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1576 clues · 134 countries.
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1576 clues · 134 countries.
Showing 1576 clues across 134 countries.
On a lot of the Alaskan coverage you will be able to see tall, snow covered mountains.
Most of interior and northern Alaska lies in subarctic or tundra climate zones. These areas feature relatively low amounts of forest undergrowth and shorter trees.
The Alaskan towns in the Alexander Archipelago, on the British Columbia border have a unique look. Tall mountains with lush green forests can be seen in the background, with the majority of buildings made of wood. In addition, Generation 2 coverage is often overcast and misty.
NOTE: Coastal areas of Oregon and Washington can have a similar appearance in terms of landscape and foliage.
Most of the suburban areas in Alaska are in and around Anchorage.These areas feature wide roads, commercial districts, and sometimes heavy traffic. Mountains can commonly be seen in the distance.
NOTE: Fairbanks has some similar areas, but mountains are less prevalent.
Juneau, Alaska’s Capital city, is the largest settlement in the Alaskan panhandle. Therefore, it is much more ‘built up’ than other towns in this area. The city is surrounded by heavily forested mountains and hills.
The North end of the Dalton Highway features a flat and snowy landscape and an overcast sky. A small ridge of hills can be seen to the west of the highway in certain spots.
The Denali highway, stretching from Cantwell to Paxson in central Alaska, is a mostly gravel highway in the ‘Alaska’ mountain range. This road runs generally east to west, is covered in the generation 2 camera, and was taken in late summer, so wildflowers and green shrubby plants are common.
The Steese Highway is another gravel highway that goes from Fairbanks to the town of ‘Central.’ Similar to the Denali highway, this road runs generally east to west and is covered in generation 2. The difference, however, is that the mountains along this road are noticeably lower than the ones adjacent to the Denali Highway.
Highway 5, from the Yukon border to Tetlin Junction, can be recognized by the foggy, rainy weather, and Generation 2 camera.
NOTE: The Top of the World Highway on the Canadian side also has similar weather, but is mostly paved and has no outer lines, unlike the American side, which is only paved west of Chicken, and does have outer lines.
Prudhoe Bay, the northernmost town in America covered by street view, can be recognized by cold, dead landscape, overcast clouds and lack of tall buildings. A second Google car can sometimes be seen.
Albania is generally a mountainous country, with a Mediterranean climate and vegetation. In between the hills and mountains, you can sometimes find more flat, agricultural valleys. The mountains are usually quite green, sometimes with patches of exposed rock visible.
Coverage in Albania is limited. Generally only the larger towns have extensive side-road coverage.
Note that while the coverage is limited, a lot of it still appears to be very rural. It is not just on big main roads or urban areas.
You can click on the image to enlarge it, or use this site to study the official coverage in detail.
Albania is generally a very mountainous country. This map shows the elevation and relief.
Low-lying areas are mostly concentrated in the west, around Shkodër, Tirana and Vlorë. This part of the country is characterised by agricultural flatlands and low, undulating hills. Note that the highland plateau around Korçë in the southeast is also very flat.
The highest mountains can be found in the far north and the far south. In places, these mountains can have an almost alpine look.
You can click on the image to enlarge it.
The road leading into Theth National Park can typically be recognised by the tall, jagged mountains, often with bare mountainsides.
The road by the eastern part of the Montenegrin border goes in a valley with tall, fully exposed cliff sides along the road.
Maja e Papingut is a massive mountain in the south of Albania, with an almost completely vertical cliffside near the top. It can be seen from several nearby roads.
A wide, almost dried out river valley going southeast to northwest, can be seen along the SH71 between Pishaj and Kokel.
The large Bay of Vlorë can be seen on many parts of the SH4 between Vlorë and Orikum. It can be recognized by the large Karaburun peninsula jutting out into the ocean from the south, and the small Sazan island just to its north.
A couple of small roads northwest of Vlorë can be recognised by the very coastal-looking Aleppo pine forest.
The second is the SH97 which goes through a fairly hilly landscape. It also goes through some smaller valleys.
The final road with a yellow centre line is the SH1 north of Tirana. It goes through a wide valley with fairly tall mountains on either side.
In Tirana, Durrës and on the A3 and SH3 south of Tirana you can find highways which are divided by concrete blocks, with grass and greenery in between.
The E851 is the only divided road with a basic double guardrail that goes directly through mountains.
NOTE: A section of the A3 goes through the mountains but is either divided by a double guardrail with a fence above, or with concrete blocks.
Gjirokaster is a city situated on the western hillside of a wide valley.
American Samoa is a group of islands east of Fiji, located in the Pacific Ocean. Since it is a US overseas territory, for country streak purposes, it is counted as the US.
The general landscape consists of green, tropical mountains with many palm trees. Small roads are often made of concrete. Most houses are one storey, and have a simple box design. Plain metal sheet roofs are also very common.
All the Generation 3 coverage was taken in October, meaning that many deciduous trees have autumn colours.
Andorra la Vella is a capital city surrounded by high mountains, making it recognisable.
NOTE: It is the highest European capital with an altitude of 1023 metres.
Pas de la Casa, a touristy city in eastern Andorra, can be easily recognized by the plethora of shops and hotels. As it is located at an altitude of 2080 metres, there are no trees visible on the mountains surrounding it.
Most of Antarctica is covered in snow and ice.
Penguins can be found on parts of the coverage.
NOTE: This is mostly useful to exclude coverage in the Arctics.
The Deception Island Bay can be recognized by the blue and white ship in the bay, and the abandoned equipment on the beach.
The trekker can be seen walking in a line on Deception Island.
A beach with black sand and many penguins can be seen on Deception Island.
Cuverville Island can be recognised by the overcast weather combined with the coastline to the northwest. You’ll also see a decent number of penguins, particularly toward the east.
Danco Island can be recognised by the beautiful sunset coverage over a snowy fjord.
Petermann Island can be recognized by the layer of snow with patches of exposed rocks, and the overexposed camera.
McMurdo Station is the largest research station on Antarctica, and can be recognized by the dark brown soil, many buildings, American infrastructure and sunset coverage.
NOTE: A lot of the coverage around McMurdo Station has the sun setting in the south, which shouldn’t lead you to guess in the northern hemisphere.
Southeast of McMurdo station, the trekker can be seen walking on a layer of ice around various machinery.
The trekker can be seen walking through a fantastical landscape consisting of many desolate valleys on mainland Antarctica, west of Ross Island.
A vast, snowy landscape with spread out hills can be seen south of McMurdo station.
While Argentina features a plethora of different landscapes, most of the country is relatively flat, mostly treeless, and sparsely populated. In the absence of better clues, you should consider Argentina when you see landscapes like this with a very “wide open”, desolate feel.
Far western Argentina typically features a mountainous landscape.
NOTE: It is rare to find mountains in eastern Argentina.
Grassland with a few separated tree plantations is generally found in this area.
Small lakes near the road are occasionally seen in the province of Buenos Aires.
Flat and barren landscapes like this are typically found in central southern Argentina.
Beech forests are commonly found in the state of Tierra del Fuego.
Single rows of poplar trees, characterised by their thin and tall appearance, are very common around Neuquén. The area is also very flat.
Salt pans in Argentina are typically found in Jujuy.
NOTE: They can also be found in southwestern Bolivia and northeastern Chile.
These red mountains are unique to the RN68 valley in southern Salta.
These volcanic rocks in Generation 4 coverage can only be found on the RP43 south of Antofagasta de la Sierra in northwestern Catamarca.
The western part of the RN65 in western Tucumán can easily be recognized by this bendy unpaved road up in the mountains with its western part up in the clouds.
Red soil with a barren landscape and mountain ranges, can often be seen on the RN76 in Parque Nacional Talampaya in western La Rioja.
These mountains are typically found west of Córdoba.
NOTE: They are not as high as the mountains in the west.
If you see vineyards with mountains in the west and flatness in the east, you are most likely in the outskirts of Mendoza.
NOTE: There are multiple wine regions in Argentina, but the Mendoza wine region is the most recognisable one of them all.
Semi-coastal grass hills are seen in southern Buenos Aires, especially northeast of Bahía Blanca.
Villa Dique Florentino Ameghino in northeastern Chubut is surrounded by these rock formations.
NOTE: Sometimes you will be able to see this dam in the west.
Comodoro Rivadavia is built on the slopes of Chenque hill, making the city recognisable.
Melting snow coverage is seen on the eastern RN293 close to the Chilean border in southwestern Santa Cruz.
These snowy mountains to the north can only be found in Ushuaia.
NOTE: Ushuaia is the southernmost city of Argentina and the province capital of Tierra del Fuego.
Termite mounds can sometimes be seen in the Northern Territory and rarely northern WA and QLD. They appear as brown, spiky formations rising out of the ground.
The area around Warramboo in SA to Madura in WA has a unique landscape. Vegetation is quite dry and is made up of shrubs and wide crowned eucalyptus. In addition, the soil is sandy with a slight orange tint.
The dry area east of Adelaide and into northwestern Victoria has a similar landscape, with the same vegetation but usually with whiter soil.
NOTE: The soil gets more red in the WA side. Redder soil can also be seen more inland on the Victorian side around Mildura. In addition, the Nullarbor Highway has a distinct landscape.
Lush green or golden fields can be found in this band from the south of the Yorke Peninsula to Echuca. In the SA side, the landscape should be drier than the Victorian side and more wide crowned eucalyptus can be seen. On the Victorian side, the trees generally have more leaves and are taller.
NOTE: The area near Mount Gambier has a distinct landscape. For more information, see below.
Coastal northern Queensland is very tropical. Typical vegetation consists of palm trees and dark green vegetation.
The landscape in inland NSW is mostly flat, and the soil gets redder the more inland you go. Vegetation consists of mostly dry pale-green shrubs. Further east and on the Queensland and Victorian borders, the climate gets more temperate but is still quite dry and more eucalyptus trees can be seen, with the soil transitioning into a more sandy colour as well as more hills being visible.
Tasmania has a cool temperate climate which is uncommon in the rest of Australia and is comparable to central-southern Chile or New Zealand. Typical landscape consists of green rolling hills that can look dry in winter coverage. Eucalyptus trees can be seen on the side of roads and on hills in the distance. Rural Tasmania is also quite hilly with dense eucalyptus forests making up the landscape.
NOTE: Certain areas of Victoria can look similar so make sure to look for other clues.
The area around Tom Price can be recognized by its red soil, Generation 2 camera and rocky hills.
Alice Springs, an isolated town in the southern part of the Northern Territory, features distinct orange rocks that can be seen in the distance or at the end of roads.
The northern QLD city of Cairns is distinct due to its tropical vegetation and big green mountains around the city.
NOTE: To differentiate Cairns from other northern Queensland towns, Cairns has many high rise buildings and should feel quite urban. Divided roads are also common in downtown Cairns, and only commonly seen in Mackay further south, where it is less tropical and more flat.
The Grampians are isolated hills that are viewable from afar within the otherwise flat western Victorian agricultural landscape.
The area around Mount Gambier, SA features white soil and extensive pine tree plantations, making it recognisable.
The Stirling Ranges are a small mountain range in Western Australia that tower over a largely flat plain, such that they can be viewed from a distance.
The Nullarbor Highway (Latin for “no tree”) can be easily recognized thanks to the flatness, overall grey look and very low vegetation.
NOTE: Use the road angle or road lines to determine whether you are on the WA or SA side.
Dorat Road (23) in the Northern Territory can be easily recognized thanks to its distinct Darwin area landscape and lack of road lines.
All-yellow road lines can be seen on roads around Mount Kosciuszko.
In addition, a unique white truck with a snorkel, and cab guard can be found.
NOTE: All yellow road lines can also be found in other alpine areas in Victoria and New South Wales, so make sure to look at the landscape and other clues.
Most of Austria is mountainous and covered in forests. However, some areas in the east and northeast are much more flat and agricultural.
Elevation is very important when region-guessing Austria based on landscape alone.
The central and western parts of Austria are the most mountainous. The flatter areas are found in the east, mostly near the borders. Note that “flat” is a relative concept in Austria: even in the flat areas, rolling hills are still common.
Vineyards are limited to the far eastern part of the country.
You can find a very precise map here. Notably, there are a lot of vineyards close to Vienna and around Lake Neusiedl.
The highest parts of the Alps are found in the west and central parts of the country.
The tallest mountains are found in the panhandle of Austria, on the Italian border. These mountains can be recognized by their generally sharper peak and grander appearance.
Lake Constance (known in German as the Bodensee) is a large lake on the western border of Austria. It can be recognized by its vastness, which is not seen in other lakes within the mountainous part of the country.
Most of the Azores visible on Street View consists of open agricultural fields in a rolling landscape, often with taller round hills in the background.
NOTE: Madeira has a very mountainous landscape, and very rarely has open agricultural fields.
Dry rock walls made of volcanic rocks are very common on the Azores.
NOTE: Dry rock walls are not common on Madeira, and while they are somewhat common on mainland Portugal, they will not be made of volcanic rocks.
The only islands in the Azores with car coverage are Ilha de São Miguel, Ilha Terceira and Ilha do Faial.
Ilha de São Miguel is the only island in the Azores or Madeira where you can find lakes.
A trekker going along the edge of a crater can be seen on Ilha do Faial.
Rickshaws are frequently found all around Bangladesh, especially the green auto rickshaws.
NOTE: They are found in other Asian countries as well.
Bodies of water and agricultural fields can be often seen beside the streets of Bangladesh.
Rice fields require some rest time, so it's natural to come across some off-season barren, empty fields without rice altogether. Off-season fields are mostly seen in the state of Dhaka, north of Padma River.
Vast rice fields with almost nothing else in view can be seen in the border area between the states of Dhaka, Mymensingh and Sylhet.
While most of Bangladesh is almost completely flat, in the eastern parts of Chittagong you may find fairly tall, forested and uncultivated hills.
A sizable east-west ridge can be seen on the Indian border from the northern parts of Sylhet and eastern Mymensingh. It is often obscured or diminished by heavy haze.
Sunflower fields are found in the south of Barishal state.
Beach Sheoaks (Casuarina equisetifolia) are thin evergreen trees with thin, long, drooping branchlets. Like the name suggests, they are mostly observed in coastal regions - along the coast of the Teknaf Peninsula and around Noakhali city in Chittagong.
A trekker escorted by a security guard is found on Saint Martin's Island.
Belgium is generally flat in the northwest of the country, especially near the coast. The further south east you go, the hillier.
The Ardennes, located in the southeast part of Belgium, have a very distinct landscape. You can see a lot of steep hills, dense forests, and valleys.
NOTE: The Ardennes extend partially into France, Luxembourg, and Germany.
The coastal plain is extremely flat and consists of so-called polders, which are man-made fields at or below sea level, surrounded by many waterways. This landscape is situated near the North Sea coast, as well as near the western part of the border with the Netherlands, particularly around Antwerp.
NOTE: This part of Belgium is especially often confused with the Netherlands. Carefully look around for clues to distinguish the two countries if you find yourself in this landscape.
Many parts of the Belgian North Sea coast are lined by apartment blocks, in a manner that is often derisively referred to as a “wall” of buildings by locals.
Near the coast, you will also sometimes be able to spot a dune landscape, with low bushes, long grass and sandy soil.
The most typical look of Bermuda is somewhat dense vegetation, consisting of fairly small trees and a lot of bushes, combined with single family houses strewn across the landscape.
On Bermuda you will never be far away from the ocean, and the water will very often look distinctly light blue.
A boat trekker can be seen on the eastern coast of Bermuda. It can be seen going around Saint George’s Harbour and past Fort St. Catherine on the northeast tip of the island.
Bhutan is a mountainous country and most of the coverage is located on its main mountain roads.
NOTE: In the south are flat areas where you cannot see any mountains.
Most of the Bhutanese street view coverage was taken on the main roads and cities.
Flat landscapes like this in Bhutan can only be found in the south.
NOTE: The coverage in the south is limited to the four regions shown on the map.
The Phobjikha Valley, south of Nubding, is a wide and relatively flat agricultural valley. It is by far the largest open valley with no major river visible on Street View.
Late sunset coverage can be found in two places in the country; on a small rural sideroad in the east of Mongar District and in a significantly more urban area around the town of Paro in the west.
Gelephu Airport is the only airport located in the flat south part of Bhutan, making it recognisable.
The Paro International Airport is located in a dry northwest valley and is one of the two northern airports.
While the Paro International Airport is located in a dry northwest valley, the Bumthang Domestic Airport is located in a wet northern valley.
Coverage in Bolivia is very limited, both in geographic scope and the density of roads covered.
Only the central and central-western parts of the country have coverage. Most coverage is found in and around the six main cities of La Paz or El Alto, Cochabamba, Oruro, Sucre, Potosi, and Santa Cruz.
These aforementioned six cities have in-depth side-street coverage. Outside these cities, coverage is mostly limited to main roads. Beware that “main road” is a relative concept in Bolivia: many of these, even some that are marked yellow on the map, have large unpaved sections.
The Altiplano (“high plain”) is an immense highland plateau that dominates most of western Bolivia. It is covered in grasslands that range from green to arid. Some parts are suitable for agriculture, whereas other parts are extremely dry. Grass growing in tufts is common (sometimes referred to as “Bolivian hedgehogs” in the community).
NOTE: While it is generally fairly flat, you will often see hills and mountains around you. However, as a general rule, the road itself will be mostly flat.
The grasslands of the Altiplano tend to look more lush in the more northern half: the area close to El Alto and La Paz.
NOTE: Due to seasonal coverage, there are some exceptions to this, but in general this is a good rule of thumb to distinguish between the different parts of the Altiplano.
Conversely, the Altiplano looks more arid in the more southern half: around Oruro, and the roads going southwest towards Chile.
NOTE: There is one major exception to this: one driving side of the divided part of Ruta 1 looks somewhat green all the way up to Oruro (due to this coverage being captured in a different season).
Lake Titicaca, on the border with Peru, is the most significant body of water in Bolivia. It is located entirely within the Altiplano. It can be seen from two roads:
The section of Ruta 1 between Desaguadero and Guaqui. Here, the lake will always be to your north.
The section of Ruta 2 between San Pablo de Tiquina and Batallas. Here, the lake will mostly be to your south or west.
The landscape around Titicaca is very green, compared to most of the western half of Bolivia.
The area east of the Andes is very green and tropical, with lots of agriculture – especially around Santa Cruz. This area is mostly very flat, though you will see large hills on some of the roads closer to the Andes. The soil tends to have a pink colour.
La Paz and El Alto are twin cities that together form one big metropolitan area. However, despite being located right next to each other, they each have a very different look. See the tips below for more information.
La Paz is a very hilly city. Most of La Paz itself is situated in meandering valleys, surrounded by hills that often tend to be covered in green vegetation (as opposed to the more dry hillsides found in many other Bolivian urban areas).
In many parts of La Paz, you can see these heavily eroded, pillar-like rock formations on the hillsides. They consist of a very recognizable yellow-beige sandstone.
Of the big cities with coverage in Bolivia, these rock formations are essentially unique to La Paz.
El Alto is situated on a very flat, highland plateau. It looks much drier and dustier than La Paz. The layout of its streets is also more regular and grid-like.
The city appears like an unending mess of semi-finished red brick buildings, even more so than other cities in Bolivia. Some neighbourhoods have a very rundown, desolate look.
Cochabamba is situated in a large flat valley, where you will almost always see an imposing wall of mountains to your north. This is the single most useful and consistent way of distinguishing this city from other places in Bolivia.
