Null Island
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 0°N 0°E / 0°N 0°ECoordinates: 0°N 0°E / 0°N 0°E |
| Area | 1 m2 (11 sq ft) |
| Length | 1 m (3 ft) |
| Width | 1 m (3 ft) |
| Coastline | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Country | |
| Additional information | |
| Official website |
www |
| This fictional island is a cartographical convenience only. | |
Null Island is a fictional island in the Gulf of Guinea added to the Natural Earth public domain map dataset,[1] located where the equator crosses the prime meridian, at coordinates 0°N 0°E / 0°N 0°E.[2][3] Natural Earth describes the entity as a "1 meter square island" with "scale rank 100, indicating it should never be shown in mapping."[1] Although intended humorously, the fiction has a serious purpose and is used by mapping systems to trap errors.[3]
In reality, a weather observation buoy, part of the PIRATA system, is moored at the supposed location of the island.[4]
References
- 1 2 Kurgan, Laura (2013). Close Up at a Distance: Mapping, Technology and Politics. New York: Zone Books. p. 157. ISBN 9781935408284.
- ↑ "Null Island". Retrieved 1 October 2013.
- 1 2 "Natural Earth version 1.3 release notes". 2011-01-31. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
- ↑ "Station 13010 - Soul". National Data Buoy Center. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
External links
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