Degree Confluence Project - Description

Description

Visitors to degree confluences almost always make use of GPS receivers, but visits can be achieved using only a map on the appropriate datum, or a map on another datum but with the appropriate correction applied. For a successful visit, the visitor must get within 100 metres of the confluence point, and post a narrative and several photographs to the project website. A visit, or attempted visit, which does not conform to these rules may still be recorded on the website as an incomplete visit. The project encourages visits to degree confluences which have been visited previously, and many confluence points in North America and Europe have been visited several times.

The total number of degree confluences is 64,442, of which 21,543 are on land, 38,409 on water, and 4,490 on the Antarctic and Arctic ice caps. The project categorizes degree confluences as either primary or secondary. A confluence is primary only if it is on land or within sight of land. In addition, at higher latitudes only some points are designated primary, because confluences crowd together near the poles. Both primary and secondary confluences may be visited and recorded.

As of August 7, 2012, the project reported that the world has 16,345 indexed primary degree confluence points and 6,132 of them, in 185 countries, have been visited at least once. This means that 37.52% of the world's primary confluences have been completed. In addition, 578 unique visits have been made to secondary degree confluences. There have been a total of 13,683 degree confluence visits made by 12,319 visitors. 84,105 degree confluence photographs have been posted. The project is currently hosted by ibiblio.

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