Of all the major cities in Bolivia, Oruro is situated in by far the most dry landscape.
In Oruro, you will also usually be able to see a large dry hill to your west, in an otherwise mostly flat and very arid landscape.
NOTE: Potosí is also located in an arid landscape. However, it is considerably hillier.
Sucre is situated in a very hilly landscape, and as a result you can see many elevation changes in its streets. Uniquely, you can see these round, tree-covered hills in many parts of the city.
Potosí is also situated in a very hilly landscape, like Sucre. However, its landscape is much more arid, with little to no trees atop the hills.
In many parts of Potosí, you can see this colossal pyramid-shaped mountain called Cerro Rico. It is famous for having massive quantities of silver ore, and as a result its surface is stripped bare by extensive mining – which is distinctly visible in the street view coverage.
Santa Cruz is the only large Bolivian city located in a tropical (and flat) landscape.
Note that there are several smaller towns around Santa Cruz that look essentially identical. Some of these have extensive side-road coverage too.
Ruta 1 west of El Alto is a paved road that runs through green grasslands. The road itself is mostly flat, but you will usually see hills nearby. On the road, you will often see numbers marked in white paint.
Near the western end of the road, close to Desaguadero and the border with Peru, you will be able to see Lake Titicaca to your north.
NOTE: This road can look very similar to Ruta 2 northwest of El Alto. Road angles can help if you are not sure.
The section of Ruta 3 around Pongo, northeast of La Paz, can easily be recognised by the breathtaking views of enormous mountains, which are often surrounded by low-hanging clouds. The mountains are also recognizable by their dark grey rocks lightly covered in greenish grass.
The N Yungas Road (also popularly known as Death Road), is a bendy, small and unpaved road, high up in the mountains east of La Paz. The vegetation is very tropical. The coverage in the southern part of the road is very foggy. True to its unofficial name, this road looks like a very dangerous drive. You can sometimes see some daring cyclists.
NOTE: The northern half of this road looks less foggy and dangerous. However, it should still be recognizable, as it is the only dirt road meandering through jungle hills in Bolivia.
Ruta 1 and 4 between La Paz and Oruro is a large divided highway that runs through the Altiplano landscape of western Bolivia.
It is the only large, divided highway in the entire country. There are smaller, divided roads in and near some urban areas, but those should be easily distinguishable based on landscape and road size.
A long section of Ruta 4 has a distinctive square smudge on the front left of the camera. This coverage starts in the altiplano near Vila Vila, going east through Cochabamba, all the way to Buena Vista in the flat Amazonian part of Bolivia.
Around Morochata, northwest of Cochabamba on Ruta 25, there is a small isolated piece of coverage that looks extremely similar to Peru. It is a dirt road that meanders through a mountainous landscape. Knowing this road can be extremely helpful for country streak purposes.
The western part of this road is located in a green mountain landscape, with fields on the mountain slopes and lots of eucalyptus trees around.
Towards the east, it transitions into a more arid high altitude landscape that still looks very similar to Peru.
Ruta 1 between Machacamarca and Guindal runs through an arid landscape where you will often see patches of snow on the hilltops, and sometimes even next to the road. Weather conditions range from cloudy to fully overcast, lending this coverage a gloomy look.
The aforementioned road can be regionguessed even more precisely. See the next two tips.
The section north of Challapata runs in a general NNW direction, with straight roads in flat terrain, with hills on one or both sides. Weather conditions are a little bit better, with some of the sky visible, especially when looking south.
The section southeast of Challapata tends to be more curvy and hilly. The weather is much worse, with grey skies.
The roads around the town of Mataral have recognizable coverage: a very green, hilly landscape, and sunny weather with only a couple of clouds. While the hills are very green, the vegetation is not very dense, and quite low.
This coverage is limited to Ruta 7 from Comarapa to Mairana, and Ruta 22 to Vallegrande. Other roads in Bolivia with similar vegetation tend to either have different weather (overcast) or terrain (more flat).
The eastern section of Ruta 4, east of Santa Cruz, runs in a general east-west direction, through a mostly flat, green landscape. In some places, you can see some low hills. This road has both asphalt and concrete pad sections.
The section of Ruta 5 around Chaco, just north of Sucre, has distinct sunset coverage. Most of this road has concrete pavement, and meanders through semi-arid hills.
The section of Ruta 4, southwest of Patacamaya, runs through a semi-arid grassland landscape. Many parts of that road between Patacamaya and Callapa have worn-down grainy asphalt.
On the southwesternmost section of Ruta 4, you can usually see the Nevado Sajama, an isolated snow-capped volcano that is very distinct and unlike any other mountain in Bolivia.
When you see Sajama, you will always be south of Callapa and the Desaguadero River. However, you will not always be able to see it on this section of the road, as it is often hidden by hills.
NOTE: The only other place where you can see Nevado Sajama is coverage in the National Park, which is recognizable by its unique Google car.
Between the villages of Villa Vitalina and Coipasa, there is an isolated stretch of coverage where the Google car drove through extremely arid desert terrain. This small road is located close to the southwestern end of Ruta 12, near the Chilean border. It can be hard to spot on the map, because it blends in with the salt flat.
Closer to Villa Vitalina, the car drove over the salt flat. Closer to Coipasa, the car drove on an unpaved dirt road, where you can see cone-shaped volcanic hills. In both parts, there is virtually no vegetation.
The typical Botswana landscape is dry and mostly flat, though a limited amount of elevation can be found in certain regions. Common vegetation includes shrubs, small trees, and occasionally dry, golden grasslands. The soil is arid, sandy and ranges in colour from white to red.
NOTE: The border region of South Africa can have a similar landscape.
Botswana has many unique and distinct regions throughout the country. This image breaks down the main factors that differentiate each distinctive landscape by soil, vegetation and other clues.
You can click on the image to enlarge it.
RESOURCE: This image was made possible by the invaluable research done by Jasper Woodard. You can check out his Botswana videos on his YouTube channel.
Coverage in Botswana is fairly limited due to the country’s sparse road system. In addition to regular paved roads, you can still expect to see some rural unpaved road coverage. The most dense coverage is in the east and near Gaborone. The larger towns have extensive side road coverage.
Most of Botswana is as flat as a pancake. However, every now and then you will find some elevation. If you see hills, you are most likely in one of the two areas indicated on the minimap.
NOTE: Even in the indicated areas, there are a lot of very flat areas, as many of Botswana’s hills are geographically isolated. Some lone hills may also appear far outside the indicated areas.
The southeastern region near Gaborone has many semi-arid hills covered in short shrubs. If you see a lot of these, you are likely to be in the area between Gaborone and Lobatse.
NOTE: Similar hills can be found elsewhere in the country and across the border in South Africa. If you see a large quantity of them, and use other clues to rule out South Africa, you can be fairly certain that you are in southeastern Botswana.
The landscape in the eastern pocket north of Francistown is characterised by red soil and a somewhat arid look. The soil in these two areas often looks firm and rocky, rather than sandy or dusty. Trees and bushes with yellowed leaves and other “autumn” colours are common. Many trees are bare and withered. You might see fallen leaves on the ground here and there.
The A33 is characterised by a landscape that is more lush than usual. Trees have lots of green leaves and the grass is very tall. The more north you go, the more lush the vegetation becomes.
The road that runs along Botswana’s southern border, through the town of Middlepits, has asphalt with a distinct red tint. The landscape is arid. In some sections, slight hills can be seen.
NOTE: Near the town of Middlepits itself, the soil is very red and dotted with small white pebbles.
Gaborone is the capital and largest city. It tends to look richer and more developed than the rest of Botswana, though some neighbourhoods may still look impoverished. In some southern parts of the city hills can be seen, but most of the town is flat.
NOTE: The only other place in the country that often looks similar is Francistown.
The western part of the A2 has overcast coverage, making it recognisable.
Chobe Flood Plains National Park in the far north has a lot of small, winding dirt road coverage, with a lot of it being just south of the Chobe River. It has scattered lush bushes on either side, and you will often find wildlife such as elephants and warthogs.
This portion of the A30 has a distinct autumn feel unique to it. Notably, there are trees with orange coloured leaves lining the road in straight rows. In addition, there is often tall grass as opposed to other autumn looking locations.
Salt pans can be found in central-eastern Botswana. Dirt road coverage can be found leading to the pans and has similar soil and grass, but you can also find many trees along the road. They are mainly found around the Nwetwe pan. The salt pans show up as lakes on the map.
NOTE: A lot of the dirt road coverage near the pans was taken in June, and will feature trees without leaves or those that are beginning to lose their leaves.
Just outside Gaborone, there is a lot of coverage along very rural, small dirt tracks. They can be identified by the orange-red shade of dirt and abundance of green trees and bushes surrounding the road.
The A20 has mostly clean, recent asphalt. Some sections of the road are much thinner than usual. The landscape is characterised by red soil, dry grey-coloured trees, and very little grass.
The Tsodilo Hills World Heritage Site is memorable due to its large protruding hills with exposed rock faces. The coverage around the hills is entirely on dirt roads.
Most of the coverage in Brazil is along the eastern half, with only sparse coverage in the Amazon.
It is useful for beginning players to start forming a rough mental map of where the (limited) coverage is in the western half. When you get Amazonian rounds, this can prevent you from wildly plonking hundreds of kilometres away from the nearest road.
Shown here is an elevation map of Brazil. It can help to have a rough mental map of where you can find mountains, and which regions are more flat. The highest mountains are generally found near the southeastern coast.
The Amazon is a dense rainforest that comprises 40% of Brazil’s total area. Not many roads are within it, but those that are, mostly go through either biodiverse forest or grassy hills with sparse trees.
Acre has a unique landscape of small grass hills and sparsely growing trees. The roads often do not cut around the hills like in most of Brazil, but ride the hills instead. A similar landscape can also be seen near Maraba in the state of Pará.
Rural locations in Roraima are mostly open grassy plains with large, distant mountains in the background. Occasionally, you are on roads within the mountains. Furthermore, the grass in Roraima is distinctly thin, and grows in bunches.
The landscape in Rio Grande do Sul can be hilly or flat with lush, green fields. Southern areas can have some resemblance to Uruguay.
Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo often have rolling grassy hills.
Espírito Santo, and the surrounding areas, often have large mountains with exposed rock.
The landscape near the town of Uiramuta, in northern Roraima, features a very distinct landscape. It is dry, with large mountains containing numerous “folds.”
Coastal regions in Rio Grande do Sul are recognisable due to being a rare flat wetland, which is uncommon in Brazil.
The 364 through Acre is very recognisable due to the rollercoaster-like landscape and road: the road uniquely rides the hills rather than snaking around them. There is usually no traffic, and is covered mostly by Generation 3 with an antenna.
The Pará section of the 163 is often hilly, curvy, dry, and sometimes hazy. It has a wide range of amazonian vegetation. The road is frequently trafficked, usually by transportation trucks. It is covered by the blue Generation 4 car.
This Amazonian trekker combines boat and walking coverage on and near the Madeira and Aripuana rivers, south of the 319. They are seen travelling through dense rainforest and small villages.
The beautiful National Park of Northeast Maranhão, known for its sand dunes with pools of water, has walking trekker and vehicle coverage. The truck is white with a black bed. The landscape can vary from beach to sandy wetland.
Ilha de Fernando de Noronha is a Brazilian island with official coverage approximately 340 kilometres northeast of Rio Grande do Norte, and the country itself. It is covered by a white buggy, which is visible at the front. The island is similar in vegetation to the closest part of mainland Brazil, and has large exposed rocks. There is also boat coverage around the island.
The British Indian Ocean Territory is an United Kingdom overseas territory in the Indian Ocean. As such, it is counted as the UK for country streaks purposes.
Beware that none of the coverage is considered pinpointable, and as a result you are unlikely to get it in most community-made maps. As such, this guide is mainly intended to give a general idea of what type of coverage you can find on the islands.
Coverage is mostly found on small atolls in the northern half of the territory.
A large portion of the coverage is taken on sand beaches. You will typically see many palm trees along the beaches.
Coastal palm forests also comprise a significant portion of the coverage. They almost exclusively consist of coconut palms.
Some of the larger islands with coverage have grassy fields surrounded by bushes and palms.
Coin du Mire is a small island with a dark rocky shore and a grassy field with no bushes or palm trees.
A white medium-sized shipwreck can be found on the beach at the eastern tip of Nelsons Island.
The Balkan mountains cut across Bulgaria and divide the country in two distinct halves. North of them, you will find a mostly flat area that goes all the way to the border with Romania.
The Rhodope Mountains start close to Sofia and run South-East into Greece. In them you will find the highest peaks of Bulgaria.
Between both mountain ranges you will find the second biggest flat area of Bulgaria.
The westernmost part of the country usually features many small valleys surrounded by hills and small mountains.
The towering mountains of Pirin and Rila National Parks can be recognised by the tall pyramid-shaped peaks, and can be seen from a few different vantage points in Blagoevgrad, Kyustendil and Sofia Provinces.
Wind turbines are most common in Dobrich Province, and usually towards the coast.
The mountains overlooking Vratsa from the southwest have a very distinct “bumpy” shape, and can be seen from afar in the province.
The low-lying central plain is home to most agricultural land. The landscape is flat, cultivated, and dotted with villages and farms.
Conversely, the northeast is much more uncultivated: there is less agriculture and more natural vegetation. Some areas are slightly hilly.
The southwest is the area with the most elevation in Cambodia. This region is characterized by hills and low mountains. Some inland roads feature dense forest cover, but the coastal areas in particular are fairly densely populated.
Near the northern border with Thailand, you can often see a mountainous ridgeline to your north. The soil in this region tends to be red, ranging from a slight reddish tinge to deep dark red.
The ridgeline closely corresponds with the border with Thailand. The drop-off to the Cambodian lowland to its south is abrupt. This means that the roads you are on are themselves located in a very flat landscape (see inset map).
Several unpaved jungle offroads in the southwest of the country, northeast of Road 48, have a distinct look: red soil, dense jungle, and generally hilly terrain.
NOTE: Some rural jungle roads in the east of the country can look similar. Here, however, the soil tends to be more brownish or orange rather than red.
The coverage close to Phnum Samkos has a distinct look: overcast weather, and large, prominent mountains that are visible in the distance. The roads are unpaved and consist of brown soil. Wild, very green vegetation can be seen all around you.
Preah Monivong National Park in the south of the country has a unique and recognizable landscape. It is situated on a highland plateau. The soil is white and very rocky. The vegetation consists of stunted, windswept bushes and low trees. The foliage has a distinct dark green tint that contrasts with the white rocks. Some parts of the park are more forested but will still have the same rocky soil.
Road 41, southwest of Phnom Penh, has a recognizable look and road angle:
It is a wide road, with a grey and very gravelly road surface
It runs in a general NNE direction
The landscape close to the road is flat and agricultural. However, you can often see hills in the distance.
NOTE: There are other roads that can look similar. Therefore, the road angle is very important to identify this road.
The southern section of Road 76, south of Krong Saen Monourom, has recognizable coverage: overcast weather, dark asphalt, the presence of outer road lines, and relatively crisp lines for Cambodian standards. Furthermore, a large part of the eastern half of this road runs through hilly terrain with dense jungle.
Most of the northern section of Road 76, between Lumphat and Mayura Wild Park, is recognizable too: it is a wide, unpaved road, with brown soil, and a semi-open jungle forest all around you.
Weather conditions start off as overcast on the southern end of the road, and quickly improve the further north you go, with almost completely clear skies on the northern end.
NOTE: There are other, smaller roads that can look similar. However, this road is by far the longest that has this distinct look.
Around the town of Pech Sreada, in the far east of Cambodia, you can find rubber tree plantations that were covered during the dry season, leading to a distinct look. In addition, the soil is very orange, making it easy to distinguish this area from other regions in Cambodia with rubber tree plantations.
Angkor Wat is a massive temple complex built by the historical Khmer Empire. It is located just north of Siem Reap and has extensive trekker coverage. It can be recognized by its dark, weathered stone buildings. While this location is unlikely to show up in competitive maps, it is extremely common in GeoGuessr’s official Cambodia map.
Western Canada is very mountainous. The highest mountains are in British Columbia, western Alberta, and parts of Yukon. Outside these provinces, large mountains are rare to non-existent in Canada.
Yukon has a very northern, boreal landscape that is mostly hilly, sometimes with large mountains in the distance. Coniferous trees line the roads and the further north you go, the thinner and shorter the trees get. Older Generation 2 coverage is common in this region.
The landscape in the interior of southern British Columbia, mostly centred around the towns of Kamloops and Kelowna, has a distinct look. It is generally hilly and a little more arid than the rest of BC, The vegetation consists of sprawling brown grasslands, and pine tree forests on the hillsides.
The Great Plains are mostly flat, with some rolling hills. There is a lot of agriculture, very few trees, and it is very sparsely populated. The landscape gets drier the further south-southwest you go, with the driest parts near the border with the US state of Montana.
Canola is grown in the central southern prairies, and it can be found almost nowhere else in Canada. It is visually similar to a field of bright yellow flowers.
NOTE: Canola is also very common in the US state of North Dakota.
The region around Rouyn-Noranda in northwestern Québec can mainly be characterised by the north-south grid, along with the slightly hilly landscape featuring many agricultural fields nestled between the forests, which have many shorter trees as well as thin birches.
Southern Saskatchewan has many river valleys, which means that the province can have a barren hilly landscape; much more so than the rest of the Canadian Great Plains, which tends to be really flat.
NOTE: Some of this hilliness extends into southern Alberta and Manitoba.
The Canadian Shield extends through the eastern part of Canada. Therefore, you will commonly see exposed rocks on street view in the highlighted area.
The Québec City-Windsor Corridor is the most densely populated part of Canada. It is mostly flat and green, with a patchwork of agriculture and occasional forest cover.
NOTE: This area can look similar to the Great Lakes region in the US.
The Dempster Highway (road numbers 5 and 8) connects the Klondike Highway (road number 2) in Yukon with the remote town of Inuvik in the Northwest Territories.
It is very recognizable: it is an unpaved road with Generation 2 coverage, dark brown soil, and a tundra landscape with short trees. It is mostly hilly and mountainous, but the section between Fort McPherson and Inuvik is flat. Closer to Inuvik, the weather gets cloudy.
The Top of the World Highway west of Dawson City in Yukon has overcast Generation 2 coverage and is located mostly high up in the mountains, making it recognizable.
The AB-93 highway through Banff and Jasper National Park features distinct, gradual, and steep mountains with a sharp peak on either side of the road. Tall, somewhat thin trees can also be seen.
The area near Drumheller, Alberta has distinct canyon-like treeless rock formations that comprise the landscape.
The Trans-Labrador Highway (road numbers 500 and 510) is a recognizable road, covered by Generation 4, mostly during sunny weather conditions. Thin pine trees line the side of the road, and it has a remote, cold, and northern feel. On many parts of the road, the sun is low in the sky. In addition, when the car drives past the city of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, it is common to see snow on the ground.
QC-167 and QC-113 are covered in Gen 3 and identifiable for their overcast autumn coverage, often with snow on the ground. In addition, a smudge can be seen on this road.
The inland roads of the Gaspé Peninsula feature densely forested mountainous terrain. It is particularly common to encounter overcast coverage in this region.
The Cape Breton Highlands in northeastern Nova Scotia have an unusual amount of elevation for Eastern Canadian standards. It is very forested, with a mix of broad-leaf trees and pine trees.
