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222 clues · 76 countries.
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222 clues · 76 countries.
Showing 222 clues across 76 countries.
Round concrete poles sustaining three electricity lines in an alternating pattern are very common in Argentina.
Doubled up poles like in the second image is also a good clue for Argentina.
NOTE: Similar doubled concrete poles can occasionally be found throughout Bolivia.
In Mendoza, poles with a single insulator attached to the side of the pole can be found.
According to a 2006 review, 64% of all concrete poles are located in the state of Victoria.
A trident-like pole top can sometimes be seen in Western Australia and Victoria.
NOTE: All 3 insulators must be connected to the crossbar. This link shows a non trident pole, as the middle insulator is connected to the pole itself.
Victorian pole tops feature 3 circular coils; 2 on the sides, and 1 vertical one at the top. At times, other extensions can be seen on these poles.
These black markings are specific to electricity poles in Queensland. They are often accompanied by diagonal numbers.
Olive-green possum guards are only found on electricity poles in Tasmania.
NOTE: Possum guards are found all over Australia. The colour is what distinguishes them.
On most of the Northern Territory section of the Barkly Highway and a small part of the Queensland section, a wire can be seen on the left side of the car.
South Australian style Stobie poles can sometimes be found in the NSW town of Broken Hill.
Two types of utility poles are common in Bolivia:
Round concrete poles, often with small pinholes near the top.
Wooden poles.
Poles in Bolivia are very inconsistent and should not be relied on too much. Poles can have a variety of pole tops. On rare occasions, you can find Argentina-style concrete poles.
Many wooden utility poles, particularly in the eastern parts of Bolivia’s Street View coverage, are noticeably curvy and look like they are made from locally sourced tree trunks.
NOTE: While you may see slightly bent poles in other places, extremely curvy poles are a very good clue for Bolivia.
The A35 is a very recognisable road: there is always a power line to your west. It can also be recognised by its grainy asphalt with faded markings. Many small tracks can be found parallel to the road, disappearing into the bushes.
The mostly unpaved road north of Maun to Khwai can be identified by extremely white sandy soil and tall green trees surrounding the road. The first section of the road, between Maun and Shorobe, is paved. But that section can still be identified by the trees, faint road markings, and power lines to the west of the road.
Southeast of Tshabong, the A20 has been recently repainted and has very bright yellow lines and relatively dark asphalt. There is a powerline running alongside it to the northeast, it has orange-tan sandy soil, and you can often find patches of yellow flowers.
The most common poles in Brazil have some resemblance to a ladder in the bottom portion. They are rectangular, have long segments running through the bottom, and small holes near the top.
NOTE: Paraguay uses similar poles.
Some states also use wooden poles. They are most commonly seen in Rio Grande do Sul, Roraima, Amazonas, and Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil often uses supports on its electricity poles that connect the crossbar to the stem of the pole. The frequency of pole supports varies greatly state-to-state. It is notably rare in the northeast.
NOTE: This tip only works for poles that have a crossbar.
Markings on poles are used by the electricity companies to identify them. This pole ID is long, yellow pole paint with a black code. The ones that start with a letter are found in Bahia and Pernambuco.
Pole IDs in Paraná are usually made up of black paint and yellow or white painted text.
Utility poles in Paraná on intersections are sometimes painted with the street name. This can sometimes extend to Santa Catarina or Rio Grande do Sul if there are ladder poles in the city.
This pole configuration, featuring a zigzag-shaped top bar resting atop a flat crossbar, is exclusive to Ceara and Roraima. The pole is usually much larger than a regular electricity pole.
Gamma-shaped ("Γ") poles containing electricity boxes at the end of the bar are most commonly seen in the state of Rio de Janeiro and in the cities of Belém, Salvador, Fortaleza and Maceió.
NOTE: A variation with a shorter bar is exclusive to Belém.
You may frequently see electricity counters attached to the poles in Cuiabá, Macapá and large cities in the state of Pará.
NOTE: The electricity counter may consist of one or several compartments.
Poles that have one insulator on top and alternating horizontal insulators can be found in Mato Grosso and southern Acre. It is also very rare in Rio Grande do Sul.
Insulators that resemble white mushrooms are found in Bahia and rarely Brasília.
Transparent insulators are mostly in Alagoas in the northeast, and Santa Catarina in the south. They can be seen rarely in Sergipe, Ceará, and Brasília.
These insulators have a shape resembling a spool of thread. They are found mostly in Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo, and have been seen in Ceará.
Insulators in Ceará can sometimes be uniquely long and thin. They are in Goiás too, but are rare.
Poles with horizontal insulators are very common in Pará and less so in Mato Grosso. They are rarely found in Acre, Amapá, Tocantins, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.
Long grey insulators, not including when they are horizontal, are most commonly found in Pará, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Bahia, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná and Santa Catarina.
