45×90 points

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The marker for the 45×90 point in North America; the sign was later amended to explain that the real location is actually approximately 1063 feet (324 m) behind and to the left of the marker on the ground.
Close up of the incorrectly placed marker

The 45×90 points are the four points on earth which are halfway between the geographical poles, the equator, the Prime Meridian, and the 180th meridian.

The most well-known and frequently visited such point is 45°0′0″N 90°0′0″W / 45.00000°N 90.00000°W / 45.00000; -90.00000 in the town of Rietbrock, Wisconsin near the unincorporated community of Poniatowski. A geographic marker has been placed there by the Marathon County Park Commission. With the increase in use of personal GPS devices, the sign was amended to clarify that the actual 45×90 point is actually approximately 1063 feet (324 m) away in a field behind the sign; the location of the marker was chosen because of its proximity to the road.

The point has become something of a pop culture phenomenon[citation needed] thanks to Gesicki's Tavern in the tiny cluster of establishments in Poniatowski. They once sold 45×90 T-shirts and registered visitors as members of the "45x90 Club".[1] Since 2006, the Wausau/Central Wisconsin Convention & Visitors Bureau has been the holder of the official "45x90 Club" registration book. The book is on loan from the Gesicki family.[2] Upon becoming a member of the "45x90 Club", the Wausau/Central Wisconsin Convention & Visitors Bureau will give new members a commemorative coin. The point has a web page devoted to it.

The only other 45×90 point on land is 45°0′0″N 90°0′0″E / 45.00000°N 90.00000°E / 45.00000; 90.00000 in a desolate region of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region near the Mongolian border, some 240 km (150 mi) northeast of Ürümqi. Administratively, it is on the border of Qitai and Qinggil Counties. Greg Michaels, an American, and Ru Rongzhao, a taxi driver from the closest town of Qitai, itself 110 km to the south-southwest, visited this point on April 13, 2004 and documented the visit on the Degree Confluence Project. Their visit shows that there is no monument or any physical sign that recognition has been given to this location.

The two southern hemisphere 45×90 points, 45°0′0″S 90°0′0″W / 45.00000°S 90.00000°W / -45.00000; -90.00000 and 45°0′0″S 90°0′0″E / 45.00000°S 90.00000°E / -45.00000; 90.00000 are in the southern Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean, respectively.

See also

External links

Notes

  1. ↑ 45x90 Club, Poniatowski, Wisconsin. America's Roof website.
  2. ↑ http://www.ci.wausau.wi.us/Home/AboutWausau/AttractionsLandmarks.aspx
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