Route 430 on Newfoundland runs in a roughly south-southwest to north-northeast direction, with the road lines slightly washed out. It is located in a remote and sparsely populated part of the island. On many sections of the road, the coast is visible to your west. To your east, you will usually see low balsam fir forests, and occasionally an imposing wall of mountains in the far distance.
Sanikiluaq is a remote town situated in Hudson Bay. This snowy town was covered by a snowmobile whose driver wore a dark brown coat.
NOTE: Snowmobile coverage can be found outside the town on the ice-covered sea, where the driver is not visible.
Grise Fiord is the northernmost covered town in Canada. It can easily be recognized by these unique mountains and the ice floes on the coast.
The northern town of Resolute can be recognized by the barren landscape with visible patches of snow.
The town of Qikiqtarjuaq features distinct mountains, and red tinted soil.
Kangiqsualujjuaq is a town in northern Québec, surrounded by green rocky hills, with trees visible in the distance.
Nain is a small town on the Northeastern coast of Labrador. The town features colourful wooden houses, and trees in and around the town. To the north, a big hill is usually visible. And to the south, rocky cliffs can be seen on the other side of the bay. Additionally, kids can sometimes be seen walking beside the trekker.
Red Bay is a town on the southern coast of Labrador, and as such, the coast is always visible. It features slightly red soil, and most of the houses are painted white.
The northernmost Google Street View coverage in the world is a trekker on Ellesmere Island in northern Nunavut. It shows a glacier in a rocky, desolate landscape that is devoid of any vegetation.
NOTE: This coverage is sometimes used in maps to improve and standardise the scoring range. As a result, you might encounter this trekker in competitive maps like ACW, despite it not being pinpointable.
Shown here is a Köppen climate map of Chile.
Chile is a long and narrow country that spans more than 4,000 kilometres from north to south, meaning that its climate varies significantly due to latitude.
The northern parts of the country, which lie in the tropical zone, are dry and arid, leading to a mild desert climate. In the centre, around the capital, the climate becomes less arid, leading to a temperate mediterranean climate. In the southernmost regions of Chile, which lie in the subantarctic zone, the climate is cold and wet, leading to a cool oceanic climate.
You can click on the image to enlarge it.
The Atacama is an extremely arid desert covering the northern third of Chile. Some parts of it experience the lowest rainfall on the planet. As a result, many locations in this desert are almost completely devoid of any vegetation: you will often just see sand and bare rock without any plants in sight anywhere.
NOTE: The Atacama Desert also covers parts of southern Peru, western Bolivia and northwestern Argentina.
The region of Arica y Parinacota can be recognized by the smooth, sandy mountains that may look slightly eroded, or have bulbous formations. Valleys are also common, which are rarely seen in other parts of Chile.
These rocky, uneven mountains are most commonly seen in Atacama and northern Coquimbo.
The region around Santiago can be recognized by its semi-arid climate, having dry hills and scattered vegetation.
Compared to the area around Santiago, the Maule region has a similar look. However, it has a Mediterranean climate, and is generally greener. Vineyards are also commonly seen in this region.
Narrow roads with trees on both sides can commonly be seen in the regions of Bio Bio and Araucania.
A rolling, agricultural landscape, comparable to New Zealand, can be seen on Isla Grande de Chiloé.
NOTE: Similar looking landscapes exist in some other parts of the country, but usually more level.
Lush green valleys, with rocky mountains and often overcast coverage, can be seen in southern Los Lagos and northern Aysén.
Southern Aysén can be recognised by autumn coverage, having orange and red coloured vegetation. Keep in mind that not all coverage in this region will have fall colours.
The A-31 can be recognised by its high altitude, with a steep drop into a valley to the north. The road also has Gen 3 sunset coverage.
Generation 4 sunset coverage can be seen on Ruta 21 from Calama to San Francisco de Chiu Chiu. In the west near Calama, the sun has just started to set, causing a giant white dome in the sky. In the east, the sky has a warm gradient, and the tops of the volcanoes are seen glowing pink.
More Generation 4 Sunset coverage can be seen on B-710 and Ruta 5.
On the B-710, a slight ridge can be seen to the west, while Ruta 5 is more open. Make sure to use the road angle or other clues before guessing.
Ruta 1 is a coastal road that is easily recognized by the wall of mountains to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. This image shows the various weather conditions faced on the road to help you make closer guesses.
You can click on the image to enlarge it.
Part of Ruta 41 is located in a valley, with snowy mountains seen in the distance. Many trees and vineyards can commonly be seen toward the west. Triple yellow lines can also be seen from this point.
All yellow lines on a concrete road are a good indicator that you are on a paved road in the Magallanes region, in the very south of Chile. The landscape tends to be barren, grassy, and treeless.
NOTE: Ruta 9 only appears in Generation 3, whereas the other roads only appear in Generation 4 coverage.
A distinct landscape consisting of a line of snow-capped mountains with two other isolated, symmetrical snow-capped volcanoes are seen in Lauca National Park. Most of the roads are newly paved and have a smooth, dark look.
The northern section of Pampa del Tamarugal National Reserve can be recognized by the Tamarugo trees lining the road. The road itself is mediocre quality, and in a consistent north-west direction.
Alto Loa National Reserve can be recognized by the vast, open landscape, followed by salt pans leading up to snow-capped volcanoes. The road running through the reserve is paved.
Smooth mountains with a reddish tint are seen in Los Flamencos National Reserve. Salt pans are also a common sight. The reserve uses triple yellow lines, with short dashes in the west.
In the west, Nevado Tres Cruces National Park can be recognized by the vast, open landscape, followed by salt pans leading up to a line of mountains. The sand has a reddish tint.
In the east, the Google Car drives up a mountain pass with views of lightly snow-capped volcanoes and snow on the side of the road. The roads in the National Park are paved.
Llanos de Challe National Park can be recognized by the brown coloured dirt on the roadside, patches of light sand, juniper plants, and dark coloured mountains. The sky is overcast in most of the coverage.
NOTE: Pan de Azúcar National Park looks similar, however has less vegetation.
A vast, mostly treeless landscape combined with triple yellow lines are seen in Alto Bio Bio National Reserve. While the reserve may look dry, there is a distinct cold and high altitude feel. Monkey puzzles are also seen toward the east.
NOTE: Ruta 181 leading up to the reserve also has triple yellow lines, however, is less vast with more vegetation.
A slight, sandy ridge with a gradual incline can be seen in Arica.
A larger, towering ridge can be seen in Iquique.
A rockier, and more uneven ridge can be seen in Antofagasta.
Villa O’Higgins can be recognized by the large mountains located immediately to the east. To the west, snow-capped mountains are seen in the distance. Street signs, fences and many other structures throughout the village are made of orange-stained wood.
The Atacama Large Millimetre Array can be recognized by the many radio telescopes in a barren, snowy environment.
The Torres del Paine area can be recognized by the sharp peaked mountains, and the trekker walking on a glacier along with other people in orange helmets.
By the Today Art Museum in Beijing you can find this modern urban street with several cafes and bars along the road. In front of the museum you can also find this uncanny statue.
The parking area outside Sichuan Museum in Chengdu has a lot of greenery.
Christmas Island is a small island territory south-southwest of Java. It is an Australian external territory, so for country streaks purposes it is counted as part of Australia.
NOTE: Do not get its location confused with the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, which are another Australian territory a little west of Christmas Island.
Most of Christmas Island is covered by dense tropical forest. Some unpaved roads feature bright, white sandy soil. A small part of the coverage is in built-up areas. And in some places, palms can be seen.
While much of the coverage is on regular roads, the Google car also drove on some very rural trails.
The built-up areas are in the northeast. The rest of the island is mostly covered by dense forest.
There is a boat trekker near the north coast of the island. Some of the boat’s white-coloured deck pokes through the blur. Much of the trekker closely hugs the coast; here you can see the steep, rocky coastline of Christmas Island.
Christmas Island is famous for its red crabs. Near Ethel Beach, you can find a trekker walking among hundreds of these crabs. Another smaller trekker where you can see crabs is near The Dales, on the West Coast. Throughout the island, you can find references on signs to these crabs.
The Cocos (Keeling) Islands consist of two coral atolls. It is an Australian territory, so for country streaks purposes, it is counted as Australia.
The general landscape consists of bright white sand, many palms and mowed grass. Cocos Islands is significantly less forested or hilly compared to Christmas Island.
Cocos Islands has many trekkers along the coast. Most of them will be walking on white sand, with the ocean to one side and palms the other.
Direction Island can be recognized by the beaches having significantly more litter compared to the other islands. Bricks, styrofoam and dead coral can be seen along some portions of the coast.
In addition, the trekker can be seen walking between many palms inland.
The inland trekker on Pulau Luar (Horsburgh Island) can be recognized by the dry, yellow grass, and more sparse vegetation.
This medium boat with a large seating capacity can be seen from West Island to Bantam.
This small boat with black bars at the rear can be seen in the north.
This small dark grey boat with a woman sitting at the back can be seen in the south.
Coverage in Colombia is mainly found in the north and west. The islands of Providencia and San Andrés, northwest of the mainland, also have coverage.
The Northern part of the country is characterised by white, sandy soil and an arid landscape.
East of the Andes lies a vast lowland called Llanos. It is characterised by open tropical grasslands, savannas with scattered trees, small areas of forest and seasonal flooding.
This landscape is typical of the far Northern province of La Guajira: extreme dryness, low vegetation and occasional cacti.
In addition, you can often recognise the Uribia-Puerto Bolivar road because of this landscape, the straightness and the train track always present to the East.
You can recognise the narrow Ruta 90 landbridge between Barranquilla and Cienaga thanks to the dashed yellow lines and shallow bodies of water next to the road. Open ocean can often be seen to the north.
NOTE: In the older Generation 3 coverage, you will also see tall mountains in the distance.
Costa Rica is a mostly lush tropical country, with rolling hills, agricultural lowlands, peaky volcanoes running through the centre of the country, as well as dense rainforests dotted around.
North of the mountains lie the largely flat Caribbean Lowlands, characterised by extensive agriculture, grey dirt and a good number of straight roads. Although overcast coverage is common in this area, some locations can be rather sunny.
A lot of the coverage in western Costa Rica was captured during the dry season.
Sugarcane plantations can be found in multiple areas across the country, but the major areas are usually distinguishable based on landscape. In the southern area around San Isidro de El General and Buenos Aires you can find sugarcane plantations in bloom with silvery tufts of strands at the top of the plants.
Dark volcanic rocks can be found in most of central Costa Rica, but are more common around Guapiles, Limón Province and around the Miravalles Volcano on the border of Alajuela and Guanacaste provinces.
San José is the capital and by far the largest urban area in Costa Rica. Situated in a valley between multiple mountains, the roads have a noticeable incline. You will see many suburban neighbourhoods and taller buildings than anywhere else in the country.
There are only a few train tracks in Costa Rica. A few lines exist in the Greater Metropolitan Area, from which they go to Puntarenas in the west, and through Turrialba to Siquirres in the east, where it further continues southeast to Limón and to Patio San Cristobal to the northwest.
Another major divided highway is the RN 32 from the intersection with RN 4 to Limón on the Caribbean coast. The road passes through lush forests in the generally flat Northern lowlands.
NOTE: Aside from the stretch of the RN 1 with concrete pavement, all other major divided highways are in close proximity to San José.
A yellow follow car with two front windows can be seen trailing the Google truck on RN 2 east of Palmar Norte and halfway up to Buenos Aires. The river valley also makes this section of road unique.
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.
Bright white soil roads likely place you just north of the city of Liberia, Guanacaste province.
Late evening into night coverage can be found in the town of San Vito.
Tuk-Tuks can be seen around Puerto Viejo de Talamanca on the northeast coast, and less often around Nosara on the west coast.
Southwest of La Fortuna, near the Fortuna Waterfall, you’ll find a Generation 4 trekker taken by Rainbolt on a downhill trail with many stair segments. It concludes at a waterfall. You can recognise it from his brown hair or the camera crew following him.
West of La Fortuna, in the Puentes Colgantes Arenal, Mistico Park, there is another trekker on a tropical trail, taken by a black-haired individual.
Generation 3 coverage in Costa Rica is very limited, consisting of numerous trekkers in and around San José and by the northern west coast. There is also coverage on Cocos Island, located 500 kilometres southwest of the coast, as well as a boat trekker around Caño Island by the southern west coast.
Beach trekkers are mostly found on the northern east coast, but can also be found west of San José and on Cocos Island.
Most rural forest trekkers are found in central Costa Rica. Cocos Island also mainly consists of dense tropical forests.
Urban coverage is mainly found in and around San José and Cartago, but also exists in Liberia and Filadelfia de Guanacaste.
La Sabana Park has several sports facilities, including the National Stadium of Costa Rica, located in the western part of the park.
In Centro Recreativo Bosque de la Hoja, just east of San José de la Montaña, you can see the trekker being followed by three dogs through a pine forest.
In Recreational Park Los Manantiales, just southwest of Poás, you can find a road lined with sugarcane plantations and cornstalk dracaena plants.
Costa Rica Institute of Technology can usually be recognised by the mountain range which can be seen to the south and east.
By the entrance of Jardín Botanico Lankester, located southeast of Cartago, you can find a poorly maintained dirt road, surrounded by mountains in the distance, as well as a sign with the name of the garden.
Within the garden itself you will find a plethora of different plants, with the walkways having many soft curves, and almost never being straight.
The north-eastern region of Croatia is mostly flat and features a lot of agriculture. It is similar in terms of landscape to Hungary and north-western Serbia.
The region north and west of Zagreb is hilly and agricultural.
The Adriatic coast features rocky mountains similar to those seen in Montenegro or Albania. Shrubs are more common instead of trees along the coast, especially in the south. This coastal region has a lot of islands and peninsulas.
Croatia’s capital Zagreb has a distinct big city feel. Apartment blocks can be seen throughout the city. The northern part of the city is hilly. Furthermore, Zagreb has blue electric trams.
NOTE: In addition to regular car coverage, Zagreb also has various urban sidewalk trekkers, often made with a Generation 2 camera.
The region northeast of Zadar is recognizable as it is flat with a mountain ridge visible in the distance north.
There are a lot of vineyards around the town of Ilok, near the Serbian border, west of Novi Sad. You can find vineyards in other parts of Croatia as well, but they are most common in this area. If you see lots of vineyards in a northeastern Croatian landscape, you are more often than not near Ilok.
The western half of Curaçao is characterised by a semi-arid rural landscape with green, but dry hills. Houses are spread apart, with the roads in the west quite narrow in width.
A line of wind turbines can be seen at this wind farm toward the southeast of Curaçao. The coverage is also notably rainy.
The Queen Juliana Bridge is a wide four lane bridge in Willemstad. It can be recognized by the yellow and blue guardrails, and the view over the city.
The island has a Mediterranean landscape, with bright exposed rock, olive trees, palm trees, cypress trees, and green coastal farmland. The interior consists of pine forests in the mountains.
Being a small island, the terrain will be the easiest way to narrow down your location. Most of the country is hilly to mountainous, with the centre having the highest elevation, that you can use to orient yourself.
While the bright exposed limestone rock is a good clue for the country, it is mainly found along its southern coast.
Vineyards are found more towards the southwest of Cyprus.
The Paphos Forest nature reserve consists of windy mountain roads with red soil on the sides, passing through the mostly uninhabited Mediterranean forest. You will not see any bollards in the reserve, with few exceptions.
In the northeast of Cyprus, you will often be able to see the Kyrenia Mountain ridge to the north, overlooking the otherwise flat farmland.
Famagusta can easily be recognised by the mostly flat landscape, with lots of red fields. Maybe more importantly though, all of the coverage is shitcam.
NOTE: Shitcam is quite rare in the rest of 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.
The wind turbines in the east are built on sandy rolling hills, surrounded by agricultural fields .
The wind turbines in the SW are located within the Oreites Forest, a shrubby hill surrounded by more extreme elevation. There is a noticeable incline towards the coast, which is often visible to the southwest.
The Czech landscape is fairly rolling, with a lot of hills and altitude changes, but not a lot of tall mountains. Generally speaking, Slovakia has more mountains, but also more completely flat areas.
Four-digit bike paths follow a geographical pattern, increasing clockwise, starting in Southern Bohemia. They do not show up on Google Maps, and as such remembering the general pattern is necessary to make them useful. Single- and two-digit bike paths are shown on this map, however they are far less useful to know.
NOTE: Paths starting with A are unique to Prague, regardless how big the number. Some paths spill into neighbouring regions.
Much of the northern Bohemian landscape can be characterised by a rolling landscape combined with steep solitary hills.
NOTE: The hills can sometimes have castles on the top, which look absolutely awesome.
Denmark is a generally flat country with wide, open fields between towns. Suburban areas are usually open, with space between buildings. Urban cores are more dense and built up.
The island of Anholt only has Generation 2 coverage, with distinct gloomy, overcast weather. A large portion of coverage is recognizable due to the sandy dirt on the roadside.
If you have mountains to the North, you will always be in Santiago de los Caballeros.
NOTE: Although some parts of Santo Domingo are hilly, you will never see proper mountains like this one.
This type of landscape is found on the outskirts of Santo Domingo. It is characterised by narrow dirt tracks, whitish dirt, dried green shrubbery and debris next to the road.
Most of the coverage in Ecuador is centred around the western part of the country. A large part of the Amazon rainforest has no coverage.
There is also some trekker coverage on the Galapagos Islands.
You can check out the extent of the official coverage on this website.
This is an elevation map of Ecuador. The imposing Andes mountains run through the middle of the country. The east and west of the country are more flat.
This extremely dry landscape is only found in the coastal region between Guayaquil and Manta.
The Amazon area is very distinct. It is fairly flat, and contains many of these trees with white bark (Cordia trichotoma), and oil palms.
The vast majority of the coverage notably uses the rarer “high antenna”.
The province of Esmeraldas can look similar to the Amazon region, but it is significantly hillier.
The southern regions have many winding mountain roads and exposed brownish red dirt.
The central provinces can have similar roads, but the exposed dirt will usually not be found in these areas.
The Galapagos Islands are an archipelago located west of mainland Ecuador. There are only trekkers and boat coverage on and around the islands. There is a wide variety of landscapes, including volcanic soil, low shrubbery, and craters (with Galapagos turtles onlooking).
The great pyramids of Giza have trekker coverage.
NOTE: This is not to be confused with the pyramid in Memphis, which is made of glass instead of sand stone.
The Djoser pyramid, which can be recognised by the stair-like sections combined with the scaffolding surrounding it, is located south of Cairo. You can also find some other minor historical excavation sites and some plain desert coverage.
Estonia is a fairly flat country throughout, with only 10% of the country being higher than 100 metres, and the highest point being 318 metres tall.
Still, the hilly parts can sometimes be recognizable. The hilliest areas are in the southeast, and the southern half of Lääne-Viru County. Note that the colours of this map are highly exaggerated to show the location of the hills more clearly.
The old town of Tallinn looks very different from any other urban area in Estonia. It is an almost perfectly preserved historic area, with lots of medieval and renaissance-era buildings. In places, it can look a lot like cities in central Europe.
Kihnu is a small island off the coast that has recognizable coverage:
All coverage is Generation 4, taken during late autumn (recognizable by the fallen brown leaves on the ground).
Noticeably, it has a very moody, dark cloud cover, taken close to sunset.
If you see a combination of these two things, Kihnu is a good place to guess.
NOTE: Near Tartu you can also get a fair amount of autumn coverage, sometimes with a fair amount of cloud cover.
Eswatini’s landscape is known for its green, wooded hills and tall golden grass.
