h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'd be interested to know what people think about this. Perhaps you could say what your own favourite landmark is and then what you think the most famous landmark is.

Favourite: Margate Clock Tower (well, it *is* a landmark of sorts and reminds me of my family, friends, and all the good stuff I haven't got in London).

Most Famous: probably the Niagara Falls.

I'd guess the great wall of China...because lots of people in the West know about it, and also, I reckon, a substantial proportion of Chinese people also know about it...people who've probably got little knowledge of any of the other (non-Chinese) contenders... which might include the pyramids, Statue of Liberty, Tower Bridge, Sydney Opera House, Taj Mahal, Tour Eiffel, Easter Island figures, Stonehenge, Jesus of Rio...

RF

For me, It has to be Alexandria/Egypt

http://www.artcorridor.com/artcorridorissue/artcorridor11/Images/dialogue4.jpg

Here's a thought...

I've automatically assumed that a landmark must be man-made...is this what everyone else thinks?

RF

No, and I don't think the Niagara Falls are man-made anyway

I imagine the people of Dover, for one, would be a bit miffed by that.

B

Well, yeah, that's my point B'El. *I've* listed man-made landmarks, and have assumed that that's what the questioner was asking. I'm asking whether everyone else is making the same assumption about what constitutes a landmark. Clearly the white cliffs of Dover and Niagara Falls aren't man-made - but are they landmarks?

If natural land formations are included, is the Great Barrier Reef a landmark or a seamark?

As philosophers are keen on saying, "first, define your terms".

RF

Well,not being a native speaker,I understood 'landmark' as something outstanding, something like the things that have been mentioned, disregarding whether their origin is natural or man-made. It's a coincidence that Alexandria popped up in my head when I read the question. But I guess a landmark is relatively large - and all the suggestions seem to support this theory.

I read 'landmark' as something that stands out, beit natural or man made. Reculver Towers are a manmade landmark, the White Cliffs are a natural one.

So, is the Great Barrier Reef a landmark?

RF

I'd have thought so. It's quite a big mark, even if the land's a tad sodden.

OK, how about the Andes?

RF

No, it's under water, hence you can't see it from the distance

Don't know about mountains

>> No, it's under water, hence you can't see it from the distance <<

Depends on which direction you're looking at it from! If it's from directly above, it shouldn't be a problem.

RF

I don't think submersophobia has any place on HooToo.

Landmarks would have to be man-made, in my book. I'd go for the Eiffel Tower as the best known and most distinctive landmark.

From Dictionary.com:

1. A prominent identifying feature of a landscape.
2. A fixed marker, such as a concrete block, that indicates a boundary line.
3. An event marking an important stage of development or a turning point in history.
4. A building or site with historical significance, especially one marked for preservation by a municipal or national government.


So, it doesn't have to be manmade but I think it has to be something visible from a distance, so then the Great Barrier Reef and Niagara Falls wouldn't count as a landmark.


az

I'd go with the Kheops pyramid. I'd definitely think a lot of people around the world don't know the Eiffel tower. And the Jesus statue of Rio probably comes quite far down the list.