 2.3364° E
Significance: The Paris Observatory, established in 1667, played a crucial role in the development of modern geodesy and the metric system.
Geodetic Center of North America (Kansas, USA)
Latitude: 39.2130° N
Longitude: 98.5417° W
Significance: This point, known as Meades Ranch Triangulation Station, was used as the reference point for North American Datum of 1927, crucial for mapping the continent.
Piedra del Sol (Teotihuacan, Mexico)
Latitude: 19.6924° N
Longitude: 98.8437° W
Significance: The ancient city of Teotihuacan demonstrates the advanced surveying techniques used by the Mesoamerican civilization.
Palmanova (Italy)
Latitude: 45.9056° N
Longitude: 13.3094° E
Significance: This Renaissance city is an example of ideal city planning based on geometric principles and surveying.
Rann of Kutch (India-Pakistan border)
Latitude: 23.7333° N
Longitude: 70.1667° E
Significance: The Great Trigonometrical Survey of India in the 19th century included extensive work in this area, contributing to the mapping of the subcontinent.
Edo Castle (Tokyo, Japan)
Latitude: 35.6852° N
Longitude: 139.7528° E
Significance: Edo Castle, the heart of Tokyo, reflects the use of traditional Japanese surveying and land measurement techniques.
Meridian Building (Brisbane, Australia)
Latitude: 27.4698° S
Longitude: 153.0251° E
Significance: This building marks the initial point for surveying in Queensland, Australia, essential for land division and mapping in the region.
Cape Agulhas (South Africa)
Latitude: 34.8318° S
Longitude: 20.0183° E
Significance: This southernmost point of Africa was crucial in the early surveying and navigation around the Cape of Good Hope.
Prime Meridian Marker (Ghana)
Latitude: 5.5770° N
Longitude: 0.0117° E
Significance: The Greenwich Prime Meridian runs through Ghana, and this marker signifies its importance in global navigation and surveying.
Alaska Boundary Monument (Alaska, USA/Canada border)
Latitude: 60.3050° N
Longitude: 141.0000° W
Significance: The Alaska Boundary Commission surveyed and marked the border between the United States and Canada in the early 20th century.
Meridian of Alexandria (Alexandria, Egypt)
Latitude: 31.2001° N
Longitude: 29.9187° E
Significance: Ancient Alexandria was a center of knowledge, and its meridian played a role in early geodetic measurements and astronomy.
Brasília (Brazil)
Latitude: 15.7939° S
Longitude: 47.8828° W
Significance: The modern capital of Brazil, Brasília, was meticulously planned and surveyed before construction began in 1956.
Nullarbor Plain (Australia)
Latitude: 30.4722° S
Longitude: 131.0120° E
Significance: This flat and featureless area posed unique challenges for surveyors during the construction of the Trans-Australian Railway.
Meridian Park (Dunkirk, France)
Latitude: 51.0347° N
Longitude: 2.3770° E
Significance: Dunkirk marks a key point in the European Struve Geodetic Arc, which contributed to the accurate measurement of the Earth.
Montjuïc Castle (Barcelona, Spain)
Latitude: 41.3632° N
Longitude: 2.1670° E
Significance: This historic fortress overlooks Barcelona and served as a strategic surveying point in the mapping of Catalonia.
Lake Baikal (Russia)
Latitude: 53.5587° N
Longitude: 108.1650° E
Significance: The Russian Empire's surveys of Lake Baikal were critical in the mapping and exploration of Siberia.
Plaza Mayor (Lima, Peru)
Latitude: 12.0464° S
Longitude: 77.0428° W
Significance: The founding of Lima involved careful planning and surveying, making Plaza Mayor the central point of this important colonial city.
Mason-Dixon Line
Latitude: 39.7222° N
Longitude: 75.7878° W
Significance: This line was surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon to resolve border disputes involving Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware in Colonial America. It became a symbolic dividing line between the North and the South during the Civil War.
Great Pyramid of Giza
Latitude: 29.9792° N
Longitude: 31.1342° E
Significance: The ancient Egyptians used early surveying techniques to construct the pyramids with remarkable precision, showcasing early advancements in geometric knowledge and surveying.