NOTE: In contrast, Lesotho’s mountains are typically barren, and long grass is not a common sight there.
Montane grasslands with long golden grass and a mountainous landscape are typical of Western Eswatini.
NOTE: Long grass can be found in almost all areas of Eswatini. This clue refers specifically to the pristine golden colour most commonly seen in the Western highlands.
This distinct region in the central South of the country, mostly along the MR9, can be recognized by the dark, overwhelming greenness and tall wooded mountains.
NOTE: If you are struggling to see why this is unique, try comparing this to other areas of the country, which are more “golden” and light-coloured.
You can recognise this region in the east of the country thanks to the unusual flatness and the mountains often visible in the distance.
The MR8 in Southeastern Eswatini straddling the South African border is recognisable because of this distinct ridge to the east.
You can recognise the Mlawula Nature Reserve thanks to the narrow dirt tracks, tall grass and overall savannah landscape.
The Carcass Island trekker can be recognized by the open plains, with the ocean clearly visible. The ground may also get rocky.
NOTE: Do not get this confused with the Faroe Islands trekker.
Open plains with slightly yellow grass can be seen on West Point Island. The ocean will not be clearly visible on this trekker.
This boat trekker can be seen in the West Point Bay, with yellow hills in the distance with the MS National Geographic Explorer in the bay with the trekker.
This sandy beach with other people in red and blue jackets can be seen on New Island.
Distinct steep cliffs can be seen on New Island.
The landscape of the Faroe islands is characterised by long, wide fjords with jagged green mountains that rise straight out of the water, with rocky ridge lines along the mountainsides. The mountains generally look more imposing and greener than coastal mountains in Iceland, which can often be used to tell them apart.
Torshavn is by far the biggest town on the islands, and the only place where you will find buildings taller than three floors. The landscape is somewhat open relative to the rest of the country, particularly to the east.
Klaksvik is the second biggest town in the country by a significant margin and can often be recognized by the narrow fjord with fairly steep hills going roughly north to south.
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.
The trekker on Koltur island can typically be recognized by the narrow and low peninsula on the southeastern tip of the island.
The trekker on Eiðiskollur can be recognized by the extremely low clouds surrounding the peninsula.
The trekker west of Skopun can be recognised by the wide strait to the north with the main islands of the Faroes in the background.
There are two distinct pyramid-shaped mountains to the south of the trekker on Klakkur, with a very thin layer of snow on top.
The trekker by Gjógv features a view of the village to the south with snow covered mountains in the background.
A grey boat featuring several people in reflective clothes and with the text “RIB62” can be seen going to Koltur island.
Most of Finland is covered by dense boreal forests. Pine trees are common, as well as birches, which are easily recognizable by their white trunks.
A lot of Generation 3 coverage was taken in autumn, meaning that trees in this coverage often have distinct fall colours.
NOTE: This is significantly less common in Generation 3 coverage in the other Nordics. This means that when you are faced with a tough decision between countries, a fall vibe can be a good clue for Finland.
Take note that this season meta is not present in Generation 2 and Generation 4 coverage.
Lakes are so common in Finland, that the country is also sometimes known as the Land of a Thousand Lakes. Usually, you do not have to drive long to find a body of water.
Finland has a lot of farmlands, but the majority of them are concentrated near the west and south coast.
Wind turbines are most commonly found along the west coast of Finland, with some exceptions.
Road 970 in the far north, on the border with Norway, is easily recognizable: it runs through a river valley with hills on both sides. The river is visible in many places, usually to the northwest. The birch trees around the road are small and stunted.
NOTE: The Generation 3 coverage on this road was taken in the autumn, meaning that the vegetation looks dead and mostly devoid of leaves.
Due to its proximity to the Scandinavian Mountains, the area near Kilpisjärvi features a unique hilly landscape, with low vegetation.
NOTE: The Generation 2 coverage on this road was taken during Spring, so the vegetation looks dead.
Cuboid barriers made of stones and mortar are commonly found on Corsica. While by no means unique to Corsica, it is good to consider the island when you see them in rounds with a plausible Mediterranean landscape.
NOTE: Stone barriers with a rounded top are not found on Corsica.
This is a topographic map of France. Notably, the tallest mountains are found in the southeast and on the Spanish border. The north and the west coast is generally quite flat or rolling, while the southern half is often hillier.
Rural roads surrounded by hedges blocking the view, reminiscent of the British Isles, are primarily found in the northwest, particularly in Normandy.
NOTE: Hedges by themselves are not sufficient for recognizing this area and are common all over France.
Forests made up entirely of Maritime pines (pinus pinaster) are found in the southwest of the country (Gironde and Landes departments). The whole area will be fairly flat, which is not typical of other areas with such pines.
France is the second largest wine producer in the world, with many famed wine regions. The most common include the area around Bordeaux, southern coast and Champagne, East of Paris. Other regions include, but are not limited to, Loire Valley, Alsace and Corsica.
NOTE: This map is highly simplified, see this map for more detailed and extensive description.
Sunflowers are mostly found in the southwest of the country, particularly around Toulouse.
Wind turbines are considerably more common in the north of the country.
The French Riviera will mirror many characteristics of Monaco. Rich areas with planted palms and light coloured multi story buildings with wide balconies are good indications you’re in this area, with the rest of the southern coast and Corsican Bastia sharing similar vibes.
NOTE: Just like Monaco, several cities host boat trekkers in their harbour.
On the Breton island Belle-Île-en-Mer you can find houses typical for Brittany combined with colourful façades and outlines, superficially similar to houses in Portugal.
NOTE: The entire island was only covered with an often oversaturated Generation 2 camera.
Lavender fields can be found in the southeast, appearing as small grey bushes when not fully grown.
Salt farms, which appear as flooded trenches with grass medians, are found along the Atlantic coast, most notably around Guérande, Noirmoutier, Île de Ré and Île d'Oléron.
On the French Riviera (Côte d'Azur in French, literally translated as Blue Coast), you can find regular traffic signposts painted azure blue. Uniquely, Cagnes-sur-mer, west of Nice, will feature lighter, powder blue infrastructure.
NOTE: Blue infrastructure can be found to a lesser extent all across France, particularly Brittany, so consider the landscape as well.
Wind turbines are far more common throughout Germany than in any other European country.
Using the surrounding elevation can be crucial to getting good guesses in Germany. Here are some general rules:
The north and especially northwest is very flat.
Central Germany is hilly.
Very southern Germany has big mountains.
Also note that despite having a higher elevation, many parts of southern Germany can still be flat.
The German Alps is the most mountainous region in Germany, it is mostly concentrated on the Austrian Border.
The flat plains southeast of Regensburg can be recognised by the slight ridge often visible to the northeast. The plains themselves are flat, and quite agricultural.
Vineyards are mostly concentrated in the southwest of Germany. However, there are a couple regions further east as well.
You can find hop fields in these regions. They are commonly seen just north of Munich.
Thatched roofs and rock walls are most common on the North Frisian Islands, as well as mainland Schleswig-Holstein. You can also commonly find them in coastal resort towns in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
The shrub and sand covered hills are unique to the island of Sylt. And like the rest of the North Frisian Islands, rock walls, brick houses, and thatched roofs are common.
NOTE: Some parts of Sylt look more generic, but still very flat.
The coverage in Ghana is limited and easy to memorize, as most of it was taken on its main roads and in major cities. The most dense coverage is located in the south, around the cities of Accra and Kumasi.
Northern Ghana features a savannah landscape, which can be identified by its dry soil and less dense vegetation.
Tall mountain ranges in Ghana are typically seen near Lake Volta in the highlighted area.
NOTE: Mountain ranges to the east are more common in the area near Togo.
Dense forests in Ghana are typically found in the southwest and east. You will usually see many naturally occurring palm trees, making the two regions recognizable.
Tall palm trees are commonly found along the coast. Most of them are located in the west.
Most unpaved roads in a dry savannah landscape are found north of Wa, as well as near the town itself.
NOTE: The other unpaved roads in northern Ghana are the Yendi-Nkwanta road in the east, and part of the Salaga-Tamale road, which has very distinct soil. See the tips below.
The road connecting the town of Sawla with the N10 has very crisp, new road lines. Most of the road runs in a general east-west direction, through a lush savannah landscape. The middle line can be solid or dashed.
NOTE: There are a couple of other roads with crisp road lines like these, however these tend to have a different road angle or landscape.
The Salaga-Tamale road up to Kpalbusi is a dirt road with very moody overcast coverage. The soil tends to be very dark, with a purple or brown tinge to it. The road also has a unique tropical savannah feel. The soil is most dark near the town of Salaga.
NOTE: Unpaved roads with overcast coverage and a savannah landscape can be found in other places. The unique aspect of this road is the dark purplish brown soil and the especially dark cloud cover.
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.
On a section of the N2 east of Lake Volta, you can often see a ridgeline to your southeast, somewhat close to the road. The road itself also has a distinct angle, running in a general SW-NE direction. The sky is very overcast and grey.
The coastal area just east of Accra, especially on the N1, has a distinct landscape: it is very flat and wide open, with significantly less vegetation than the rest of southern Ghana. Some parts can look somewhat dry.
The Keta Lagoon in the southeast of Ghana can be seen on the road that runs along it, with the lake being most visible in the northern section. You can sometimes see grey rocks on the side of the road. The soil is quite sandy in comparison to the rest of the country, and it should have a coastal feel.
The territory’s most recognizable feature is the Rock of Gibraltar, a massive limestone mountain that dominates every part of the territory. It can be recognized by its exposed white limestone rocks and distinct shape.
All coverage is from December, so in many parts of town you will see Christmas decorations.
Gibraltar is famous for its monkeys, of the species Barbary macaque. It is the only place in Europe where you can find wild monkeys.
Greece is a very mountainous country, with a large portion of the coverage being taken on winding mountain roads.
Greece is a country with many small islands, some with coverage and some without. Furthermore, while mainland Greece and Crete have all three camera generations, this will not be true for most islands.
You can click on the image to enlarge it.
The largest flat agricultural valleys in Greece are found close to Thessaloniki and Larissa, but smaller flat valleys, where the mountains generally appear closer, can be found in several other areas in the north and centre of the country.
The tallest Greek mountains are found in the western half of the country, and contain most of the country’s high-altitude mountain roads with coverage.
On many of the central islands you can find a very barren landscape, with small bushes and no trees in sight. This tends to be more common on the smaller islands with coverage.
Olive plantations are found in coastal areas, particularly on Crete and southern Peloponnese.
Mount Pangaion can be recognised from its shape, being more of a solitary mountain rather than a wide mountain range, combined with the fact that it is located to the south of a flat agricultural valley.
These extraordinary monolithic mountains are called Meteora, and can be found north of Trikala.
The coverage in Greenland is divided into well over fifty small disjoint parts, with different weather conditions, seasons, landmarks and so on. Although the largest concentration is found on the southern half of the west coast, coverage can be found scattered along a lot of the coast. Since differentiating between some of them requires a lot of technical information, such as the position of the sun or clouds, this guide will only cover the parts with clear distinctive features, such as a unique Street View vehicle or an easily recognizable mountain.
Because of the limited coverage, this guide will be structured differently than most other guides. It will be divided into two main sections: one for land coverage and one for boat coverage. These two sections will each be divided into step 2, for larger towns and boats found in multiple locations, and step 3, for smaller settlements and boats found only in one place.
The Greenlandic landscape is very barren, with no trees or taller vegetation and often featuring snow. Mountains and hills are common, with very limited flat areas. On top of that, almost all coverage was taken in coastal areas, so fjords and visible coastlines are very common.
Boat trekkers are very common in Greenland, featuring a variety of different boats.
The city of Sisimiut can be easily recognized by the black snowmobile with side mirrors pointing straight up. The coverage is generally very overcast and grey.
Most coverage in Ilulissat can be recognized by the green ATV with black bars and the driver wearing a beige hat. Note however that there are some small sections where the driver does not wear it. The coverage is fairly sunny and bright.
Qaqortoq can be recognized by the red rectangular car. The coverage is extremely sunny and the area is greener and less barren than most of the country.
The coverage in Tasiilaq can be recognized by the ATV with large grey handguards on either side. The coverage has a lot of very thin clouds and the area is somewhat green.
Uummannaq has two distinctive features: a sharp mountain to the north and a green snowmobile with large black side mirrors. Neither of the two can be seen on all coverage but at least one can be seen on most.
Narsaq can be identified by the thin antenna seen on the right side of the car. The coverage is very sunny and fairly green.
The coverage in Narsarsuaq can be recognized by the driver wearing a black hoodie. The coverage was taken close to sunset on a very sunny day. There is also a fair amount of small bushes along the road, which is somewhat unusual in Greenland.
Most coverage in Ittoqqortoormiit can be recognized by the brown wooden box at the front of the ATV and the driver wearing a purple beanie. The ground is mostly grey and stony and the coverage is very sunny.
The coverage in and around Igaliku is most easily recognized by the wide, snow-covered mountain range to the northeast which looks very bright due to the setting sun. The green ATV, while not entirely unique on its own, can also be a useful hint.
Paamiut can typically be recognized by the round, grey car which is often only barely visible. The coverage has a lot of thin clouds, but is still quite bright and the foliage consists of a mixture of yellow and green grass, and reddish moss.
Kangerlussuaq can typically be recognized by the many streaky clouds in the sky, combined with the significant dryness. The roads near Kangerlussuaq can also be recognized by its unconventional look, with many small bushes, sandy soil with an almost arid climate.
To the north of Saattut you can see a wide mountain range shrouded in clouds, on the other side of a fjord. The paths covered are mostly dark, muddy dirt roads, and the foliage is mainly yellow grass tufts.
The coverage on Kulusuk island has a round, red ATV, with a pyramid shaped mountain often seen to the northeast. The footage was taken right after sunset on a clear day, making it fairly dark.
Kangaatsiaq has a large amount of thawing snow on the side of the roads. The sun is setting and there is a large body of water to the west.
Ikerasak is most easily recognized by the large monolithic mountain to the west.
Ukkusissat is located below a tall cliffside to the east with mountains towering above it.
Kuummiit can be recognized by two distinct mountains, a sharp one to the east and a rounder one to the north. The coverage is slightly dark due to clouds and the sun setting.
Large, dark grey rocks towering over Niaqornat can be used to recognize the village.
Siorapaluk can be recognized by the sandy, pyramid-shaped mountains to the north, combined with the wide sand beach below the village.
NOTE: Look for the store named “Pilersuisoq” to locate the village, as you have to zoom in very far on Google Maps to see the label of the village.
To the southwest of Qaanaaq, you can see icebergs in a large body of water, and a wide mountain range on the other side, where the snow is bright white as it reflects the sunlight through the thick clouds.
A red and black ATV can be found in and around the village of Kapisillit, northeast of Nuuk. Many mountains in the distance are covered in a layer of snow.
Kangerluk can be recognized by the evenly tall mountains with a particular shape on the other side of the fjord.
On a small bit of coverage east of Nuuk you can see a large number of sharp mountains, powdered in snow. The coverage is somewhat dark due to the thick clouds and the sun being hidden behind the mountains.
About 20 km northeast of Narsarsuaq, you can find a small piece of coverage with large ice blocks in every direction.
This boat, with a white cabin and a red roof, can be found by a multitude of towns and villages on the west coast. However, most of the coverage is in the general area around the city of Aasiaat.
Similar to the previous boat, this one with a red square cabin can be found at multiple locations on the west coast, most significantly by and around Akunnaaq.
A boat with a black box near the front, and a chequered pattern on the bow can be found fairly north on the east coast. While the western part of the coverage is very foggy and somewhat overcast, the eastern parts of the coverage is slightly less foggy and very sunny. A man wearing a black coat can also be seen captaining the boat.
This bright red boat can be found on the east coast near the towns of Tiilerillaq and Kuummiit respectively. While the coverage near Tiilerillaq does not have a cloud in sight, the coverage near Kuummiit is somewhat overcast.
A black and white boat, with a blue roof, is found between the towns of Kuummiit and Tasiilaq.
This small, red and black boat, with multiple people sitting in it, can be found in a fjord far north on the east coast.
This wooden fishing boat is found outside Ilulissat.
This large, all white boat can be seen in between Narsarsuaq with the opposing shore.
A grey boat is found east of Nuuk.
Guam has a tropical climate with a lot of dense and somewhat low vegetation.
Coverage in Guam is fairly limited, particularly in the southern half, where there is almost no coverage inland.
Hills are mostly found on the southern half of the island.
Similarly, the northern half of the island is mostly flat.
Guatemala is a tropical country, and is mainly covered by rainforests.
Guatemala has a fairly low amount of coverage, particularly in the north. Here you can see which roads are covered.
This is a topographic map of Guatemala. Generally speaking, the middle of the country is mountainous, while the south and north are fairly flat.
The southern regions of Guatemala mainly consist of completely flat agricultural land. It is generally more built up than flat areas in the north.
The central regions of Guatemala are generally mountainous.
The northern regions of Guatemala are typically fairly flat. You will however usually see some hills or a slightly rolling landscape, rather than the complete flatness of the south.
Lago de Atitlán is by far the largest lake in the mountainous regions of Guatemala. It is surrounded by mountains, and some volcanoes.
A small dirt road in the middle of a dense jungle can be found north of Tikal, in the far north of the country.
The PET-11, south of Las Pozas can be recognised by the slightly rolling landscape combined with its completely north-to-south road angle.
A trekker featuring several Mayan temples can be found just west of the town of Tikal.
It is worth mentioning that while there are other Guatemalan trekkers featuring Mayan ruins, this is by far the most prominent and contains the largest and most intact temple structures.
Hawaii is known for its lush and tropical vegetation, with a variety of plants and trees. However, being a volcanic island chain, Hawaii has a wide range of landscapes, and as such vegetation as well.
You will often see plenty of ferns, tall grass, or other flowers on the sides of the roads.
Topography on Hawaii is characterised by many sloping volcanoes, rugged cliffs, hills, valleys and craters. Such distinct topography combined with tropical vegetation is a good way to identify Hawaii.
The Island of Kauaʻi is the furthest west island in Hawaii with official Google coverage. This island has deep red soil and has large rugged hills with lush, jungle-like vegetation.
NOTE: Other islands such as Maui and Molokaʻi have similar soil colours, but the hillsides on them will typically have less dense vegetation.
The Island of Oʻahu lies southeast of Kauaʻi. It is known for being home to the Honolulu urban area. It also is home to steep, lush hills, which can be commonly seen from all around the island, especially in Honolulu’s suburbs.
The Island of Molokaʻi is just southeast of Oʻahu. It features deep red soil and a prominent volcano on the eastern end of the island. Especially in the older Generation 3 coverage, the vegetation appears very dry. Molokaʻi is also very sparsely populated.
The Island of Lānaʻi is a small, yet distinct island that lies just south of Moloka’i. A volcano is found just east of the centre of the island, adjacent to the town of Lānaʻi. In this area, tall Cook pines are abundant. In addition, some main roads near the centre of the island are lined with younger Cook pines.
Towards the coasts of the island of Lānaʻi, hills dotted with dry grass and shrubby vegetation are commonly seen. These areas are very rural with few buildings.
The Island of Maui sits southeast of Molokaʻi. In the centre of the island, you will find dry and somewhat flat grasslands with one or both of the mountain ranges on the island visible.
Coastal areas of Maui are noticeably more lush and green. Banana plants, palm trees, and views of the mountains are all common.