They are found rarely in Maranhão, Rio Grande do Norte, Alagoas, Sergipe, Rondônia, and Rio Grande do Sul. Other states have between 0 and 5%.
Poles with these black double UFO-shaped insulators in a trident formation are common in Maranhão. The insulator itself is common across many states, but not in this configuration.
These insulators are spherical or cone shaped and suspended on a rod above the insulator bar. They are often referred to as “lollipop” insulators. They are very common in Rio Grande de Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, and more rarely, Sergipe.
These dark brown insulators with grey bases are found almost exclusively in Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.
The vast majority of poles in Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Pará, Amapá, Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco and Santa Catarina have the lamp arm attached to the pole, as opposed to it being attached with a plate, which is much more common generally.
Lamps in Ceará often have a fancy and colourful arm, whether as lampposts or attached to utility poles. It sometimes says the town on the arm.
Cuiaba lamps are usually a light green, and is one of the few cities that has poles with multiple electricity metres, sometimes 6 to 12.
Most utility poles in Bulgaria are cylindrical and made of concrete.
There is also a less common concrete ‘ladder pole’ variation. You can also sometimes see simple wooden poles.
Most poles have small, alternating hook-shaped insulators.
This style of pole top, with 3 large, alternating insulators that are shaped like upward facing hooks, is a good clue for Bulgaria. This pole top is probably unique to the country.
NOTE: You can also find this pole top with the insulators facing downwards.
Wind turbines are most common in Dobrich Province, and usually towards the coast.
In the sections of Road 6 west of Siem Reap, to Sisophon, and Road 5, south of Sisophon to Krong Battambang, you can find power lines with unique poles that are found nowhere else in Cambodia. The pole tops have three horizontal beams, with hanging insulators on only one side. The bottom of the poles have indents.
The powerline from the previous tip continues on the section of Road 5 west of Sisophon. However, here the pole tops have insulators on both sides. The rest of the pole is identical however.
The transformers on poles will face the road in British Columbia and New Brunswick, while in other provinces, it will be parallel with the wires.
Transformers on Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia will be installed at a 45° angle relative to the road. On PEI, red numbers will usually be written on the side.
Insulators facing towards or away from the road are mostly found in Québec, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Other provinces tend to have their insulators facing the same direction as the road.
NOTE: This is most trustworthy when the pole is not at an intersection or driveway.
These distinctive pole tops are most commonly found in Ontario. They have two insulators to the side, and one on top. The side insulators are affixed to the pole with a distinct attachment. Sometimes, multiple of them can be stacked on top of each other.
NOTE: They can occasionally appear in British Columbia, Nova Scotia, or other provinces more rarely.
Some Québec poles have recognizable pole tops with insulator rods that are angled slightly upwards.
Québec poles may sometimes have a vertical black and yellow label. There is a small ‘Q’ in the black part.
Poles on Prince Edward Island usually feature a small white sticker.
Pole top insulators in Saskatchewan alternate. While one pole will have one insulator on the left and two on the right, the next will have two on the left and one on the right.
Lamp arms on utility poles in Nova Scotia are usually curved and much shorter than in the rest of Canada.
NOTE: Short lamp arms may occasionally be found in other parts of Canada.
Chile uses square concrete poles with an indent on both sides. They are somewhat similar to Brazilian poles, however have fewer horizontal supports in the indent. The upper part typically has small pinholes.
Wooden poles are also fairly common.
Poles in Arica feature white paint with a black number, while the other cities in the Atacama Desert feature poles with yellow paint. Keep in mind the paint may have faded, making it look white.
Colombian poles are generally concrete with a variety of pole tops.
Moreover, dark-coloured poles are more common in Colombia than in neighbouring countries.
NOTE: It is the only country in the Americas, apart from Mexico and Ecuador, where octagonal poles can be found.
Costa Rica uses long silver insulators.
NOTE: Panama uses a variety of insulators, some of which are also long silver insulators, they also use short silver, long black, UFO and white mushroom insulators. Additionally, Brazil can have long silver insulators. Lastly, Ecuador uses UFO and mushroom insulators.
One of the most common pole tops is an even crossbar with uneven insulators, meaning there is one on one side and two on the other. Additionally, the crossbar is further down on the pole than usual.
NOTE: 2 on 1 insulator poles with a low crossbar can also be found in Panama. However, poles in Costa Rica usually feature support bars, while this is much more rare on Panamanian poles.
Poles that have a single insulator attached to the side at the top of the pole are commonly found in Costa Rica.
Utility poles in Costa Rica feature a lamp with a blue dot on the top, similarly to other Latin American countries like Panama, Colombia and Brazil.
Also common is this thin metal crossbar that is bent 90 degrees to form an L-shape.
