Series · 41 posts
Spot the Country
A country-by-country guide to identifying nations from satellite imagery. Each post breaks down the climate signature, agricultural patterns, road and urban style, distinctive landforms, and common confusables — the same cues top players use to lock in a guess within seconds. New countries added regularly.
How to Recognise the United States in Satellite Images
The contiguous United States includes the western Cordillera, broad interior plains, and the Appalachian belt in the east.
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How to Recognise Canada in Satellite Images
Southern central Canada contains broad agricultural plains, while much of the Canadian Shield is a mixture of exposed rock, forest, and lakes.
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How to Recognise Brazil in Satellite Images
The Amazon crosses northern Brazil through an extensive lowland forest region.
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How to Recognise China in Satellite Images
China includes the Tibetan Plateau in the southwest, dry inland basins farther north, and extensive settled plains in the east.
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How to Recognise France in Satellite Images
In metropolitan France, the Alps mark the southeast and the Pyrenees the southwest.
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How to Recognise Argentina in Satellite Images
East of the Andes, the Pampas form a broad lowland around the Río de la Plata.
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How to Recognise Egypt in Satellite Images
The Nile forms a narrow cultivated corridor through arid land before widening into a delta at the Mediterranean coast.
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How to Recognise Italy in Satellite Images
Northern Italy contains the broad Po plain below the Alps.
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How to Recognise Spain in Satellite Images
Mainland Spain includes a broad interior plateau, the Pyrenees in the northeast, and several other mountain belts.
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How to Recognise Turkey in Satellite Images
Much of Turkey occupies the Anatolian Peninsula.
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How to Recognise Russia in Satellite Images
Russia spans forest, steppe, tundra, and high mountain regions.
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How to Recognise Saudi Arabia in Satellite Images
Saudi Arabia has a long Red Sea coast, elevated terrain in the west, and broad dry interior regions.
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How to Recognise Norway in Satellite Images
Mainland Norway has a long, indented Atlantic coast backed by mountain terrain.
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How to Recognise Japan in Satellite Images
Japan has mountainous islands with much of the dense urban development on coastal plains and in valleys.
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How to Recognise Iceland in Satellite Images
Iceland combines broad ice caps, sparsely vegetated interior terrain, and a deeply indented coastline in the northwest and east.
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How to Recognise Australia in Satellite Images
The arid interior occupies much of a wide view of Australia.
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How to Recognise India in Satellite Images
The Himalayas border the north, with the broad Indo-Gangetic Plain below them.
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How to Recognise New Zealand in Satellite Images
The Southern Alps run along much of the South Island, with broad plains to the east and a wetter, more dissected western side.
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How to Recognise Greece in Satellite Images
Greece has a deeply indented mainland coast and many islands in the Aegean and Ionian seas.
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How to Recognise the Netherlands in Satellite Images
The Rhine-Meuse delta, IJsselmeer, and North Sea coast help orient a regional view of the Netherlands.
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How to Recognise Germany in Satellite Images
Northern Germany belongs to a lowland region bordering the North and Baltic seas.
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How to Recognise Mexico in Satellite Images
The Baja California peninsula lies across a narrow gulf from mainland Mexico.
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How to Recognise Poland in Satellite Images
Poland has a Baltic coast in the north, extensive inland plains, and mountain terrain along parts of the southern border.
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How to Recognise Indonesia in Satellite Images
Indonesia spans a long island chain between the Indian and Pacific oceans.
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How to Recognise South Africa in Satellite Images
South Africa contains a broad interior plateau with escarpments near parts of the eastern and southern margins.
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How to Recognise Ukraine in Satellite Images
Much of Ukraine consists of plains and agricultural land, while the Carpathians enter the west.
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How to Recognise the United Kingdom in Satellite Images
Great Britain has rugged uplands in Scotland and Wales, with broader lowlands across much of southern and eastern England.
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How to Recognise Iran in Satellite Images
The Zagros form a belt of ridges across western and southwestern Iran.
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How to Recognise South Korea in Satellite Images
South Korea occupies the southern part of the Korean Peninsula.
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How to Recognise Thailand in Satellite Images
Thailand has a broad central lowland around the Chao Phraya, higher terrain in the north, and the Khorat Plateau in the northeast.
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How to Recognise Peru in Satellite Images
Peru has a dry Pacific coastal strip, high Andean terrain inland, and Amazon lowlands to the east.
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How to Recognise Vietnam in Satellite Images
Vietnam has the Red River delta in the north, the Mekong delta in the south, and a narrower central coastal region backed by mountains.
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How to Recognise the Philippines in Satellite Images
The Philippines consists of islands with varied coastlines and mountainous interiors.
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How to Recognise Chile in Satellite Images
Chile follows the Pacific side of the Andes.
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How to Recognise Colombia in Satellite Images
Western Colombia has several Andean ranges separated by valleys.
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How to Recognise Kenya in Satellite Images
Kenya includes central highlands, Rift Valley lakes, dry northern and eastern lowlands, and an Indian Ocean coast.
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How to Recognise Morocco in Satellite Images
The Atlas Mountains run across Morocco, separating parts of the Atlantic-facing lowlands from drier interior terrain.
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How to Recognise Ethiopia in Satellite Images
The Ethiopian Highlands form elevated terrain beside much lower, drier land in the northeast.
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How to Recognise Kazakhstan in Satellite Images
Much of Kazakhstan is open lowland or steppe, with drier country towards the south and mountains in the east and southeast.
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How to Recognise Switzerland in Satellite Images
The Swiss Alps occupy much of the south and centre.
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How to Recognise Sweden in Satellite Images
Sweden has a long Baltic coastline and a largely forested interior, with more extensive agriculture in the south.
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