The Island of Hawai’i (also referred to as The Big Island) is both the largest and farthest southeast island with Street View coverage in the state. The interior areas feature rolling, grassy plains and volcanic rocks. You can typically see one or more of the island’s volcanoes from the road.
The coastal areas of the island of Hawai’i are where most of the towns and built-up areas on the island are located. These areas are typically more lush and have more trees and fern plants than the interior.
Rural roads going through forests within a flat landscape are commonly found south of the city of Hilo, on the island of Hawaiʻi.
NOTE: Mountainous forests are dotted around Hawaii, but if you are in one, and you see red soil with Generation 3, consider guessing in Kauaʻi, the westernmost covered island.
The infamous “Hawaiian lattice” can be recognized by the volcanic soil and rocks that are abundant in the region. Volcanic vegetation can also be seen lining the roads. Note that the angle of the roads is a big clue for the area, and that this lattice was built on the slope of Mauna Loa.
The Red Hill can easily be recognised by this unique barren, red rocky landscape. Due to the high altitude, clouds are usually visible below you.
On the eastern side of the island of Molokaʻi lies the Kamakou volcano, leading to a significantly hillier and slightly more vegetated landscape than the western parts of the island.
Kahoʻolawe is a small island that lies just to the southwest of Maui. It only has trekker coverage on small gravel roads and dirt trails, and is characterised by dry, shrubby vegetation, rolling hills, and dark red soil. On the western end of this coverage, several buildings can be seen.
Hong Kong is a densely populated city with millions of inhabitants. In urban areas, modern skyscrapers are common, with busy streets filled with vehicles and pedestrians.
The city has a unique vibe that you can quickly pick up on. In many cases, this vibe alone should be sufficient to identify urban Hong Kong locations.
There is also a plethora of rural locations that are harder to identify.
Outside the urban areas, Hong Kong is generally quite mountainous, with green, subtropical vegetation. There is extensive coverage in rural areas outside the city, with many roads going through the mountains. You might see low-rise rural buildings, however usually you will not need to travel far to see tall apartment blocks.
NOTE: Singapore, on the other hand, is very flat.
The north-western area near the Mainland China border is mostly flat and features a patchwork of waterlogged rice paddies. The Shenzhen skyline is visible in the distance, to your north.
The Central District can be recognized by the large concentration of modern skyscrapers. The district feels quite busy, affluent and well-kept, with lots of luxury brand stores and ads.
Mid-Levels is a residential district that is easily recognized by the non-identical tall modern apartments and hilliness.
Chek Lap Kok Island and the Boundary Crossing Facilities can be recognized by the various large scale construction works going on in the area. From the outside, it can be identified by the many bridges that connect other parts of Hong Kong to the two islands.
Lung Wo Road can be recognized by the Hong Kong Island skyline to the south and the Kowloon skyline to the north. The road is also in good condition and the sidewalks are clean.
The Tai Chung Kiu Road is a divided road that runs in a north-east direction, and has views of the Shing Mun River to the west. The median has palm trees. In addition, a bicycle path runs alongside the road. Further north, Route 2 also runs alongside the river, but this road has more lanes.
Between Hong Kong Island and Lantau Island, there are three unique islands: Peng Chau, Cheung Chau and Lamma Island, with trekker coverage. These islands can be identified by the lack of cars, narrow streets, and rural architecture. Lamma Island is also the hilliest of the three.
The Lugard Road trekker around Victoria Peak can be recognized by the distinct black guardrail, view of the skyline and tourists walking along the path.
While the southeastern parts of Hungary are extremely flat, with almost no noticeable hills, the northern and western parts mainly consist of forested hills and mountains. The tallest mountains are found in the north, while the southwestern mountains are generally slightly lower.
Lake Balaton is one of the largest lakes on mainland Europe, and the only large lake visible on street view in Hungary. The area surrounding the lake is moderately hilly, fairly built up and a big tourist destination, with a much higher density of small hotels than almost anywhere else in the country.
Unlike most of the Hungarian plains, which is almost entirely cultivated land, the Puszta, centred around Hortobágy National Park, mainly consists of barren and wet, natural grasslands.
Iceland often looks barren and treeless. Most regions have a dark grey soil consisting mostly of volcanic rocks.
NOTE: Due to the lack of trees, the landscape in Iceland does not look like anywhere else in Northern Europe.
Iceland is a very geologically active country, where plate tectonics and volcanic processes have shaped the landscape. As a result, many regions are rugged, mountainous and a sight to behold. In addition, strange and bewildering landscapes can be found all over, such as geothermal lakes, lava fields, rift valleys, and towering rock formations.
Iceland is rather sparsely covered. The southwest region has the densest coverage. Only a few interior roads are covered.
You can click on the image to enlarge it. Alternatively, you can look at the coverage in more detail on this site.
The Westfjords region features numerous narrow fjords, surrounded by moderately tall, and mostly flat-topped mountains.
The far east of the country is also home to several fjords. What distinguishes them from the Westfjords are the generally larger and more jagged mountains.
The mountains west of Akureyri contain many valleys, sandwiched between tall, often slightly snowcapped peaks. Most of these valleys generally face north to northeast.
Barren landscapes consisting mostly of dark volcanic gravel, with little to no vegetation or signs of life, are typical of the inland regions of Iceland. Most such covered roads are located in the east.
The Southwest agricultural area in Iceland can be identified by its relatively flat farmland landscape scattered with numerous farmsteads, fields, meadows and grasslands.
NOTE: Although there are other smaller agricultural areas in Iceland, mountains in this area tend to be quite distant, making it unique.
The wide valley around Eiðar is slightly hilly and agricultural, with tall, snowy peaks visible in the distance on either side, to the east and northwest, respectively.
The valley around Hallormsstaður has a distinct northeast/southwest angle with low-lying mountains on either side, a wide river flowing through it, and an unusual amount of trees for Iceland. Some of the sideroads are in the forests.
You can recognise the area near the town of Selfoss from its distinct flat-ridge mountain. Due to the otherwise flat landscape, this mountain can be seen from a wide area.
Reykjavík is the capital and by far the largest city in Iceland. The city is mostly flat with slight hills, and is located on the south side of a bay. It is most recognizable as it is significantly larger than other Icelandic cities, with a large urban area and “bigger city” feel.
NOTE: The city of Akureyri can feel urban in some places. You can distinguish it from Reykjavik as it has mountains to the east and west.
The southern coast of Iceland features some impressive glaciers visible from the ring road, spilling into the sea from the Vatnajökull ice cap.
The Island of Heimaey can easily be recognised by seeing these ragged rocky cliffs overlooking the town of Vestmannaeyjabær. Similar cliffs can be seen on the islands off the coast.
Very foggy coverage can be found around the town of Bakkagerði, in northeastern Iceland. The fog can also be seen from a distance.
Tea plantations can be found in the northeast and the far south.
NOTE: If you find tea plantations in a flat area, you are likely in Assam or northeastern West Bengal, near the Assam border.
The by far tallest mountains in India are found in the Himalayas.
In Ladakh and northern Himachal Pradesh you can find an extremely dry landscape with little to no vegetation within the Himalayan mountains.
The northern plains, also known as the Ganges River Valley, of India are very fertile with extremely flat and open agricultural fields.
The western parts of Rajasthan can commonly be recognised by the dry landscape with sandy soil.
The Western Ghats Mountains in the western part of Maharashtra can be recognised by their distinct ridgelines, often having plateaus rather than peaks. The northern part is drier while the southern part has more vegetation.
NOTE: During the rainy season the mountains will turn green and appear quite different.
The landscape in Mizoram mainly consists of lush, green valleys with fairly low vegetation with eroded hillsides having many small peaks scattered around.
NOTE: A somewhat similar landscape can be found in Meghalaya, however rather than distinct peaks, the hillsides will have a mostly smooth and flat top.
The Himalayan cedar is most commonly seen on the NH34 from Harsil to Gangotri, as well as around the city of Shimla.
The western half of Uttarakhand is typically far more barren than the other Himalayan regions, due to logging and erosion. The coverage northwest of Dehradun on the Himachal Pradesh Border has some especially barren hills full of brown grass and small roads next to cliffs.
The Mechuka valley is the only place in Northeast India where snowy mountains are visible. The valley contains brownish grass and a plethora of Bhutan white pine. North of Mechuka the coverage gradually becomes overcast and somewhat dark.
Chaukhamba, located near the town of Ukhimath, is a mountain massif covered in snow which can be recognised by its three distinct peaks, with the centre peak being the tallest.
The landscape south of Shillong in Meghalaya, is characterised by V-shaped, green eroded valleys with somewhat flat and smooth ridgetops.
NOTE: Mizoram hills are less smooth with more rises and falls instead of long smooth ridges.
Salt flats and coastal marshes with nearly no vegetation, other than short yellow or brown grass, can be found in parts of Gujarat. Shallow bodies of water can often be seen around these areas.
NOTE: The soil in western Rajasthan will be a lot more sandy and you’ll typically be able to see short desert shrubs.
Near the southern tip of Tamil Nadu, you can find these large monolithic mountains, with huge exposed rocks. Several of these mountains can be seen from afar, especially the Magenthiragiri hills.
A flat, bushy landscape with very red soil can be found in southern Tamil Nadu.
Coverage in Indonesia is fairly limited. Notably, there is no coverage on Papua or adjacent islands, and coverage is sparse in areas such as Kalimantan, Aceh, Central Sulawesi and North Maluku.
The Nusas typically look drier than other regions in Indonesia. The islands get especially dry towards the east, especially in Generation 3. Vegetation tends to look less tropical, but instead more brown with a lack of leaves. Sumba Island is also the driest of the Nusas.
NOTE: While less common, other regions such as Java can look similarly dry. Make sure to look out for other clues before guessing.
This savannah landscape is occasionally seen on North Sumba.
NOTE: In Generation 3, you will always see a white car.
North Sumatra features similarly distinct boat-shaped roofs, however the roofs are less angled upward and they do not feature spires.
NOTE: These roofs are most commonly found near Lake Toba, due to its sacred history.
The region around Lake Toba, in North Sumatra, can be recognized by mountains surrounding the lake and Samosir Island in the middle. Overcast coverage is also common for the region.
Palu Bay is a unique slightly north-west facing bay just north of Palu city, which features mountains to the west of the bay, and a flat, more urbanised landscape to the east.
Most of Ireland is dominated by a very green, agricultural landscape, with lots of hedgerows next to the roads and dividing the fields.
This type of landscape is also common in many parts of the UK, and can be virtually indistinguishable from Ireland.
Ireland’s west coast is defined by a rugged, hilly landscape. Steep hills and low mountains dominate. The neat fields of the east make way for wild grass- and moorlands. The grass often has more brownish and yellow tones to it. Sometimes you will be able to see exposed rocks.
If a very small rural road has Generation 4 coverage and is located in an unusually hilly landscape, you are likely to be in Donegal.
Note that this meta only applies to the smallest roads: thin, without road lines, and sometimes with grass in the middle. This type of coverage is also not exclusive to Donegal, it is just likely to be there.
One noteworthy area in the east is the Wicklow Mountains, just south of Dublin. They can look deceptively similar to the western coastal mountains. It can be very hard, if not downright impossible to distinguish these two areas.
Two things to look out for:
You will never see the coast from the Wicklow mountains.
Like Donegal, its small roads are mostly covered with Generation 4 instead of the Generation 2 that is more typically associated with small roads in the west.
In the north of counties Sligo and Leitrim you can find distinctive tabletop mountains.
Note that the mountains in the image are just an example, many of the mountains in this area have the same sort of shape.
The area in and around Burren National Park is characterised by a unique karst landscape consisting of exposed grey limestone rocks.
Cork is relatively unique in that it is significantly more hilly than the other big Irish cities.
The general landscape on the Isle of Man consists of hilly farmland, and narrow roads passing through them.
Isle of Man is generally quite hilly, with a few exceptions.
Northern Isle of Man is very flat in comparison to the rest of the island. Usually, there are mountains visible to the south.
Laxey is a town located in a northwest-southeast valley.
The Peel castle, sitting atop an island, can unsurprisingly, be seen in Peel.
The landscape ranges from a greener Mediterranean landscape in the north, to a very arid landscape in the south.
This is a coverage map over Israel and the West Bank. Notably, southern Israel and most of the West Bank has very sparse coverage.
You can click on the image to enlarge it.
Northern Israel is usually far more mountainous and green than the rest of Israel. Throughout the region you will almost always see forested hills and mountains.
Central Israel is usually flat and has several cities. Highways are usually in better condition than roads in the south and north.
Southern Israel and eastern West Bank are extremely dry and sandy.
The area west of Jerusalem can often look deceptively similar to northern Israel, with green forested hills and some agriculture sprinkled across the landscape.
Two things can occasionally be used to tell the two apart. Firstly, in northern Israel you may occasionally see wide, flat valleys, while the Jerusalem area is always going to be hilly. Secondly, if you see houses made of Jerusalem stone, you are likely to be near Jerusalem.
Most of the West Bank has a semi-arid Mediterranean landscape. It is generally greener than southern Israel, drier than northern Israel and west of Jerusalem, and hillier and less agricultural than central Israel.
The Dead Sea can easily be recognised by the dryness surrounding it.
NOTE: It is also visible from Jordan and the West Bank.
Other than the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, the only major body of water is the Sea of Galilee. It is noticeably more vegetated than the Dead Sea, making it easily recognisable.
Mount Carmel is a long mountain ridge, going northwest to southeast, near the city of Haifa. From the northeast, it can easily be recognised by its direction and size.
There is also a lot of coverage on top of the mountain range, which is generally fairly green and looks noticeably high altitude.
Mount Gilboa is a very dry looking mountain, which can be seen from far away and from many angles.
There is some coverage on top of the mountain, which is very green and often with a very good view over the surrounding valleys.
You can find these small irrigation canals on the side of the road, in the area around the city of Beit She’an.
Road 90 is the longest road in Israel, and can often be recognised by its dryness combined with the general north to south angle.
Be careful, as road 90 can sometimes look quite similar to roads 31 and 40.
The southern stretch of road 90 will have a dry mountain range to the east. It is also common to see palm trees.
Road 2 can usually be recognised by the Mediterranean sea being visible on the west side of the road.
NOTE: If you see mountains to the east, you will be somewhere between Haifa and Zikhron Yaakov.
Mount Tavor is located in the Northern District and can be recognised by its soft, round shape.
Timna National park can be recognised by the complete dryness combined with the mountain ridges in all directions.
These tall, rocky mountains can be found east of Eilat, making the city very easy to recognize.
This mountain range, in the far north of Israel, can be recognised by its shape, somewhat resembling a camel's back.
As a bonus, if you are in a city and see these mountains to the west, you will be in Kiryat Shmona.
North of the Hasolelim forest reserve you can see this large reservoir.
Finding parking in Tel Aviv is notoriously difficult, meaning the side of almost every road will be full of parked cars.
NOTE: If you are confident that you are in Tel Aviv and see available parking spots, you are more likely to be in the north of the city.
These tall industrial chimneys, by the coast north of Netanya, are visible from far away.
The Israel National Trail goes through the entire country and has one of the longest trekkers in the world. The trail goes through more or less every landscape present in the country, from the rocky desert in the south to lush forests in the north. Along the trail you may find these markings, which will typically be orange, blue and white, but can also feature other colour schemes.
Italy has a Mediterranean landscape with a lot of agricultural fields on rolling hills, and forested mountain valleys.
The Padan Plain (commonly referred to as Po Valley) can typically be recognized by its complete flatness. The plain has some of the worst air quality in Europe, which has led to much of the coverage having a noticeable haze.
The landscape on the southeastern peninsula surrounding Bari has many olive plantations, which are often seen together with bright rock walls. The dirt in the region typically has a noticeably red colour.
Beware that a similar landscape can also be found in southeastern Sicily.
The alpine region in northern Italy has tall, wide mountain ranges and deep valleys.
The Sicilian landscape is characterised by an arid, hilly agricultural landscape, often combined with rocky mountains.
Grey rocks sticking up from the ground are commonly found on Sardinia, particularly in the northeast.
NOTE: A similar phenomenon can be seen on Sicily, however the landscape will typically be much drier than Sardinia.
Etna, the tallest volcano in Europe, can be seen rising above the landscape from far away in eastern Sicily.
The volcano of Vesuvius can often be seen to the south or east from the plains around Naples.
Venice can typically be recognized by its many canals running through most of the city.
Plana del Fùcino is a small plain surrounded by mountains in the middle of Italy with a grid of roads going completely north-to-south.
The island of Pantelleria is a volcanic island southwest of Sicily. Dark volcanic rocks can be seen in the many rock walls of the island, as well as on some houses. It is fairly common to see yellow lichen covering the rocks. The island also has a very large amount of cacti.
The Aeolian islands are a volcanic archipelago north of Sicily. Here you will find a mix of volcanic soil and rocks with mediterranean vegetation, like stone pines or olive trees. Like in Sicily, cacti are fairly common.
In the mountains of the islands it is very common to see touristic white villas.
Within the Aeolian islands, Salina can easily be distinguished from the twin volcanoes forming a valley across the island.
Vulcano is perhaps the most easily recognisable of the Aeolian islands, with its volcano having an almost white stripe of dirt following the top of the mountainside. It can typically be spotted from afar on the island.
The island of Favignana has a distinct topography, with mountains running north to south splitting the island in two.
On both sides of the island you will find flat areas, with many rock walls similar to those found in Bari.
Unlike the other islands near Sicily, Favignana is not volcanic.
Hokkaido has very limited winter and snow coverage. Unless you are certain, it is often better not to guess this prefecture. Though, if you do find yourself in Hokkaido, these regions are most likely. Other low amounts of miscellaneous coverage is primarily in the southern half of the island.
Japan is notably a very mountainous country. However, there are some regions that are quite flat, being the Nobi and Kanto plains. While at times they can look very similar, determining that it is one or the other can be very helpful.
NOTE: While there are, of course, other flat areas in Japan, these two are the most recognizable.
Agricultural fields with red soil are commonly found on several southern islands, most notably on the islands of Miyakojima and Ishigaki in southern Okinawa.
Mount Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan, with a gradual incline and often snowy summit.
Depending on the elevation, it can be seen from far away. This can create some excellent region guesses, especially if you account for direction and distance.
Jersey is a self-governing island territory in the Channel Islands, located off France’s northwestern coast. It is a British Crown Dependency, so for country streaks purposes it is counted as part of the United Kingdom.
The island is shaped by a unique mix of British and Norman influences. The many winding roads and hedgerows are reminiscent of English country lanes, with tree-covered roads being particularly common. However, due to Jersey’s unique geographical position, most coverage features sunny weather.
All images were taken by a Generation 2 camera.
Jersey is home to large reserves of red granite. As a result, it is a popular building material used for the construction of many walls and houses throughout the island.
Contrasting with the island’s typically rural look, the area surrounding the capital city of St Helier is more urbanised, featuring taller buildings, narrower streets and a more lively atmosphere.
The Les Mielles Nature Reserve is a vast, treeless expanse located on Jersey’s western coast. Combined with the gentle westward slope and partially overcast coverage, this makes for a very recognisable area.
Imagery containing a greenish-purple discolouration can be found in the southwest of the island.
NOTE: This glitch typically makes parts of the screen appear darker than they actually are. In addition, it blends into the landscape more seamlessly than other glitches.
Moreover, this glitch is not unique to Jersey. It can be found in other countries as well.
Jordan is a very arid country, with limited vegetation and a lot of almost completely lifeless desert. The lushest parts will still only have the look of an arid Mediterranean landscape.
