Extra Credit Questions

[wpbinzel]

(04-16-2020 08:21 AM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  Roger, yes, it appears so, but the latitude of Minnesota is (43° 34'N) to 49° 23'N; vs Maine latitude: (43° 4'N to) 47° 28'N. (Equator is zero, hence the more ° the farther north)

It's the Angle Inlet of northern Minnesota at 49 degrees 23 minutes north that makes it north of any point in Maine!

The eastern half of North America tilts to the south. Consequently, the entire state of Maine is below the 48th parallel, while roughly the northern third of Washington is above the 48th parallel and extends to the border with Canada at the 49th parallel. The Angle Inlet of MN extends above the 49th parallel making it the most northern point in the continental US.

(BTW, with the exception of MN, the 49th parallel became the agreed upon boundary by virtue of the Convention of 1818 between the US and Britain. The reason the 49th was used instead of the nice round number of the 50th was that would have put all of Lake Superior in the US, and possibly limiting British access to it for the transport of furs and materials east and west.)