NOTE: Also commonly found in Panama, Colombia and Ecuador. However, poles with crossbars are generally not as common in Panama as they are in Costa Rica.
Electricity counters in Costa Rica are circular and often have a big metal box alongside them.
NOTE: Circular counters may be found in other North American countries, most notably Mexico.
Asymmetrical pole tops with one insulator on one side of the pole and two on the other are found in and around San José.
NOTE: Fully asymmetrical pole tops with all insulators on one side of the pole can be found all across the country.
Pole attachments consisting of numbers made out of wires are found in central Alajuela and over the border in Heredia province.
Wind turbines are found in a few clusters, mainly in Guanacaste province, but also southwest of Cartago, over the province border in San José province. In Guanacaste, you’ll find them around La Fortuna, south and northwest of Tilarán, around Santa Cruz, and quite far north of Liberia around road 917.
Croatian utility poles are cylindrical and made of concrete or wood, often with alternating hooks on the wooden poles (somewhat similar to Latvian poles).
Wooden poles with three horizontal, alternating insulators are common.
NOTE: These poletops can also be found in Brazil, South Africa, and Eswatini.
A line of wind turbines can be seen at this wind farm toward the southeast of Curaçao. The coverage is also notably rainy.
Utility poles are primarily wooden, typically quite tall and have a distinctly dark brown colour.
NOTE: All of these features are shared with Greek utility poles.
Poles commonly have one of three poletops. The first consists of a crossbar with zero or three insulators on top. The second consists of five insulators attached directly to the side of the pole. And the third one consists of a metal frame shaped vaguely like a harp.
NOTE: These are also commonly found in Greece. The symmetrical poletop with three insulators is specific to Cyprus.
Wind turbines are found in two main clusters on Cyprus: west of Larnaca in the east, and southwest of Anogyra, near the Limassol-Paphos subdivision border.
Czech and Slovak pole tops typically feature short metal bars that hold the insulators.
You may also see concrete poles with trident poletops, with two arms angled upwards. The number of insulators and other details will vary, however the general shape will be the same. Out of the pole tops listed, these are the least common, but unique to the two countries.
Standard street level utility poles are rare in Denmark. Most of the electricity infrastructure you will find in the countryside are large, towering overhead power lines, often near highways.
Most electricity poles are square and concrete, with a reverse “L” shape at the top. Less commonly, round or octagonal poles are used.
NOTE: Within the Americas, only the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Uruguay use square poles.
Electricity poles with oval, see-through holes are most common in Loja province. They are occasionally found in neighbouring provinces.
Estonia uses a variety of different poles and poletops. Of the three Baltic countries, it has the least consistent utility poles.
Round wooden poles are the most common, sometimes with diagonal supports.
Trident pole tops are somewhat common: This pole top features one insulator on top, and two to the side.
Poles in Eswatini are made of dark brown wood and follow a simple design. The insulators are mostly mounted on the side.
NOTE: In Southern Africa, three insulators on the pole are more commonly found in Eswatini.
There are three wind parks visible on the Faroes. The largest one by far is northwest of Torshavn, while the other two are northeast of Torshavn and east of Vestmanna respectively.
Finland primarily uses wooden utility poles. Most of them tend to have a simple design, but they can have a variety of poletops. Poles often have a street light attached to them.
NOTE: In Northern Europe, wooden poles are also common in Sweden, Norway, and Estonia.
Wind turbines are most commonly found along the west coast of Finland, with some exceptions.
Small blue rectangular markings on utility poles are unique to France. They are often referred to as ‘stickers’ by the community, but are actually small plates.
You will find these plates on almost all wooden and metallic poles, but not as often on ladder poles.
Diamond shaped pole tops with three wires are commonly called “French poletops” within the community. They are most frequently found on top of ladder poles.
NOTE: Within Europe, “French poletops” in conjunction with ladder poles are also common in Spain.
Some variations of the French pole tops have the insulators on top. These variations may resemble an arrowhead and are unique to France.
Germany has a wide variety of different poles and pole tops. The most common pole tops being the horizontal bar with uneven hanging insulators, Triangle pole top, and all kinds of T-Shaped pole tops, which can have varying insulator setups.
Wind turbines are far more common throughout Germany than in any other European country.
Ghana typically uses wooden poles with 3 insulators on a metallic crossbar.
The road between Nkwanta and Domanko is unpaved, with a powerline close to the road to your east or northeast. The road itself runs in a general SE-NW direction, through a lush savannah landscape that is typical of central Ghana.
NOTE: In urban areas, there can be a powerline on both sides of the road. In addition, a section of the Salaga-Tamale road has a powerline to the east as well, but the darker soil and moody cloud cover makes it distinguishable.
Greek utility poles are primarily wooden, and often have a distinctly dark brown colour. They will often be noticeably taller than in other countries.
Many poles in Greece will have five vertical insulators. They can either be attached to the pole or the metal frames from the previous tip.
