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OptimusPhillip t1_j3cfv85 wrote

I think I've heard this one before. It was intended to be a rectangle, bounded by four specific lines of latitude and longitude, but the surveyors, due to limited technology, were a little off in where they placed the border markers, giving it way more (very small) corners than it was supposed to have.

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herbw t1_j3estdq wrote

Earth is spherical. Round not a rectangle which is 2D. There lies the disparity. Longitude is NOT 2D.

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OptimusPhillip t1_j3fdntg wrote

Okay, fair enough. The shape bounded by four lines of latitude and longitude on one hemisphere of a circle is not a rectangle. Even in a non-Euclidean spherical plane, it's not a rectangle (since latitude lines aren't great circles). That said, OP described Colorado's true shape as a polygon, so they're quite clearly referring to the imperfect survey thing, and not the fact that Colorado can't be a Euclidean rectangle.

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