Greenwich Observatory
Latitude: 51.4769° N
Longitude: 0.0005° W
Significance: The Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, is the location of the Prime Meridian, the starting point for longitude. It played a crucial role in the development of timekeeping and navigation.
Mount Everest
Latitude: 27.9881° N
Longitude: 86.9250° E
Significance: The first successful measurement of Mount Everest's height was conducted in the mid-19th century by the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India, highlighting the role of surveying in exploration and geography.
Four Corners Monument (USA)
Latitude: 36.9989° N
Longitude: 109.0452° W
Significance: This is the only point in the United States where four states (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah) meet. The surveying and marking of this location was a significant achievement in defining state boundaries.
Survey of India Headquarters (Dehradun, India)
Latitude: 30.3165° N
Longitude: 78.0322° E
Significance: Established in 1767, the Survey of India is one of the oldest surveying institutions in the world, responsible for mapping and surveying India.
Point of Beginning (East Liverpool, Ohio, USA)
Latitude: 40.6383° N
Longitude: 80.5190° W
Significance: The "Point of Beginning" is where the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) started in 1785, marking the beginning of the rectangular survey system used in the United States.
Sydney Observatory (Sydney, Australia)
Latitude: 33.8593° S
Longitude: 151.2094° E
Significance: Opened in 1858, this observatory played a vital role in the surveying and mapping of Australia, contributing to the development of navigation and timekeeping.
Struve Geodetic Arc (Hammerfest, Norway to Black Sea, Ukraine)
Latitude: 70.6633° N (Hammerfest)
Longitude: 23.6821° E (Hammerfest)
Significance: A UNESCO World Heritage site, this chain of survey points established by Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve was the first accurate measurement of a meridian arc in the mid-19th century.
Mt. Diablo Meridian (California, USA)
Latitude: 37.8816° N
Longitude: 121.9142° W
Significance: The Mt. Diablo Meridian and Baseline were established in 1851 and are the starting points for surveying lands in California and Nevada.
British Ordnance Survey (Southampton, England)
Latitude: 50.9086° N
Longitude: 1.4044° W
Significance: Founded in 1791, the British Ordnance Survey is one of the world's most respected national mapping agencies, responsible for creating detailed maps of the UK.
Meridian Stone (Paris, France)
Latitude: 48.8566° N
Longitude: 2.3522° E
Significance: The Paris Meridian was a long-standing prime meridian for France, used before the Greenwich Meridian was universally accepted.
Chaining Rock (Philadelphia, USA)
Latitude: 39.9526° N
Longitude: 75.1652° W
Significance: Used by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon during the Mason-Dixon survey, this rock represents the historical use of chains in surveying.
Torrens Island Observatory (Adelaide, Australia)
Latitude: 34.8000° S
Longitude: 138.5100° E
Significance: Established in the 19th century, this observatory contributed to the geodetic surveys of South Australia, aiding in mapping the continent.
Rittenhouse Survey (Delaware, USA)
Latitude: 39.7465° N
Longitude: 75.5476° W
Significance: David Rittenhouse's survey of the Delaware-Maryland boundary in 1763 showcased early American surveying skills and technology.
Baseline Road (Arizona, USA)
Latitude: 33.3790° N
Longitude: 112.0010° W
Significance: This road in Arizona marks the baseline used in the Public Land Survey System for Arizona, illustrating the influence of surveying on urban development.
Survey Monument (Cuzco, Peru)
Latitude: 13.5320° S
Longitude: 71.9675° W
Significance: Incan civilization used advanced surveying techniques for city planning and architecture, and Cuzco serves as an example of their skill.
Magnetic Hill (Moncton, Canada)
Latitude: 46.1265° N
Longitude: 64.8346° W
Significance: This location demonstrates the role of magnetic surveys in understanding Earth's magnetism and anomalies.
Land Ordinance of 1785 Monument (Ohio, USA)
Latitude: 39.9957° N
Longitude: 82.9894° W
Significance: This ordinance established the basis for the Public Land Survey System in the United States, leading to systematic surveying and land division.
Surveyor's Triangulation (Cape Town, South Africa)
Latitude: 33.9249° S
Longitude: 18.4241° E
Significance: The triangulation surveys in South Africa helped in mapping the region and establishing accurate geographic data.