What are some unknown facts about Google Maps?
Google Maps is a web mapping service developed by Google. It offers satellite imagery, street maps, 360° panoramic views of streets (Street View), real-time traffic conditions (Google Traffic), and route planning for traveling by foot, car, bicycle and air (in beta), or public transportation.
Google Maps provides a route planner, allowing users to find available directions through driving, public transportation, walking, or biking. Google has partnered globally with over 800 public transportation providers to adopt General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS), making the data available to 3rd parties.
Some of the most interesting and weird facts about Google Maps are:
1. The compound where Osama Bin Laden was shot, can be found on Google maps.
2. 23 is the maximum zoom level, only available for small number of areas. While 20 is maximum for most areas.
3. The time saved per day of using Google maps navigation routing is functionally 2 years.
It’s 12 billion miles per year that Google maps navigation has guided Android phone users.
4. Google is taking the advantage of reCAPTCHA system, by getting people to decode pictures of street addresses for Google maps.
5. The largest natural bridge on the earth was virtually unknown, until it was discovered on Google maps.
6. Google uses our phones to collect data for google traffic.
7. Google’s maps framework and a bit of Javascript, and you can see what would happen if nuclear bomb goes off in your city.
8. A 1000 years old ‘fish trap’ made of stones was found off the British coast with Google maps.
9. Google maps show detailed view of North Korea, but doesn’t work with South Korea.
10. If you search for homes on Google maps, it shows all the homes in area for sale and their prices.
11. The Street View team has taken tens of million of images since 2007, and they’ve driven more than 5 million miles of road.
12. Street View camera system have 15 lenses and can produce images at about 65 Megapixels resolution.
13. Google maps almost caused a war between Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
14. Google Earth has built in flight simulator.
15. Titanic (Shipwreck) can be seen from Google earth.
16. If you want your house blurred on Street View, you can do it by requesting Google.
17. You can see where the Google Street View cars are currently driving.
Note: Some information is specific to particular places, it might not apply to every country in the world.
Written By – Akshay Malik, studies Chemical Engineering at Meerut Institute of Engineering and Technology, Meerut.