Poles on Guam are almost always concrete and commonly very thick.
NOTE: Northern Mariana Islands typically have wooden poles.
Completely green utility poles are primarily found in the southeast of the country, but also on a road in the further north in the east and on a small stretch of road around Melchor de Mencos, near the end of the coverage in the far northeast.
These poles also feature small pole plates, which can further narrow down the road. This will be further explained in the next tip.
Most green utility poles contain a white pole plate, for which the top two characters will determine which road you are on. These roads and their corresponding characters are shown in this infographic.
Utility poles will never be seen in urban rounds, however you might see cylindrical wooden poles in rural areas. The poles can be single or double, with electricity counters or transformers attached to them.
The most common type of utility pole in Hungary is a concrete holey pole, with relatively thin holes going all the way down to the ground. Wooden poles are also somewhat common.
NOTE: In eastern Europe, Poland and Romania also commonly use holey poles. Polish holey poles typically do not have holes down by the ground, and tend to be relatively thin. Romanian holey poles normally either have much wider, or much taller holes.
The most common Indian utility pole is a concrete square pole with a trident pole top.
Beware that many regions have their own distinct poles and poletops.
NOTE: Indian poles will almost always be made of concrete or metal. Wooden poles are extremely uncommon.
Poles divided in two sections, in a similar fashion to Brazilian poles, are common in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Electricity counters in Punjab are usually mint green with small window-like squares. They can rarely be seen in Haryana.
In Karnataka, and sometimes in Haryana, you can find trident poletops on concrete poles where the central insulator is attached directly to the top of the pole, while the other two are attached to a horizontal crossbar positioned slightly further down. There is also a variant having several bars instead of one.
A connector on the pole which looks like an upside down trapezoid is most common in Chhattisgarh and somewhat common in Meghalaya, Tripura and Maharashtra, but can rarely be found in many other states.
NOTE: They can also be paired with Holey Poles in Gujarat and Ladder Poles in Andhra Pradesh, thus only use the trapezoid when no other pole meta is present.
In West Bengal you may also find poletops containing two crossbars which are connected to each other with thin vertical supports on either side. The lower bar is connected on either side to the pole with diagonal supports.
In Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram you commonly see poles with two crossbars, each with two insulators. If there are more than two bars, you should be in Meghalaya or Mizoram.
NOTE: They can rarely be seen in other states.
Pole tops in North and Central Sulawesi, and Gorontalo commonly feature an extra attachment right under the horizontal bar.
You can often see thin, black poles next to regular poles near the East Peninsula of Central Sulawesi. Two pieces of tape can be seen near the top of the poles, usually light blue and green. These can rarely be seen in northern South East Sulawesi.
These poles are almost exclusive to North Sumatra. The bar which holds the insulators is even, but features uneven insulators with one on one side and two on the other.
The yellow warning stickers on utility poles can be a good way to distinguish between Ireland and the UK.
The most important difference is that UK stickers feature a guy getting zapped by a lightning bolt.
The Irish stickers usually have a lightning bolt, but lack the guy getting zapped. They also often have an extra second rectangular sticker with a black outline, below the lightning bolt.
Both Ireland and the UK use wooden utility poles. Pole steps bolted on the side of the pole are very common. These pole steps are shaped like a series of thin horizontal metal rods.
Both Ireland and the UK use wooden utility poles. Pole steps bolted on the side of the pole are very common. These pole steps are shaped like a series of thin horizontal metal rods.
NOTE: These types of crossbars are also common in Sweden and Finland.
Utility poles commonly feature these painted black and white striped bottoms.
Utility poles with a mesh framework are very common.
The most common pole tops in Italy are concrete trident pole tops.
There are several possible configurations of insulators.The two shown in the image are the most common ones.
Japan mostly uses these round concrete poles, which have these screw-like extensions. Other information can often be found on or attached to the pole including:
Electrical plates.
Guy-wires.
Pole reflectors.
Therefore, they are a key asset in region guessing Japan.
You can learn more about plates, reflectors, and guy-wires in the region guessing section.
Every region in Japan features a distinct plate on their utility poles.
Most regions in Japan have unique guy wires.
NOTE: Only the most consistent ones are on this map.
The electrical poles in Hokkaido either have this plus-shaped bar attached to the side of the pole, or one transformer mounted on two bars.
However, if there is more than one transformer, they will often be mounted on the sides of a square.
NOTE: While the Kanto transformer may also be mounted on two bars, Hokkaido will never have a wooden plate.
The transformers in Tohoku, which often have additional square holding brackets and the logo of the Tohoku Electrical Company, are sometimes mounted on a round plate with a zigzag bar.
Furthermore, you may also find transformers mounted on the side of a square, with a straight bar mounted on the top of the square. Rarely, you may find a square without a bar.