Jordan only has Street View coverage in the far western part of the country. Coverage is limited to bigger towns and main roads in this area.
NOTE: Coverage ends just north of Jerash. Even though Irbid is the second largest city of Jordan, it has zero official coverage. In the south, coverage extends all the way to the coastal town of Aqaba, but not south of it.
Amman is by far the largest city in Jordan with extensive coverage. It is a bustling, developed metropolis with a distinct “big city” feel to it. It is slightly hilly and most of the city consists of medium-sized apartment blocks.
Highway 15 is the longest divided highway with coverage in Jordan. Most of the road is surrounded by desert landscape. It is also surrounded by rocky hills in the south closer to Aqaba.
NOTE: Highway 35 north of Madaba and highway 40 west of Amman are also divided but do not feature a desert landscape, while the divided highway 80 in the south runs mainly from east to west, making it distinguishable.
Highway 35 connecting Amman and Jerash is a divided road surrounded by hills speckled with green vegetation.
NOTE: Highway 40 west of Amman is also divided and features a similar landscape. However, the T-shaped lamppost shown in the image is only found on highway 35 which helps distinguish the two.
Highway 40 is a recognisable divided road surrounded by low, green shrubbery that makes its way west of Amman through the hilly terrain into the sandy area close to the Dead Sea.
NOTE: Y-shaped lamp posts as shown in the image can be found along the length of highway 40, making it distinguishable from highway 35 north of Amman.
The Dead Sea can be found directly west along the northern portion of Highway 65.
NOTE: There is a long, flat, expansive ridge on the other side, which is useful to differentiate this from other bodies of water.
Highway 65 is a single lane, north to south highway. It features long, sandy stretches of road south of Feifa valley. Now and then, you may encounter overcast coverage on some sections.
NOTE: When on the portion of road near the airport by Aqaba, you can find sunset coverage.
This arid rolling hill valley is located near the almost dried out river of Wadi al Hasa on Highway 35. The rock is rounded and smooth, with a single lane highway running through the center.
For a large majority of Highway 80 and its turns, this divided valley road is surrounded by large, rigid mountains. When turning onto the stretch of road leading to Aqaba, the mountains level off.
NOTE: The road direction of Highway 80 is east to west, as opposed to Highway 15, which runs north to south.
This long stretch of jagged mountains can be found on the eastern to southern side of Aqaba.
In some parts of the town of Wadi Musa, unique mountains with distinctive, bulbous rock formations can be seen in the background.
West of the town of Wadi Musa, a collection of trekkers can be found in and around Petra, a rock-cut city from antiquity. This trekker coverage features highly eroded reddish rocks, narrow gorges, and occasionally groups of tourists crowding around the archaeological sites.
NOTE: While not likely to appear in competitive or pinpointable maps, these trekkers are a mainstay in many maps, including the default World map.
Kazakhstan is a big and diverse country, which features a plethora of distinct landscapes like deserts, grassy steppes, mountain passes, and birch forests.
Most strikingly, most of the rural coverage in Kazakhstan is in a very empty, open and mostly flat landscape.
Kazakhstan can easily be divided into coverage regions based on the season.
Summer in western and central Kazakhstan.
Autumn in the northeast.
Winter in the southeast.
Kazakhstan is a generally flat country, so getting locations that are hilly or mountainous are useful for narrowing the options.
For example, the region around Karaganda is often either quite hilly, or you can see hills in the distance.
Another notable set of hills would be the ones around Aktobe.
And of course getting bigger mountains will mean you are in the south, or east.
These lush birch forests next to green fields are common in northern Kazakhstan.
NOTE: This landscape often appears very similar to that found in and around Omsk Oblast in Russia.
Vast grassy green plains are found in northwestern Kazakhstan. They are especially common in Akmola and Kostanay regions.
Sandy and shrubby desert-like landscapes are common in southwestern Kazakhstan.
Tall mountains, which are often snow-capped, can be seen in southeastern Kazakhstan.
The East Kazakhstan Region is hilly and forested. It was covered in october, so you will see fall colours on the vegetation. The town of Ridder itself is flat, but surrounded by hazy mountains.
Snow coverage can be found in southeastern Kazakhstan, especially east of Almaty.
The landscape in southern Kazakhstan near Uzbekistan is hilly and quite dry and shrubby, with a lot of orange looking grass. The landscape consists of dry but grassy rolling hills or dead flat agricultural land near Zhetisay.
NOTE: These red and white KM markers that look like Kyrgyz ones, are only found near Zhetisay.
Grassy green rolling hills can be found in southern Kazakhstan. They are especially common just north of Bishkek.
Around Semey, you can find small clusters or entire forests consisting mostly of pine trees and some deciduous trees, which will have fall colours.
The divided section of the E38 goes southeast to northwest from Shymkent to Kyzylorda. The road is made of asphalt, and it has all white road lines. The landscape varies quite a lot; in the south, it is very green and in the north, it gets dry, sandy, and shrubby.
Driving direction: Both ways
The section of the M36 going from Karaganda to Almaty can often be recognised by the road being under construction, with a second lane being built. Yellow lines are common. As for the landscape, it’s a wintery dry steppe, which looks noticeably orange-brown.
Driving direction: South from Karaganda.
Between Karaganda and Astana, the M36 is now a divided highway, with yellow outer lines. The landscape consists of a grassy, sometimes hilly, steppe with an occasional row of trees along the road. Note that the general southeast to northwest road angle is important.
Driving direction: Both ways
The P4/A17 from Astana to Pavlodar is a divided road, generally going east to west, through a hilly steppe landscape similar to the M36, but is generally less vegetated. Most of the road has outer yellow lines.
Driving direction: Both ways
The A26 goes from Kandyagash to the intersection of M32/E38.
It has very bad road quality throughout, ranging from poor grainy pavement, to completely unpaved. Apart from the northernmost section, the weather is either cloudy or overcast.
The landscape consists mostly of flat, semi-arid grassy plains.
Driving direction: North towards Kandyagash. (Mostly)
The section of the A1 going from Astana to Shchuchinsk is a 6-lane divided highway. The landscape around is generally quite green, with trees and grassy plains or hills.
Driving direction: Both ways
The A17 going to Ulytau Region can be recognised by the bad pavement quality, where the edges of the road are almost crumbling away, along with the single white middle road line, which can be dashed or solid. The landscape itself is a grassy steppe, with some fall coloured trees occasionally lining the roads.
West of Atasu, the sun is distinctly low on the horizon.
NOTE: A small section east of Atasu has pristine new pavement, which has a slight red tint to it.
Driving direction: Towards Atasu from both directions
The road north of Zhezqazghan has no road lines. The landscape is very dry, desolate, with very limited vegetation and slightly hilly. The soil can look very red or orange at times.
The weather is sunny, with a lot of cumulus clouds.
Driving directions: North from Nikolskiy
The R260 road is mostly paved, but not in the best condition; many cracks can be seen, and it mostly lacks road lines. The weather is overcast and the landscape is a slightly hilly steppe, consisting of somewhat yellow grass and reddish soil, which is very evident when the road is unpaved.
The R217 is very similar, but the road is in better condition and mostly has very faded dashed white middle road lines, which are often quite difficult to see. The further east you go, the more sparse the cloud cover gets.
Driving directions: South from Atbasar
Coverage in dense baltic pine forests can be found north of Shchuchinsk, which is north of Astana.
NOTE: Baltic pines can be found in other parts of the country.
Parts of Oskemen have hazy forest fire coverage.
In southern Almaty City, there is snow coverage in the mountains.
The Altyn Emel National Park is a barren grassland with snowy mountains in all directions. Some parts are very snowy. And in the eastern section, there is a small curvy mountain pass.
The only May coverage in Kazakhstan is found in the Almaty exclave of Alataou, which is east of Almaty proper. All of the coverage is sunny and the mountains are visible to the south.
A small ridge of hills is visible to the north in a lot of Taldykorgan coverage.
Near the Turkmenistan border in southwest Kazakhstan, you will find this unpaved sandy desert road. The landscape is almost blindingly bright from the sand.
The natural formation of land has great diversity between regions. The east and large portions of the north are extremely flat. In contrast, the further southwest you travel, the higher the elevation becomes on average.
You can click on the image to enlarge it.
The A109 between Mombasa and Nairobi has light orange dirt and many hills around the road and in the distance. You will additionally see many transportation trucks delivering various goods.
Most of the coverage between Mombasa and Emali also has a unique car, which has a cord on the left.
Mombasa and the other coastal towns are easily identified from the white sandy soil, palm trees and coastal feel.
The far west areas of the country that are northwest and southwest of Kisumu are the most agricultural parts of the country. You will often see farms, grassy hills, and tall eucalyptus trees in this region of the country.
The area around Kitui is semi-arid, usually mountainous, and has light orange, sandy dirt.
The northwest part of the country has very limited coverage, most of which is on the A1 or in Sibiloi National Park. It has faintly tan soil and sparse low trees. A lot of the coverage in this area is very flat, but you can also see hills or mountains.
White flowers, especially when they are in large numbers, are commonly found east of Chyulu Hills National Park, as well as in Tsavo National Park and near the A109 south of Nairobi.
Kenya has many unique Google cars in and around its National Parks and Reserves. These are still identifiable by the snorkel which is present in almost all of them.
Many of the National Park and Reserve cars must be used in conjunction with landscape, as they can be found in multiple areas.
You can learn more about these National Parks and Reserves in the spotlight section.
The B9 in the Northeast is entirely unpaved and has bright reddish orange dirt with many trees surrounding the road. Most of it is very flat, but the coverage at the western end of the road can have hills and mountains. The soil also transitions into a more sandy colour.
The A2 between Isiolo and Marsabit has many plants alongside the road and you will often see large mountains in the distance. The stretch going through Namunyak Wildlife Conservation Trust will have a very large mountain range to the west.
North of Marsabit will be much flatter, with some mountains in the distance. The stretch just north or Marsabit will have mountains visible to the south, while further north, a different range can be seen. It will also have much less vegetation.
The A3 north of Garissa is very unique, with light coloured soil and many green trees on either side of the road.
The western part of the C34 is a flat, east to west road. There are two long, straight sections with an abundance of sugar cane. Furthermore, you will see a large mountain range north along the entire mentioned stretches of road.
In a lot of the coverage north of Mt Kilimanjaro, the mountain is visible to the south, usually obscured by clouds. In the city of Oloitoktok, the mountain will often be visible directly to the south.
NOTE: The map shows the location of Mt Kilimanjaro, but it can be seen from very far away.
Homa Bay has this protruding hill to the east that is often visible.
Mara Triangle has no considerable mountains and most of it is either flat or hilly. It has a white car that can be found in other Kenyan National Parks. Generation 4 coverage exists there as well.
Amboseli National Park has a grey car with a small snorkel. It is very flat with tan grass, few trees, and dried up lake beds. You can always see the base of Kilimanjaro to the south, with most of it obscured by clouds.
Between Kitale and Mt Elgon, you can find the Aberdare car as well, but it will always have rubber bands, unlike in Aberdare where it will only have them on the main roads through the park. It can be differentiated from Aberdare by its redder dirt, and greener landscape.
The area surrounding and between Kerio and Lodwar uses the same car as the Aberdare National Park, but with a vastly different landscape. It is very sandy, dry, and has little vegetation.
You may also find yourself in Generation 3 coverage without car meta.
All of Kyrgyzstan was covered during the winter months, so many of the trees will lack leaves, the landscape will be quite drab, and you can see snow in many parts of Kyrgyzstan.
The coverage in Kyrgyzstan is very limited. So learning which roads are covered will help you improve a lot.
You can click on the image to enlarge it.
Lake Issyk Kul is the biggest body of water in Kyrgyzstan. You will often be able to spot it on the roads north and south of the lake. Sometimes it will be obscured by buildings or trees, but the lack of any mountains in the direction of the lake will be a good clue.
NOTE: There are two other significant bodies of water that can be seen from the road: the Toktogul Reservoir and Lake Song-Kul. With a bit of practice, you can reliably distinguish these from Issyk Kul however.
As the capital city of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek is by far the most developed city, featuring many taller multi-story buildings you would not see elsewhere. And on the outskirts, you can see fancier buildings as well. There are also mountains south of Bishkek, but these can be hard to see at times.
The coverage south of Bishkek is generally a bit hilly, and you will see the snowy Tian Shan mountains to the south. And as Bishkek has the most polluted air of any city, there will usually be visible smog to the north.
Osh is the second-biggest city in Kyrgyzstan. It is one of several towns that has coverage with the southern mirror. This allows you to easily distinguish it from Bishkek.
The weather in Osh is fairly good, with some clouds, but never fully overcast.
NOTE: Manas (Previously Jalal-Abad), the other big city with the southern mirror, will always have very overcast coverage.
In the centre of Osh, you can see these unique mountains with radio masts on top of them.
Manas (Previously Jalal-Abad) is the third-biggest city in Kyrgyzstan. Like Osh, its coverage has the southern mirror.
You can recognise it from the extremely overcast coverage, with no gaps in the clouds. This allows you to easily distinguish it from Osh, which has better weather.
To the east, you can see this slightly snowy hill.
Arslanbob is a snowy town north of Manas (Previously Jalal-Abad), with hills and mountains all around. As the town is located in the mountains, you can see a lot of elevation change inside the town.
NOTE: The town also features the southern mirror.
Uzgen is a slightly snowy town between Osh and Manas (Previously Jalal-Abad), which features overcast coverage.
NOTE: The town also features the southern mirror.
Karakol is a city located between snow capped mountains to the north and south. The coverage in the city is sunny, and you can see melting snow on the ground.
Naryn features a steep orange ridge to the north, and big snow capped mountains to the south.
You can notice a distinct sunset on all the coverage from Sokuluk to Kara Balta.
NOTE: This section of road features the Black Dot Mirror.
Here, you will see the Tian Shan mountain range to the south. The landscape is otherwise flat. The further away from the mountains you are, the foggier they seem.
NOTE: This section of road features the Black Dot Mirror.
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.
On this long stretch of road, you will see plenty of snow all around you, except on the road. The Landscape is generally hilly, except the northeastern and southwestern parts, which are in the mountains.
NOTE: Most of this section features the Black Dot Mirror.
This section of road goes through mountains that have rocky cliffs. These mountains are a habitat for lots of spruce trees that grow on the cliff sides. A more diverse selection of trees grows next to the river that follows the road. You can see that some mountains still have snow on the peaks. Most signposts along the road are coloured blue.
NOTE: The southern section of the road features more rocky cliffs that cannot sustain any trees.
You can see the mostly dried up part of the Toktogul Reservoir either to the south or north of the road. There are taller mountains quite close on every side. The northern half is more desolate, while the south features more vegetation and buildings as well.
You will usually see the Toktogul Reservoir north of the road in this section. It now resembles an actual lake. The landscape is generally hilly, especially to the south.
NOTE: The road is in better condition than the one south of Issyk Kul.
The road then runs through a river gorge, with large, rocky mountains on both sides. It features overcast coverage. A sizable river (the Naryn) is usually visible to the north, next to the road.
This southern region has a lot of agriculture and a lot of vegetation on the sides of the roads. The region is generally flat, but the road is very close to the hills that are usually to the north or east. The gaps in the minimap indicate exceptionally hilly spots.
NOTE: This section of road features the Southern Dirty Mirror.
The road then becomes undivided. This section south of Balykchy is extremely dry, with the landscape mostly consisting of small shrubs, unless you are next to the Chu river. To the north, you can spot these mountains that have clouds hovering above them. Otherwise, there are no clouds in this region.
Further up the road, you enter a dry valley with mountains flanking both sides. There is barely any vegetation - just some shrubs close to the ground. The river next to the road brings some more greenery to the area. In the southern half of this section, you can see this slightly snowy ridge to the north.
Once you get out of the valley, you will notice this area is more vegetated, has more buildings, and more animals on the now grassy fields. The landscape is still hilly, with bigger mountains to the north, south, and west. The southern mountains are especially distinct, with them being covered in snow. The hills immediately north of Naryn can get very dry, but look out for snow that you can see in the shade.
The mountains and hills south of Naryn have a unique combination of snow and red soil that make them very distinct.
The At-Bashi Valley has a very distinct mountain range, which you will see to your south from any section on this road. To the north, you can see scattered mountains that do not form a uniform ridge. There is also a big set of hills to the west.
Road EM-9 runs from Balykchy to Karakol in the far east. On many parts of the road, you will be able to see Lake Issyk Kul to your south. The car drives towards the east (and in the last section towards the south).
Includes 3 tips.
The section from Balykchy to Cholpon Ata is sunny, with mountains to the north, and a lake to the south.
The section east of Cholpon Ata appears overcast, with mountains to the north, and a lake to the south. Tall tree rows on either side of the road is a common sight.
The vertical stretch of road north of Karakol is mostly flanked by tall tree rows on either side. There are also tall snowy mountains to the north and south.
NOTE: The weather changes here, around the midpoint of the road.
The EM-10, which also shows up as A363 in Geoguessr, is a beautiful road connecting Karakol to Balykchy. Here, you will often see Lake Issyk Kul again, but this time it is visible to your north. The car drives towards the west.
Includes 5 tips.
On the road west of Karakol, you will see a lot of vegetation on the sides of the roads, and long expanses of green and yellow fields beyond them. You will usually be able to see the Tian Shan Mountain Range in the distance to the north. There are big mountains to the south as well, with smaller hills before them.
NOTE: The weather is completely clear east of this intersection.
You will almost always see the Issyk Kul lake, and the Tian Shan mountains on this section. The soil here is sandy and rocky.
The section west of “Fairytale Canyon” has distinct sunset coverage.
You will see a lot of mountains and hills to the south here, but only some hills to the north, with seemingly nothing behind them. You might even see Issyk Kul behind them. There is still a lot of sand on the sides of the roads.
The landscape around the western end of Issyk Kul is drier than the east. The lake itself and the southern hills are further away from the road as well.
Going further west, only the hills to the south will have snow on them. The landscape is generally dry, with hills to the north and south of the road.
Most of this section features the Black Dot Mirror.
The road going east of Kazarman is an unpaved gravel road, between two hilly ridges on either side. The ridge to the north is further away, and has a bigger set of mountains visible behind it. The mountain ridge has a unique mountain that towers above the rest.
The eastern side of EM-13 closely resembles the road going west of Naryn. (See tip below) This road, however, is an unpaved gravel road in the middle of the Naryn valley, so the hills to the north are now closer. The Landscape is filled with bushes, shrubs, and grass.
NOTE: The one town in the region can be recognized by these white-and-red fences with a white diamond pattern in the middle.
This road going west of Naryn is situated south in the dry Naryn valley. You will typically see hills close to the road on the southern side. There are also bigger mountains not too far behind. While to the north, there is a wide plain, with hills and mountains in the distance. Many parts of the road also have a pavement with a salt and pepper-like quality.
The road going east of Naryn is also in the Naryn Valley. Here you will also see hills close to the road in the south, and then further away to the north. The plains north of the road are however smaller. This side is also more built up, except the road, which is unpaved at certain parts. Here, the hills south also have small amounts of snow on them.
The M-082 is a unique road, with only a small section being covered, from the shore of Song-Kul to the mountains right south of it.
Includes 2 tips.
Song-Kul is the second major lake in Kyrgyzstan. The surrounding area features dry rolling hills, with patches of snow. The only covered road is made of gravel.
