American states are bigger than you think

196 points · 18 comments · view on lemmy.world

18 Comments

officermike@lemmy.world · 30 pts · 317d (3 replies)

I've never given a moment of thought to the overall shape of Rhode Island. It's always just been so small on every map I've seen that it's an unidentifiable blob with an arrow pointing to it. I feel like I'm seeing it for the first time.

shalafi@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 317d (2 replies)

Me too! Had no idea there were all those islands either.

pepsi_not_coke@sh.itjust.works · 7 pts · 316d

Needs to be renamed to Rhode Islands.

MirthfulAlembic@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 316d

This image is also missing Block Island, which has RI's sea border with New York state.

FenderStratocaster@lemmy.world · 22 pts · 317d (2 replies)

The Colossus at Rhodes Island

Maxxie@piefed.blahaj.zone · 25 pts · 317d (1 reply)

listen I know this barely has to do with anything but I simply can't not share this random fact

1900 picture of a continent-sized dude standing on Africa with spread hands, holding a telegraph wire and a colonizer hat. you know the one.

Did you know that this image everyone uses as a clip art for colonialism is called "Rhodes Colossus" and it was originally drawn for an 1892 satirical article about British colonialist Cecil Rhodes who planned to lay down railroad and telegraph lines across Africa, from Cape to Cairo (insanely hard task at the time).

The joke was that colonizers viewed themselves as gods and had a satirical verse about Cecil (who was a major asshole in case you weren't sure). But as often goes satire transcended itself and became the image for colonialism.

tomenzgg@midwest.social · 2 pts · 316d

Well, how colonialists view themselves (the original intent) and how we now think the ideas behind colonialism makes colonialists look (i.e. their self-image; arguably, its current usage) aren't terribly disparate in form, one could argue.

swab148@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 13 pts · 316d

Mercator projection strikes again

HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 316d

Rhode Island is neither a road nor an island. Discuss.

workerONE@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 317d (4 replies)

Is this a shitpost or can you provide a source for this?

The_Picard_Maneuver@piefed.world · 27 pts · 316d (2 replies)

Rhode Island can not be contained in any source.

Raiderkev@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 316d (1 reply)

It's slightly smaller than Alaska though.

vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 316d

It's smaller than Alaska but bigger than San Marino.

samus12345@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 316d

Shitpost. It's a little bit bigger than Luxembourg, though!

Pupscent@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 316d (3 replies)

I asked Lumo the following:


Which is bigger, Rhode Island or Ontario Canada?


Ontario is far larger than Rhode Island.

Rhode Island – about 1,034 square miles (≈ 2,678 km²) Ontario, Canada – about 160,000 square miles (≈ 415,600 km²) So Ontario’s land area is roughly 150 times the size of Rhode Island.


Rhode Island is puny. PUNY!

The_Picard_Maneuver@piefed.world · 12 pts · 316d (2 replies)

Trusting AI? I'm afraid this source says otherwise.

Pupscent@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 310d

https://thetruesize.com/#%3Fborders=1%7E%21MTUwNDQzODg.MTA4MTIwMTUMTE5ODk5OTc%28ODM3NzY5Mg%7E%21CONTIGUOUS_USMTAwMjQwNzU.MjUwMjM1MTc%28MTc1%29MQ%7E%21INNTI2NDA1MQ.Nzg2MzQyMQ%29Mg%7E%21CNOTkyMTY5Nw.NzMxNDcwNQ%28MjAw%29Mw%7E%21US-RI*MA.MTgwMDAwMDA%28MjEx%29NA

Pupscent@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 310d

We're going to have to agree to disagree then.