NOTE: While Kansai may have a square attachment as well, the bar will be mounted on the bottom rather than the top.
The transformers in Kanto, which can have three or two insulators, are often mounted on a wooden plate and two bars, or a round plate and a T-shaped bar.
NOTE: While the Hokkaido transformer may also be mounted on two bars, it will never have a wooden plate. Kanto ones can also be mounted without a wooden plate.
The transformers in Hokuriku, which are attached with thin metal bars, often have these small “lamp” shaped insulators. There will never be a bar present except for the attachment mentioned above.
NOTE: The prefecture of Niigata will have the Tohoku transformer design, as opposed to Hokuriku one.
The transformers in Chubu, which often have painted yellow numbers and black “tap” connectors, are either attached with large triangle and horizontal bars, or these thin metal brackets.
The transformers in Kansai have either a straight or zigzag bar mounted on the bottom of a square. The transformer(s) will be mounted on the sides of that same square.
While this is uncommon, the bar and transformer(s) may be mounted on a vertical bar, rather than a square.
NOTE: While Tohoku may have a square attachment as well, the bar will be mounted on the top rather than the bottom.
The transformers in Chugoku, which have a cross-shaped bar attached in the middle of the pole, mounted by a full triangle, will have a long horizontal or short vertical insulator(s) at the end.
A white sticker will often be stuck to the bottom of the transformer with red numbers. They may also be painted on the side.
The transformers in Shikoku, which also have a cross-shaped bar attached in the middle of the pole, mounted by a half triangle, will have “hat shaped” short horizontal insulators at the end.
A white sticker will often be stuck to the bottom of the transformer with black numbers.
The transformers in Kyushu, which have a straight bar attached on the side of the pole with three insulators at the end, will have transformers mounted 180-degrees from one another.
Transformers in Okinawa, which have a T-shaped bar attached on the side of the pole, will have transformers mounted on opposite sides of the pole.
These grey “insulator-esque” blocks, which wires are fed through, can be found in the regions of Chubu, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku, and very rarely in Hokkaido.
The La Collette Power Station is located on a peninsula south of the capital. Its chimney can be seen from various points along the south coast and serves as a useful reference point for pinpointing.
These are three common electricity poles that you will find in Jordan. Rounded concrete poles have either a diagonal support or consist of three horizontal Y pole tops. You may additionally see thin, two support metal poles with three vertical coils.
The mountains here can be characterised by steep rocky cliffs that can have a slight purple or red tint to them. Not much vegetation grows on these mountains - only some grass and shrubs. A small river also runs alongside the road. You can also spot these brown metallic electricity pylons and curved concrete guardrails on the sides of this road.
NOTE: This section of road features the Black Dot Mirror.
Latvian poles have distinctive poletops, with hook-shaped insulators, that are arranged in an alternating manner: left-right-left (or vice versa).
NOTE: These poletops are much more rare in the other two Baltic countries. They can however appear in some other European countries.
Pictured here are some typical Lithuanian poletops.
They often have short horizontal rods, on which the insulators are placed.
In some poletops, the insulators are arranged in a trident-like shape, with one on top, and two on each side.
Note that these poletops are not unique to Lithuania: they can also be found in the other post-Soviet countries.
Since Madeira is an autonomous region of Portugal, you will often come across various types of Portuguese infrastructure, such as poles and chevrons.
The centre-west of the island is home to an elevated plateau. It can be recognized by the unusual flatness, misty coverage, and the presence of wind turbines.
Electricity poles in Malaysia often have black or white stickers on them.
Sometimes you will also find red-and-white or red-and-blue stripes below the black sticker.
White pole stickers are only found on electricity poles on the island of Borneo, in Sarawak.
Electricity poles on the Borneo side typically have a 2-1 insulator configuration, and a long diagonal wooden support. They are exclusive to the Sarawak region of the island.
NOTE: Indonesian poles can look similar, but they are usually not made of wood, and use smaller or no diagonal supports.
Most utility poles in Mexico are made of concrete and have an octagonal shape. There will often be engravings on the side.
NOTE: Octagonal poles are also common in Colombia.
Mexico uses circular electricity counters.
NOTE: Circular electricity counters are not unique to Mexico and can also be found in the US, Guatemala, Dominican Republic and the Philippines.
White insulators that are shaped like acorns can be found along the coastal states of Mexico, but are by far most common in Michoacan, Colima, and Veracruz.
Poles with an asymmetric crossbar and double-stacked insulators are exclusive to Mexico City, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, and Morelos.
These concrete poles with insulators suspended below the crossbars are unique to the Yucatan peninsula.
Poles with a lowered crossbar and a single support beam that extend from one end of the crossbar to the pole itself can be found in Durango.
Poles with a mesh body are most commonly found in San Luis Potosi, Guanajuato, and Queretaro.