The road in the mountains south of Song-Kul is the only unpaved road this high up in the mountains. You can see the clouds below you, down in the valleys below. The mountains have rugged peaks, and snowy cliff sides. Many of the mountains also have spruce trees growing on them.
The M-118 takes you from the resort town Arslanbob down into the fertile Fergana Valley.
Includes 2 tips.
On this road, you should be able to see the Kara Darya river to the east in the valley below the road. The region is generally hilly and green. To the north, you can see some low-lying mountains in the distance, they have some snow on them. The hills east of the river have snow on the top as well.
NOTE: This section of road features the Southern Dirty Mirror.
There will generally be some snow on the ground on this road. You will see more snow depending on how north you are. You will often see the massive Gora Babash-Ata mountain to the north.
NOTE: This section of road features the Southern Dirty Mirror.
This section of M-107 is dry and rocky. There are a lot of mountains around, but this one ridge specifically can be seen from most of this section.
NOTE: This is what the ridge looks like from further away.
Going further west, you will encounter a very hilly landscape. The landscape features a lot of vegetation - tall grass, trees, bushes. This road uses these concrete barriers as guardrails, notice the cement above the gaps.
The general southeast to northwest driving direction on this road is also worth noting.
This road going all the way to Sary-Chelek lake is one of the most unique roads in Kyrgyzstan.
Includes 2 tips.
This section near Arkit has a lot of snow everywhere and low broad leafed trees all around. This already unique landscape paired with the south to north driving direction makes it very easy to recognise.
This section of the M-010 is surrounded by beautiful spruce covered snowy mountains. Some snow has also gathered on the sides of the road.
There is another road with coverage to the east of the Chunkurchak road: it goes through a very rocky valley, with a variety of plants growing on the mountainsides, of which only some have small amounts of snow. You can also see some snow in the valley, and more so towards the south.
You can easily recognise this side road, labelled as A367 on the map, from the snow covered mountain ranges in every direction. The sun to the south is almost blinding.
NOTE: This section of road features the Black Dot Mirror.
This slightly northeast-bound road north of Bishkek can easily be recognised from the sunset coverage.
The road south of Jeti Oguz goes through a valley. The general landscape in this valley is very green by Kyrgyzstan standards, there are plenty of trees and bushes growing in the valley and on the hills. You can see small patches of snow still on the ground. From most of the valley, you can still see the Tian Shan mountains to the north, and other snowy mountains to the south. The valley also contains these unique orange rock formations.
The road north of Grigorievka goes through a stunning river valley. This is one of the most unique roads in Kyrgyzstan. You can easily recognise it from the spruce covered mountains in this rocky valley. The lack of snow is also notable.
The northern half of this road is on an open rolling field with pine forests scattered around.
There is a side road north of the Orto Tokoy Reservoir that has very broken coverage. This road is well maintained, and it passes through dry mountains. The only vegetation around is grass and shrubs. To the west, you can see this mountain which has little snow left. To the north, the mountains are dark, similar to silhouettes, and on the southern portion of the road, you will see the reservoir.
This remote gravel road southwest of Naryn passes through a dry and desolate valley. Despite the river, there is nothing but some shrubs on the ground. Many of the mountains in the valley have steep, rocky cliff sides. You will also find snow here, but more so in the south.
Street View coverage in Laos is very limited. Only five cities are covered: Vientiane, Vang Vieng, Luang Prabang, Savannakhet, and Pakse.
In addition, all coverage in Laos was taken by a Generation 3 camera.
All five cities have a distinct look and with some practise they are easily distinguishable from each other. The differences are discussed in more detail in the region-guessing section, but the summarized version is as follows:
Luang Prabang: historical architecture, hills, palms
Vang Vieng: distinct mountains
Vientiane: no roof rack, large city
Savannakhet: very flat
Pakse: red soil, arid, hills
Luang Prabang is located on the Mekong River and surrounded by low mountains and hills (not always visible).
This rugged mountain range can be seen from almost any point in Vang Vieng, and is the most reliable way of recognizing it.
NOTE: Vang Vieng has very limited coverage; by far the least out of all 5 Lao cities. The actual coverage is also south of the Vang Vieng label on the map.
The road that goes through the conservation area features uniquely hilly terrain for Laos. Landscape around the road is also very dry, and mostly forested. Additionally, the road is in good condition with coloured curbs and dashed outer lines.
NOTE: It is the only single lane road that has black and white or yellow and white curbs.
Savannakhet is very flat: the only mountains that are visible are on the other side of the Mekong river, in Thailand.
It is also recognizable as its soil has a slight red tinge, however not as red as Pakse.
NOTE: On Google Maps, the label for Savannakhet is hidden under the label of the Thai province of Mukdahan until you zoom in relatively close. You can find Savannakhet by going west of Xeno.
The southern city of Pakse is easily recognizable thanks to the distinct red soil.
The vegetation is also uniquely dry, with equally dry hills nearby.
This 1380-metre long bridge crosses the Mekong River next to the city of Pakse. It is the only major bridge in Laos with coverage.
The area south of Jelgava is characterised by a wide open landscape with considerably less forest and more fields than most of the rest of Latvia.
Lebanon has a Mediterranean landscape, with a lot of hills and rocky cliffs.
Most of the coverage is concentrated near the west coast, north of Beirut.
The region around Zahle has flat agricultural fields, with mountains visible to the northwest.
Northern Lebanon is very flat and agricultural. You might see the mountains to the southeast.
Coverage was taken along parts of the promenade in Beirut, with a grey brick pavement and a large number of fan palms.
Campus Debbieh of the Beirut Arab University consists of somewhat sparsely built large modern sandstone buildings on top of a forested hill. The ocean can typically be seen far away to the west.
The trekker near Bsharri can be recognised by the large canyon to the south.
The only rural coastal road with trekker coverage in Lebanon can be found southwest of Tripoli.
One of the best ways to identify the country are the characteristic ‘Lesotho mountains’. They are bare and treeless, often have tabletop-like shapes, and recognizable horizontal rocky ridgelines.
Depending on where you are in the country, the mountains can vary a bit in appearance. Especially inland areas towards the southeast, where they appear more like rolling green hills rather than isolated tabletop mountains. However, you will still often be able to see the horizontal rocky ridges.
Many people in Lesotho wear traditional clothing. Most recognizably, a lot of people can be seen wearing a Basotho woollen blanket.
Lesotho is a very rural society. You will often see a lot of free-roaming livestock on Lesotho’s roads: most commonly cows, but also horses, donkeys, and other farm animals.
Coverage in Lesotho is very sparse, particularly in the southeastern half, where it’s mostly limited to yellow roads. All urban coverage is found in the northwest.
Lesotho can be roughly divided into two regions, based on landscape: flat and mountainous.
In the flat region, the road itself runs through a mostly flat or hilly landscape. “Flat” is a bit of a misnomer, as you will usually still see tabletop-like mountains around you. However they will usually be significantly further away from the road, giving you a more clear line of sight. This “flat” part is the region with the most coverage, settlements and agriculture.
Conversely, in the mountainous part, the road will usually be directly on the side of the mountain, instead of slightly away from it. The mountains are often large, closer to the road, and covered in green grass.
Coverage in the mountainous part of Lesotho is very sparse: there are only 6 main roads (and a couple of very small off-roads) with coverage, meaning that you can learn each road by heart if you feel so inclined.
There are two large man-made water reservoirs in the mountainous part of Lesotho, which can be seen from several road sections.
The larger Katse reservoir is visible from parts of the A25. The smaller Mohale reservoir is visible from an off-road of the A3.
NOTE: Do not confuse these with the small industrial lake found near the Letseng diamond mine.
On a section of the A25, just east of the big reservoir, the camera is covered in raindrops in one direction.
The road going from Ramatsediso to Sehlabathebe NP, in the southeast on the border with South Africa, is very recognizable. Consider guessing there if the following three things are all true for your location:
Unpaved road with light brown soil.
Good weather with little fluffy clouds.
Grassy landscape high in the mountains.
You will also often be able to see exposed, light-coloured rocks next to the road.
Qacha's Nek is a very recognizable town that is located far away from most other towns, on the southeastern border with South Africa.
It is situated right in the middle of green mountains, and it had noticeably bad weather when the Google car drove there.
Most coverage in Liechtenstein is situated in a somewhat flat river valley, but with tall mountains in almost every direction. In particular, within this valley, you will almost always be able to see the nearby mountains towering above you to the east. Most of the mountainous coverage is just on the slopes of the mountains, with only a small amount properly in the mountains.
As a result of the flat Rhine River Valley, Liechtenstein has a lot of pastures and other agricultural land.
Triesenberg and its surroundings are a fairly densely populated area on the slope of the mountains just east of the Rhine River Valley, which can often be seen below to the west.
Mountains can be seen all around in the coverage east of the mountain ridge that cuts through Liechtenstein.
Around Ruggell, there is a small, forested ridgeline to the south. This is a big contrast to the towering mountains seen elsewhere.
Around Mauren, you can see the aforementioned ridge to the north, but this side of the hills is much more developed and urban. And to the south and southeast, you will see the much bigger mountains usually seen to the east.
There is a set of rolling hills that run from Bendern, northeast, to the Austrian border. The rest of Liechtenstein is either very flat or in the mountains.
In the flat area west of Balzers, with the northeast-oriented gridded roads, to the North/Northwest, you can often see two rocky peaks on the Swiss side.
This steep rocky cliff with trees at its base and on the top can be seen in and around Mäls.
The only lakes in Liechtenstein are located just south of Steg, near the middle of the mountains.
Lithuania has less forest cover than the other two Baltic countries. As a result, the landscape appears more open and agricultural. Your mileage may vary depending on the round however, so use this meta with some caution.
Lithuania is overall a fairly flat country, with no hills over 300 metres. However, you can sometimes distinguish the hilly areas from the more flat areas. The biggest hills are in the southeast, with some hills in the central part of the west.
The Curonian Spit is a long thin sand-dune spit south of Klaipeda, that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea. The main road on this spit, road 167, has a recognizable combination of landscape and road direction:
The road is surrounded on all sides by forest with many Baltic pines. In many places, you will see slightly windswept trees (visible in the example image).
Almost all of Luxembourg’s landscape consists of green rolling hills, with a patchwork of agriculture and forests.
NOTE: If you see a yellow licence plate, and you are not sure what country it belongs to, landscape is often a good clue: almost all of the Netherlands is completely flat.
The north of the country is hillier and has an overall higher elevation than the south.
Vineyards are primarily found in the southeast of the country.
A hilly, rural region of Macau can be found in the south. Roads are narrow, winding up hills with trees on both sides. A helpful clue are the lamp posts, which are commonly seen.
When this area appears in a world map, it can be confusing to newer players, as there are very few language or architecture clues available. The washed out early Generation 2 coverage can help with identifying it as being located in Macau.
Most coverage features one or several people walking alongside the trekker. These people can be used both to recognise the country and to regionguess it.
The climate of Madagascar generally varies from extremely dry in the southern and central parts, to tropical in the north.
The coverage in Ambanja can be recognized by a person wearing a dark blue T-shirt and black sunglasses.
The coverage on the island of Nosy Ambariovato can be recognized by the people, one wearing a blue T-shirt and sunglasses on their forehead, one with a light red T-shirt and one with a darker red tank top. There is also a fourth person in some of the coverage, wearing a light blue T-shirt. The coverage is very hilly and forested.
There is a village by the northern shore of Nosy Ambariovato.
Ambiky can be recognized by the large number of palms combined with the brown, sandy dirt road. In most of the coverage, there is a person walking in front of the trekker with a grey T-shirt and a brown backpack.
A beach west of Ambiky can be recognized by the low trees combined with low mountains to the northwest.
There are three major sections of coverage along the Sambirano river, most of which can be identified with the single person, wearing a dark blue T-shirt and sunglasses on their forehead. The same person is also present on Nosy Ambariovato.
A couple of atolls on the central west coast can be seen on Street View. The northernmost is the smallest, and is easily recognizable as it only consists of sand and you can always see from one shore to the other.
NOTE: Among the five atolls with land coverage, only the two furthest south appear on the map.
The other atolls can be recognized by their small size relative to other landmasses and the broad leaved palms which is rarely found anywhere else in the country.
Most of the coverage in Antananarivo was taken on the side of a hill looking out over the city, which leads up to the Queen’s Palace, which can be seen near the top of the hill.
The coverage on the RN8 between Andriamena and Marofandilia can easily be recognized by the large silver roof rack on the Street View car. The coverage is very dry and sandy.
The trekker next to the RN8 can be recognized by its extreme dryness, combined with the four people wearing red, blue, grey and light blue respectively.
Morondava has a very smooth sand beach, with the ocean to the northwest. There are a large number of palms visible.
Belo Sur Mer can be recognized by the large number of palms combined with the blanket of white sand on the ground.
The beach outside Belo Sur Mer can be recognized by the somewhat dirty sand and the curved shoreline with the ocean to the northwest.
A piece of coverage, partly taken on a large grassy field, and partly on the side of a sand dune, can be found south of Manahy.
A village with the shore to the east can be found north of Andavadoaka.
A small, very sandy village with the shore to the north can be seen on a small cape north of Andavadoaka. Part of the coverage was taken just outside the shoreline.
The town of Andavadoaka can be recognized by three different people appearing on the coverage; One wearing a greyish hat and a light blue shirt, and two with red and white T-shirts.
A blue cart dragged by a black cow on the left and a brown-white cow on the right can be found south of Andavadoaka.
Another cart dragged by a white cow on the left and a black and white cow on the right can be found just south of Andavadoaka.
A small seaside village, with little to no visible people can be found in the northern end of the bay, south of Andavadoaka.
Coverage on a somewhat rocky ground with no people following the trekker can be found southwest of the bay.
Coverage with multiple different people walking near and around the trekker, and with a small village to the west, can be found in the southeastern part of the bay. Part of the coverage goes through a very shallow body of water.
A cluster of fishing nets can be found in the bay.
The Tsaranoro Massif is a large monolithic mountain with trekker coverage. The steep mountainsides, combined with the mountainous area surrounding the coverage makes it very recognizable. The four people following the trekker can also occasionally be a useful clue.
A small part of the coverage in Tsaranoro was taken inside a forest, which occasionally hides the surrounding mountains. The best way to recognize this area is the relatively dark coverage, combined with the four people following the trekker.
A small settlement is found in the northeastern end of Tsaranoro. The mountains can typically be seen in the background.
The second part with the same two people is found to the east of St Augustin, going through a hilly landscape with a lot of shrubs.
A white boat, containing many people, can be found going around the island of Nosy Ambariovato.
A mainly blue boat can be found along the coast south of Nosy Ambariovato.
A row boat containing five people with a wide wooden frame surrounding it can be found northwest of Ambohimena.
A boat going up the Sambirano River can be seen with two people; a tourist with a blue T-shirt and a gondolier with a brown shirt. The northernmost part of the coverage is very dark, as it was taken during sunset.
The boat covering some small atolls along the central parts of the west coast can be recognized by the driver, wearing a white cap and no shirt.
The boat north of Andavadoaka can mostly be recognized by the large sail almost filling up the entire screen and the bow which is painted yellow and blue. Note that the sail is not present in the northern parts of the coverage.
Four people; one dressed in red, one in blue and one in yellow in the back, and one dressed in brown at the front, can be seen on a boat by the town of St Augustin.
Madeira is a very mountainous and semi-tropical island.
NOTE: The Azores are less mountainous and more temperate.
Due to the lack of flat terrain, terrace farming is extensively practised on the island. Stone walls are used to separate the individual plateaus.
Low altitude clouds are typical on the island, and are often seen on street view.
Foggy coverage is quite common.
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.
The road east of the plateau can be recognized by its unique mountain formations and the black-and-yellow guardrail on the side of the road.
The eastern tip of the island is very arid with little to no vegetation.
Pico Areeiro is the second highest mountain on the island, and the highest with coverage. It can be recognized by its view over most of the island, and the white radar station at the top.
The Penha d'Águia is located in northeastern Madeira, isolated on an elevated hill.
Cascata dos Anjos is situated in the southwest and is a popular location on the island. It is a 100-metre-high waterfall, which cascades onto the road below.
The islands of Ribeira de Janela, located in the northwest, are a famous photographer spot with their vertical, jagged shape.
These dark, sharp rock formations with an island in the background are found in Porto Moniz in the northwest.
Assuming you are on Borneo: the state of Sabah is very mountainous, and much of the coverage is on mountain roads like this one.
NOTE: Sarawak generally has flatter roads. Even if you see mountains, they will usually be at a distance.
These isolated rock formations, rising abruptly from an otherwise flat landscape, can be found near the Thai border in Perlis state.
Mali is generally an arid country. Seeing a sandy, dry landscape can help with immediately distinguishing the Mali tripods from most tripods in other countries.
The exterior of the mosque in Gao can be recognised by the large desolate space outside the walls, the ground consisting of reddish dirt, and some trees in the background.
The Djenné mosque has a very recognizable front, with some distant trees and a clear sky. The mosque is surrounded by low houses, making the area look fairly open.
This natural rocky gorge is part of the Bandiagara Escarpment. It features dry trees and bushes following the path. It is located southwest of Sangha Ogol Leye, and is the only completely rural coverage in Mali.
The general landscape of Malta consists of slightly hilly dry agricultural fields. Many roads are also only 1 or 2 lanes wide, due to the island’s size. Having a mediterranean climate, cacti and various dry shrubs can be seen.
This trekker on a ship that is painted white and blue can be seen between the main island and Gozo Island.
Habitation Clément is a rum distillery covered by a trekker. Due to it being pinpointable, some locations are on maps such as ACW. There are several landscapes in and around the distillery, including:
A warehouse with a truck and a forklift.
A view of the outside with hills in the background and machinery on display.
A rural dirt track outside with red soil and palm trees.
The inside of the distillery with the structure made of H-beam steel.
The coastal southern trekker can be recognized by a few unique things:
In the north, the trekker starts off walking on a slightly hilly path, with other people.
Several houses with orange roofs can be seen.
A flatter and more open path can be seen, with the ocean slightly visible through the trees.
The coverage ends in the south with a car park and some stalls.
The Jardin de Balata trekker is the most tropical and humid feeling on Martinique. The trekker can be recognized by dark and damp feeling, the trees with buttress roots, ferns and bamboo. This man wearing a black shirt and grey cap can sometimes be seen with the trekker.
Vast fields of blue agave (Agave tequilana), used to produce tequila, are mostly found in Jalisco and Nayarit.
Red agricultural fields are commonly seen in Zacatecas and occasionally southern Durango.
The Monterrey metropolitan area features tall stunning mountain ranges that surround the city.
The western parts of Chihuahua and Durango can feature a rocky mountainous landscape covered with pine forests. In general, these pines are shorter and more stunted in appearance than pine forests of the central or south.
Extremely dark fields are common in Guanajuato.
These reddish brown-tinged hills, often accompanied by large boulders, are a common sight for the northern half of Baja California.
These red agricultural fields surrounded by dense forests of tropical trees are most common in northern Campeche.
These walls made of light coloured rock are found in the Yucatan peninsula, but most common in Yucatan state.
The area around Mexicali features flat farmland with a ridge to the west. Washingtonia palms are very common and these poles made out of brown wood can be found.
The area around Poza Rica in Veracruz features a lot of citrus tree plantations. It is common to see large amounts of these trees grown right on top of the hills.
The twin volcanoes of Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl are found on the border between the State of Mexico and Puebla. Keep in mind that they are usually much less visible than depicted in the image, which is just for reference.
