1918 Geographic Center Of The [contiguous] Lower 48 States [CONUS] - Lebanon, Kansas
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https://clui.org/ludb/site/geographic-center-lower-48-united-states <-- shared technical article
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https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/PUBS_LIB/GeoCenter_USA1.pdf <-- shared 1959 NOAA technical article
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https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/many-centers-united-states-180955253/ <-- shared 2015 technical article
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https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/journey-to-the-center-of-the-united-states <-- shared technical media article
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In 1918, the US Coast and Geodetic Survey attempted to find the center of what was then the United Statesโ€™ (lower) 48 states. Because they lacked the computing power to process the complex geometry of an irregular, 3D landmass, they placed a carefully scaled map of the 48 conterminous states onto a uniform piece of cardboard. After cutting it out, they determined the geographic center by finding the exact point at which the map balanced perfectly on a pin.
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#spatial #mapping #USA #Lower48th #center #centre #Lebanon #Kansas #geodetic #geodesy #geography #spatialanalysis #cartography #PinAndCardboard #history #tourism #americana
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