The Eurus Wind Farm is located in southeast Oaxaca and is the largest wind farm in Mexico. Rows of wind turbines can be found along the 190 around Juchitán de Zaragoza.
The Darkhan-Erdenet highway can be identified by the low rolling hills, tall transmission towers, and occasional crop fields in the area. Additionally, most of the highway has winter coverage with the tentless car, light snow, and yellow grass. Beware that summer coverage can occasionally appear in the eastern half of the road.
Nepal typically uses square concrete poles in the flat areas, and thin metallic poles in the mountainous regions. The poletops vary, but it is often some kind of trident.
The concrete pole with a trident pole top and triangle supports is unique to Nepal. Another common pole almost unique to Nepal is a concrete square pole with 2 vertical insulators on the sides with a wide gap between them. Other poles can often appear very similar to poles in India.
Poles with a cross attached near the top are common in the east.
The Netherlands usually does not have any utility poles. You might see larger power lines like the ones shown in the image, but essentially never any street-level smaller utility poles.
NOTE: Belgium does use utility poles somewhat commonly.
The most common pole type found in New Zealand is made of concrete and has one long indent which runs most of the way up the pole. Most concrete poles have small silver possum guards. Circular wooden poles can also be found, but are less common. You can also see concrete holey poles in New Zealand.
Most utility poles in the Marlborough region have a long square shaped olive-brown possum guard. These can appear alongside the usual shorter silver possum guards.
Many of the utility poles in Southland feature a long cylindrical silver possum guard. These are also more rarely found in western Otago.
Poles with the middle insulator being installed on top of a tall metal bar are often found along the Auckland Waikato border, as well as in other parts of Waikato.
NOTE: Insulators installed on significantly shorter vertical bars are rarer and can be found all across the country.
Poles near Timaru often have a tall rectangle of orange paint on them with the text “DANGER LIVE WIRES”.
Most Nigerian poles are made of concrete, have indents with a few horizontal supports, and are similar to the ones used in Brazil, but do not have holes through them.
Northern Mariana Islands have wooden poles, frequently with a crossbar at the top.
NOTE: Guam typically has concrete poles.
Oman typically uses wooden poles, which have pole tops consisting of three varying designs. The first two have 3 insulators, symmetrically attached to a horizontal metal bar. The design with the metal triangle above the wooden pole is unique to Oman. The third design has the insulators attached to the side. Poles in general are more common in Oman than in the UAE or Qatar.
High voltage pylons painted with a red and white pattern are common in Oman.
NOTE: Within the Middle East, red and white painted pylons can also less commonly be found in Qatar.
Road 37 travels in a generally northwest direction through a very generic, flat desert landscape. The angle is one of the best clues for this road. On the southern half, a big power line is visible to the northeast, while on the northern half, you can find distinct sunset coverage.
Just south of Shalim, you’ll find a stretch of overcast coverage, along with a power line to the west of the road, but only north of the plateau.
The road southeast of Ubar has a general northwest bound angle, along with a power line to the left of the road. You will often see signs of life in the form of farms or buildings on this road.
NOTE: Don’t mix this up with the 37, which has a similar angle, but is more desolate and can have sunset coverage.
Many poles in the western provinces will have horizontal plates attached to them. However, if one of these is accompanied by an eastern vertical plate, the eastern plate takes precedence.
Peruvian electricity counters have a unique design: They are rectangular, metallic, and typically feature two or three horizontal slits.
You will often see a single insulator at the top of a vertical bar which is attached to the side of a utility pole.
A poletop made up of two tall vertical metal bars having an L-shaped cross-section which are connected via several thin wires, making it resemble a ladder, is unique to Manila and the surrounding area.
NOTE: You may sometimes come across similar looking poletops, with square bars instead of L-shaped ones, throughout the entire country. They will however almost never have more than two connecting wires.
Square metal mesh poles are found on Mindanao, mainly on the Zamboanga peninsula.
NOTE: Most of the poles found outside of the Zamboanga peninsula are found along highways and have poletops with three hanging insulators.
The highway going south from Puerto Princesa on Palawan can be characterised by being very wide, often featuring six lanes, while simultaneously having very little traffic.
Along the road you will usually see this double electrical wire, which can help confirm your guess.
Poland usually has thin concrete utility poles with see-through holes. They are commonly known as “holey poles”. The holes often do not extend all the way to the bottom of the pole.
Sometimes, two poles are joined together, or put in an A-frame shape. You can also find round concrete poles.
NOTE: Hungary and Romania also have holey poles, but these are wider and more bulky. In addition, the holes extend all the way to the bottom.
Electricity poles with yellow markings are predominantly found in western and southern Poland.
For more detailed information on Polish utility poles, including the markings and lamps discussed here, see this document.
Qatar uses round poles with 3 insulators on the pole top, with the middle one being slightly higher. The crossbar also has 2 diagonal bars connecting it to the pole.
The most common types of utility poles in Romania are holey poles with the holes going all the way to the bottom. The holes are typically either quite wide or quite tall.
NOTE: Poland and Hungary also both use holey poles. Polish holey poles do not have holes near the bottom and Hungarian holey poles generally have smaller holes than in Romania.
You can often see concrete support blocks at the bottom of utility poles, with wooden poles often being raised above ground by the support.
NOTE: Similar blocks are found in several Central and Eastern European countries.
Extended insulator bars on poles are notably found in southern Chelyabinsk Oblast and eastern Orenburg Oblast, as well as southern Kemerovo Oblast.
Utility poles with a mesh framework are usually found in Petrozavodsk, but can much less commonly be found in cities like Tolyatti.
An angled extended insulator bar on the pole as shown is found in Chita.
Just like Italy, most utility poles in San Marino are round and made of concrete. Wooden poles are also found in the country.
Slovak and Czech poletops typically feature short metal bars that hold the insulators.
You may also see concrete poles with trident poletops, with two arms angled upwards. Some features, such as the number of insulators, will vary, however the general shape will be the same. Out of the pole tops listed, these are the least common, but unique to the two countries.
It is somewhat more common to see wooden poles, and in turn, white concrete supports in Slovakia rather than in Czechia.
Note that because there are many variables, it may sometimes be inconsistent. Therefore, this information should preferably be used to help decide between a difficult fifty-fifty.
Trolleybuses in Žilina use a green-yellow-white colour scheme. The trolley supporting electricity poles, often doubling as lamps, are painted with matching yellow and green colours.
The most common type of pole in South Africa features 1 to 5 horizontal bars with thin white insulators that resemble rows of birds, which is why they are referred to as “bird poles” in the community.
NOTE: South Africa has a wide variety of other poles and pole tops. Some of these are (mostly) limited to a certain region; you can learn more about them in the region guessing section.
Poles with 3 bars forming the letter ‘A’, with the bottom insulators being attached at the edges of a horizontal bar, can be found almost exclusively in Western Cape, and rarely in bordering provinces.
A similar poletop can be found in Eastern Cape, however the A-shape is noticeably wider and the bottom insulators are attached directly to the ‘A’ rather than a horizontal bar.
Poles with 3 alternating insulators sticking out horizontally at the top are mostly seen in the four northern provinces of Limpopo, Gauteng, North West and Mpumalanga. They can also sometimes be found in Northern Cape. In the rest of the country, these pole tops are exceedingly rare.
Poles with 1 or 2 metal arms holding up insulators are most commonly seen in Mpumalanga.
Power plants are often seen in between the town of Secunda and eMalahleni in Mpumalanga.
Utility poles almost always have these pole markings near the bottom, consisting of black and yellow diagonal stripes.
These markings look similar to the ones found in Taiwan. There are however two main differences:
In South Korea, the stripes do not reach all the way to the bottom, whereas in Taiwan they do.
In South Korea, the stripes are more yellow. In Taiwan, they have more of an orange tint.
In Spain, you can find a variety of electricity poles and pole tops. In small towns and sparsely populated rural areas concrete ladder poles and wooden poles are the most common.
“Ladder” poles have indents that resemble a ladder, hence the name.
High voltage electricity lines supported by pylons are very common in Spain, especially compared to other Mediterranean countries.
Sri Lanka typically uses concrete utility poles. Two pole types are common and distinctive:
Square poles with small pinholes in the sides. These pinholes are limited to the top part of the pole.
Poles with large see-through holes in the lower half of the pole (“holey poles“). These poles are unique to Sri Lanka.
NOTE: The square poles with small pinholes can look very similar to those found in Thailand. However, in Thailand the pinholes extend all the way to the bottom of the pole.
Swedish utility poles are usually wooden and can have a variety of poletops. There is commonly a small black metal cap on the very top, which is only found in Nordic countries.
NOTE: Norway and Finland also use primarily wooden poles.
These wooden electricity markers, with a blue and a white stripe at the top, are often found near utility poles and pylons, and are not found in any other Nordic country.
The agricultural landscape of Västergötland and Östergötland is mostly flat, similarly to the landscape around lake Mälaren. The two most consistent differences is that this landscape is more open and has lots of wind turbines. While you can almost always see a forest in the distance, it will typically be much further away than around Mälaren.
These distribution transformers that look like boxes are frequently found in Taiwan, especially in urban areas.They are mostly painted in dark green or grey.
Many poles in Taiwan feature these blue plaques with strings of letters and numbers that act as precise coordinates.
For an example of how to read the plaques in-game, the only thing that is useful here is the string “E3264”. “BE08” can further narrow down the position but is not practical in-game.
“E” refers to the 50x80km rectangle from this map.
“3264” means that within the rectangle, we are 32% eastward and 64% northward.
This article explains how the string “BE08” can be further used to narrow down the exact coordinates of the telephone pole.
Distribution transformers raised by a dark green holder are mostly found in New Taipei City and Keelung City.
Wind turbines are most often found on the western side of Chaiyaphum and Nakhon Ratchasima as well as the eastern coast of Songkhla and Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Insulators with 7 or more ridges are found in the southern half of the peninsula, as well as highways in Chiang Rai and Phayao.
NOTE: In the north, you may still find 5 or 6 ridges on insulators, as these are the standard amount throughout the country.
Poles with only one insulator on the crossbar can be found from south on the peninsula to Ranong and Chumphon.
Conversely, poles with two insulators on the crossbar can be found in the rest of the country.
You can easily recognise the Djerba-Zarzis causeway thanks to the water on both sides and the pipeline that is always present to your west.
In the European part of Turkey, except Istanbul, utility poles, and other electrical infrastructure, will have a 6 digit code, which is often seen on a small pole plate under the yellow electricity warning plate.
The only paved road with coverage outside Kampala can be found here. The pavement almost entirely lacks the red tinge which is typical for most roads in the country. The road has white, solid outer lines and a yellow middle line.
A power line runs parallel to the road, to your east. To your north, you will be able to see hills.
Electricity poles in the UAE are mostly made of dark brown wood. The pole tops consist of three insulators, symmetrically attached to a horizontal metal bar.
NOTE: Similar poletops can be found in Oman. Jordanian poletops may look similar, but they are usually made of grey concrete, and the insulators are more spaced out.
The UK uses wooden poles. Pole steps bolted on the side of the pole are very common. These pole steps are shaped like a series of thin horizontal metal rods.
NOTE: Ireland also commonly uses wooden poles with pole steps.
The yellow warning stickers on utility poles can be a good way to distinguish between the UK and Ireland.
The most important difference is that UK stickers feature a guy getting zapped by a lightning bolt.
The Irish stickers usually have a lightning bolt, but lack the guy getting zapped. They also often have an extra second rectangular sticker with a black outline, below the lightning bolt.
White and orange fibre optic cable markers are almost unique to the US.
NOTE: On very rare occasions, they can be found in Canada.
North America primarily uses wooden utility poles.
Several European countries also primarily use wooden utility poles. However, a concrete pole in particular is mostly associated with Europe.
This style of insulator, that is raised slightly on top of the utility pole, can be a good clue for the US and Canada. It is not typically found in Europe. It is especially apparent on simple poles with a single insulator.
Utility poles in California usually have markings at the bottom of the pole that consist of 3 yellow stripes.
Uruguay uses a handful of different utility poles. One very common and useful one are the so-called trident poles, which get their name from their distinctive pole tops with three insulators that point upwards.
NOTE: Similar trident poles can be found in the neighbouring Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.
You can also see a variety of other pole designs, including:
Round poles with a pole top consisting of flat metal sheets
Square concrete poles.
Both of these pole designs are also good clues for Uruguay.
In addition, you might see simple wooden poles with one insulator, as well as very rarely some Argentina-style poles.
Double poles, which can be of different varieties, are fairly common in Vietnam.
Utility poles often feature these light grey electricity boxes, which can have anywhere from 1 to 4 small indented windows. They have a very characteristic shape, where the bottom part slopes down slightly.
Wind turbines can be found in a few clusters mainly in the southern half of the country.
Here are the clusters from most to least common:
Utility poles with large holes along most of the pole are common in northern Vietnam.
NOTE: Do not confuse this with the regular holey pole, which is where the holes extend only halfway up the pole. This ½ of the holey pole is found throughout the entirety of Vietnam.
Poletops shaped like upside down trapezoids are common in central and northern Vietnam.
NOTE: Trapezoidal pole tops may be off-centre which is not the same as regular off-centre poles.
The trapezoid shaped poletops can sometimes be off-centre. If a utility pole has three off-centre incomplete trapezoids then you will be in the north of the country.
Poletops shaped like a triangle, with the support bars underneath the crossbar, are found in southern Vietnam.
NOTE: The middle insulator must be mounted onto the pole itself, rather than on a metal extension of the crossbar.
Utility poles with uneven crossbars, meaning the crossbar is significantly more to one side of the pole than the other, are found in the south of the country. Sometimes, they are not fully uneven but are more in the style of Indonesian off-centre poles.
NOTE: You may mistake partially off-centre trapezoid poletops for regular off-centre poletops, however any pole with a trapezoid connector belongs in a different category. In the exception, the connector is not a straight bar, rather it is an incomplete trapezoid.
Poles in the northern parts of the country will often have black pole stickers, similar to those found in Malaysia but often with a more simple design.