Cerro del Bernal is a distinct extinct volcano that is found in southern Tamaulipas. It can be found heading directly northwest of Tampico or west of Morón.
This extremely long and flat ridge is found in the Sierra del Abra Tanchipa Biosphere Reserve in eastern San Luis Potosi.
This tall, flat ridge, with very prominent ridgelines, belongs to the Maderas del Carmen Biosphere Reserve in Northern Coahuila near the US border.
NOTE: The only road the mountain range can be observed from is the Federal Highway 53 that leads to Boquillas del Carmen.
The area around San Cristóbal Suchixtlahuaca and south of it in Oaxaca often feature rolling hills with really distinct orange and beige-tinged soil, passing from one colour to the other with each hill. The beige-tinged soil can be seen more prominent in some locations.
The town of Guaymas has a lot of jagged cliffs and mountains that make the area very distinct. The soil is also distinctly pinkish and organ-pipe cacti can be seen scattered on the hills and next to the road.
The town of Los Coloradas is famously known for the pink lakes around the area.
The 40D that crosses the Sinaloa-Durango state line is recognizable by the stunning lush cliffs and mountains along the road. The highway commonly passes through tunnels and the road itself features double yellow middle roadlines.
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.
This white truck with visible rearview mirrors can be seen in the Cofre de Perote national park.
Monaco is a European microstate on the French Riviera, a few kilometres west of the border with Italy.
Monaco is a rich and densely populated city state, with a Mediterranean feel to it. The architecture is similar to cities in southern France and northern Italy, but more luxurious. You will see a lot of apartment buildings, neoclassical details, and pastel colours. There are essentially no rural areas.
Monaco is a hilly country. The very few areas that are not built up show mediterranean vegetation.
Rows of parked mopeds are a common sight around Monaco’s streets.
In the harbour, there is an extensive Generation 3 trekker on a boat. The Google employee’s brown hair and sunglasses are visible. You can see Monaco’s skyline and the hills beyond it. There are a lot of expensive yachts around.
This trekker shows up a lot in the official competitive game modes, so it is worth remembering.
Mongolia can typically be identified by the steppe biomes found across the country. While some forested areas are found in Mongolia, most of the country features empty grasslands or deserts with a characteristic lack of trees. It is not uncommon to find rugged, rocky or rolling hills as well as rivers and lakes across Mongolia.
It is very common to see large herds of animals in Mongolia, including horses, yaks, cows, sheep, goats, and camels.
Decorated piles of stones, known as ovoos, are used as ceremonial markers or shrines throughout Mongolia and are common to see.
Mongolia has very limited coverage, mainly along highways and in large towns. Learning which roads and towns have coverage can be very useful. The highest coverage density can be found around the capital of Ulaanbaatar.
NOTE: Mongolia has lots of hidden coverage that will generally not be discussed in the guide.
You can click on the map to enlarge it.
You can find forests, typically surrounded by grassy fields, all around northern Mongolia. Generally these will be Siberian Larches, with pines and birches being common as well.
Small dirt tracks within flat, vast grassy fields are mainly found in far eastern Mongolia.
There are several areas with off-road desert coverage in southern Mongolia. Most of this coverage is directly south or east of the town of Mandalgovi.
There are a couple of paved desert roads in southern Mongolia.
You can learn more about these roads later in the guide.
These dry, rugged hills and mountains are common to see in far western Mongolia.
Lakes and rivers are much more common in western Mongolia.
Fall coverage in Mongolia gives rise to very distinct orange-coloured trees and grass, and can only be found in a few areas; mostly between the towns of Lun and Hatgal, with some fall coverage around Ulaanbaatar. Trees are more commonly seen the further north you are.
NOTE: Some of the generation 4 coverage in Ulaanbaatar was also taken in the fall.
Around the town of Bugant is a large forest that stands out for having narrow dirt trails with close trees, typically on both sides, in a way that can appear quite Russian. Additionally, it is very common to see birches around this area.
Keep in mind that the dirt trails in this forest do not appear on the map.
The capital city, Ulaanbaatar, is by far the biggest city in Mongolia, with about 50% of the entire country's population living in it. As such, its urban development and sheer size is unlike anywhere else in Mongolia. The cityscape is bustling with many high rise buildings, chain stores, travelling cars, buses, and pedestrians, as well as clean roads and sidewalks. Meanwhile, the suburbs can be recognized from the vast yurt districts in hilly areas. Generation 4 coverage is common, however Generation 3 winter coverage is also common to see in the suburbs.
The Choir Highway is the longest covered paved road in Mongolia, running from Nalaikh down to Zamiin-Uud on the Chinese border, and is mostly desert. The dry brown soil, lack of vegetation, clear skies, and general flatness are all characteristic of this road. Additionally, a railroad runs along the entire highway, which can be seen west of the highway north of Sainshand, and east of the highway south of Sainshand. Between the towns of Sainshand and Erdene there is some overcast coverage.
The other main desert highway in Mongolia runs through Mandalgovi, and can be differentiated from the Choir Highway by its cloudy skies, darker pavement, and deep blue tent instead of the tentless car.
The Mandalgovi Highway runs south of the capital and was covered during a blizzard, making it extremely snowy and foggy. It also has a deep blue tent, which is found along this entire road, and a flat landscape which can differentiate it from other snowy roads.
The Millenium Road runs just west of the town of Lun, and has late fall coverage, combined with a dry climate that gives it characteristic orange short grass. The silver tent, clear skies, and general flatness with low rolling hills also help in identifying this road. The sun gradually sets as the car continues west until it becomes sunset at the end of the road.
NOTE: At the end of the road, the car continues travelling northwest up to Murun on off-road dirt trails.
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.
The highway connecting the towns of Chinggis and Baruun-Urt stands out as one of the only paved highways in the east. It is considerably cloudy and the road seems freshly paved, making it a very dark road, combined with a mostly flat landscape.
A railroad can be seen along almost the entire road to the town of Khuder in the north. It is usually very close to the road, but can occasionally be quite far away, in which case it can still be identified by the mound it is built upon. In the western half of this road, the river to the south can also be seen.
Keep in mind that this railroad does not appear on the map.
In the eastern grasslands, the Street View car has a light blue tent and a forward-facing snorkel.
North of Ulaanbaatar you can find this car, which has the same blue tent as the eastern tent, but with a backwards-facing snorkel. The snorkel can sometimes be difficult to see, so use other additional clues such as rolling hills and forests to confirm the region.
NOTE: The highway in pink can have either the blue tent car or the tentless car with snow coverage.
The tent with 2 straps and a single knot in the straps covers most of northwestern Mongolia.
NOTE: Occasionally, camera stitching can hide the knot.
The tent with the lower strap in a clump covers most of central-southern Mongolia, along the road from Ulaanbaatar to Altai.
You can find a tent with an open zipper in central Mongolia, near the town of Khorgo.
Erdenet is the second largest city in Mongolia. As such, it has many multistory buildings that can be seen from across town, a large stadium, and a ferris wheel in the south of the city. It is surrounded by large barren hills to the south and to the north, and was covered on a cloudy day in the winter, meaning all vegetation is dead.
NOTE: Erdenet can look very similar to Darkhan and Ulaanbaatar, but the lack of snow distinguishes it from Darkhan, while the cloudy skies and lack of rubber inlays on the roof racks can be used to distinguish it from Ulaanbaatar.
Sukhbaatar and Altanbulag are two neighbouring towns in the north near the Russian border. They have dry, forested hills all around and heavy overcast coverage. Sukhbaatar is completely overcast while Altanbulag is slightly less cloudy.
NOTE: Murun and Choibalsan are two other towns that also have overcast coverage, but lack forested hills and have different Street View cars.
Chinggis is a major town in the east with red straps on the front of the tent. It is a fairly dry and flat town with small hills to the north, and somewhat cloudy skies.
NOTE: Dundburd and Bayan-Ovoo are the only other towns with the same tent, but are much smaller towns with no paved roads.
The town of Khalkhgol in far east Mongolia can be recognized by its flat, green landscape with low rolling hills and a giant sword statue visible in the distance.
The town of Dariganga can be recognized by the distinctive hill present to the northwest of the town in an otherwise flat landscape.
Sainshand is the largest town in the desert region and it has a dry climate, many buildings, and paved roads. A dry ridge separates the northern and southern parts of the town, distinguishing Sainshand from other desert towns that are mostly flat. In the downtown area you can find a miniature pink eiffel tower.
Mandalgovi is a large desert town with notably cloudy coverage. It’s the only large desert town apart from Dalanzadgad which is not on the Choir Highway, and it has a deep blue tent instead of the tentless car.
Dalanzadgad can be easily recognised by its distinct sunset coverage. Additionally it has a dry climate, fall-coloured grass, rocky hills to the south, some smoke stacks, and a unique loose tent cover on the left side.
Arvaikheer is a large central town recognizable by the warm, green, and grassy landscape in gen 4, with low rolling hills in every direction. Often you can see the town’s ferris wheel in a park in the centre of town.
NOTE: In older coverage, a distinct camera smudge can be seen on the right side of the camera.
The town of Bayankhongor, in central Mongolia, has an overall dry landscape and can be recognized from the nearby large dry hill to the east, with the Soyombo symbol inscribed onto it.
NOTE: In older coverage, a distinct camera smudge can be seen on the right side of the camera.
In the central town of Tsetserleg, you will see these distinct rocky, rugged hills, with small trees growing on them to the north. It has very clear skies and the neighbourhoods can often be seen on the hilly slopes.
Murun is a town in the north built on a north-south grid with a large jagged hill nearby to the north. It has a lot of alley coverage with dark cloudy skies and muddy, unpaved roads.
NOTE: Murun occasionally has sunny coverage where it isn’t cloudy, so consider other clues as well.
Hatgal is a small lake town on the Khuvsgul Lake. It can be recognized from its fall coverage with orange trees and grass, and the large lake in the northeast, where the Khuvsgul Ice Festival is held every year.
Uliastai is a central-western Mongolian town, surrounded by large, green nearby hills. It is common to see a decent amount of trees or the river that runs through the town. In the centre of town, you can find a small hill with the Soyombo symbol inscribed on it.
In the town of Altai, you can see a range of dark, distant hills to the south and west and low rolling hills to the north and east. Additionally, it is common to see wet roads, as most of the coverage occurred after heavy rain.
NOTE: In older coverage, a unique tent can be seen, which is inflated on the left side.
Ölgii is a large town in the west, that is surrounded by close, dry rocky mountains. Towards the south end of town, there is a tall red & white radio tower, that can be seen from all across town and is quite distinct to Ölgii.
In the westmost part of Mongolia, there is some very remote coverage showcasing the tallest mountains in Mongolia where you can see glaciers and snow-capped peaks. This area also has a unique Street View car with a green or black bag above the right side roof racks.
East of Uvs lake, you can find a lot of these small shrubs and patchy grass in a somewhat flat landscape.
NOTE: Similar shrubs can be found around Shaazgai Lake, but that area is considerably more hilly.
Khan Khokhii is a national park in northwestern Mongolia with some of the most dense forests in the country. It has partially cloudy skies, dark soil, and the western grey tent.
Keep in mind that the trails in this park do not appear on the map.
NOTE: There are other forests in Mongolia, but Khan Khokhii is one of the biggest and one of the only areas where you can be completely surrounded by trees.
The Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park, in the far south of Mongolia, features bright orange sand and sand dunes. There are two separate spots covered in the park: one in the middle just north of Sevrei, which has distant southern mountains, and the other in the far southwest corner of the park, which has a Jeep follow car.
Yolyn Am Valley is located just west of Dalanzadgad and can be identified by the extremely foggy coverage, and having dark coloured soil and hills.
This beautiful river valley, just west of Lake Hatgal in the Khoridol Saridag mountains, is very recognizable from the surrounding rocky cliffs and forests, and the ground that is completely covered in pebbles.
East of the town of Khorgo there is a large stretch of road which was driven during a rainstorm. It features much darker skies, rain drops on the camera, and occasionally a rainbow can be seen.
Montenegro is a small, mountainous country. Inland mountains are lush and green, while most coastal mountains have distinct exposed, light coloured rock. Most roads are also only 1 or 2 lanes wide.
Green, agricultural valleys with deforested hills to make way for farmland are most commonly seen in the north.
The Bay of Kotor has a touristy and populated feel to it, with many people dressed in swimwear. A distinct steep, rocky ridge can also be seen.
Dry mountains with a lack of trees are seen around Podgorica, and to the south of it. Vineyards are also commonly seen in this region.
Durmitor National Park can be recognized by a distinct landscape consisting of grassy, treeless mountains with a high-altitude feel.
The town of Žabljak is situated in this national park, and can be recognized by the landscape but also by the unique architecture.
These distinct staircase-like mountainsides can be seen in the Cemi River Valley.
Many small islands can be seen within Slansko Lake.
The Pljevlja Coal Mine can be recognized by the wide, artificial wall of gravel. The mine can often be seen from afar.
Roads surrounded by tall and lush trees on both sides will generally place you in the north of the country. The more trees and the greener they are, the further north-northeast you should click.
The landscape east of Windhoek closely resembles that of Botswana, with a generally flat and dry landscape, featuring slightly reddish soil, short golden grass and shrubbery, as well as acacia trees.
Dry mountains and hills dominate much of the western and southern parts of the country.
Further northwest, you’ll find a somewhat greener region, where the mountains and hills will be covered in shrubbery and trees.
This pocket south of Tsumeb features the most lush coverage in Namibia, with the grass and mountains being completely green in colour.
Around Windhoek, you’ll find a small region with a somewhat dry rolling hills landscape, with hills that are covered in dry yellow grass and dead-looking bushes and small trees.
A coastal sandy landscape with the occasional sand dunes can be found around and north of Swakopmund, as well as two small pockets around Luderitz and Oranjemund further south.
The southeast part of Namibia has countless small ridges that are NW to SE in orientation. Roads ‘riding’ these red sandy ridges appear bumpy, almost like a rollercoaster. Roads winding between the ridges make them appear like miniature valleys.
Tall pink sand dunes are mainly found just east of Sossusvlei, and can also be seen from further away on a few roads.
Vineyards are exclusively found around Aussenkehr on the South African border in the south.
These somewhat baity agricultural fields can be found just west of Mariental.
Road A1 between Windhoek and Okahandja, featuring a savannah-like landscape, is just one of two major roads that are divided in Namibia. The other one can be found just southeast of Swakopmund, and features a dry coastal landscape, with light sandy soil and sand dunes.
Road B1 south of Grunau is a desolate paved road going generally N-NE through a desert landscape with only very low and dry vegetation.
The section of road B1 between Mariental and Rehoboth can be recognised by a combination of the generic arid steppe landscape, the paved road, and mainly the distinct NW bound road angle. It can also help to know that the sun is in the SE for this section.
Around Rehoboth the landscape gradually becomes more vegetated, and as you get closer to Windhoek, the hills become more prominent, with a lot of somewhat pointed lonestanding hills, as well as ridges being visible. The weather is fairly clear with small clouds across the sky.
North of Okahandja, the B1 follows a general northbound direction, with the sun shining brightly to the N-NW. The sky is otherwise clear of clouds. As for the landscape, it’s flatter than around Windhoek, with only the occasional hill or mountain, otherwise the short golden grass, somewhat green acacia trees and shrubbery further away from the road is typical for middle to north Namibia.
South of Sukses, you’ll see these two pointy mountains, one of which has a sharper peak than the other, to the west of the road.
You can recognise the B2 NE of Swakopmund by the sandy soil, and the mountain ridge visible to the east. A few lone mountains or hills can be seen to the NW as well. Beware that close to Swakopmund the sky is hazy, and you’ll not see the ridge. On this stretch, the coastal looking sandy soil and the NE bound road angle is still generally sufficient to confirm the road.
A bit further east, between Karibib and Usakos, you’ll find sunrise coverage combined with a sky covered in fairly thin clouds. There are mountains to the north, as well as smaller hills just south of the road, while it's mostly flat to the E-NE.
East of Karibib, the weather becomes completely clear, and the mountains are only visible further in the distance. The wide shoulder lines combined with the E-NE road angle makes this section distinct.
This desolate paved road goes in a general E-SE direction through a fairly flat and dry landscape. Small clouds dot the sky. The shrubbery is quite green for the most part, especially in the east, which is also very hilly.
NOTE: The easiest way to tell it apart from parts of the B4 is the eastwards driving direction on this road, as opposed to westwards on the B4.
The B4 east of Luderitz has almost blindingly bright sandy soil. The landscape close to the road is generally flat, with hills and mountains in the distance. Close to Luderitz the landscape becomes much hillier. A railway follows the road closely on the south side for most of this section.
East of Aus, the road winds through some table-topped mountains, with the railway still just to the south. A similar landscape can briefly be found further east on the road, just east of the intersection with the D432, however the mountains are bigger, closer to the road and redder in colour.
After the road climbs onto the plateau east of Kuibis, the landscape will seem mostly flat until you reach the intersection with the D432, but you can notice the road having a gradual incline for long stretches. The soil around is very red in colour, with limited shrubbery or signs of life. The weather is clear, with some clouds far in the distance.
Between Seeheim and Keetmanshoop, the landscape close to the road is flat, with mountains always close by. Just east of Seeheim, you’ll see a short ridge to the NE, with a lone mountain just west of it, as well as a long ridge far away to the west. A bit east, on the NE-bound stretch, mountains are in all directions, but you’ll see a long uneven tabletop ridge to the west. A railroad can also be seen to the south on this stretch.
Road B6 goes in a general eastwards direction from Windhoek, with the landscape ranging from hilly close to Windhoek, to mostly flat closer to Gobabis. The soil is somewhat orange in colour, with short green grass and otherwise green vegetation growing from it. The cloud cover also varies, but no part of this road has a clear sky.
NOTE: The only other similar paved road, road C39, has brighter soil.
Bright soil, clear skies with cloud cover to the east over a tabletop mountain ridge makes this paved N-NW bound road distinct.
The C14 bears resemblance to the previous road, except this road is unpaved, and the skies are covered in a blanket of clouds, especially in the northern half. Near the southern end, the sky becomes clear.
NOTE: The stretch south of Bethanien is paved.
The C22 is a paved road generally going east, with freshly cut, orange tufts of grass along the road. A couple of large, rocky hills almost hug the road near the middle. The blinding sun low on the horizon to the east can also be helpful.
NOTE: A short stretch near Okakarara was taken at a different time, making it less distinct. Look for the low ridge N-NW and the sun to the NNE to confirm.
A large rugged mountain formation can be seen to the west from the paved C13. Other smaller hills and mountains can be seen in other directions. Light coloured soil hugs the road, while more orange coloured soil can be seen further from the road, with light green vegetation and shrubbery acting as a contrast.
Another easy way to get the road is to look for the wispy clouds trying to hide the sun in the east.
The C34 looks like darker streaks of black sand surrounded by more sand as far as the eye can see. Some coastal shrubbery, and even the coast can be seen in some parts. Unique white bollards with two yellow reflectors on the front, and one red in the back can also be seen along the road at regular intervals.
Red tinted and slightly grainy pavement along with the green savannah-like grassy landscape crowned with low-lying cumulus clouds can be used to recognise the northern section of road C35.
South of the C41 intersection, the road loses its red pavement, and the quality worsens. The landscape is less grassy, and more sandy, with hills to the west, though often hidden behind the vegetation. The road generally goes in a S-SE direction. Further south, it gets hillier, and parts will have a more SE bound angle. The sky is consistently covered by scattered cirrostratus and cumulus clouds.
A short section NW of Kamanjab along with the same somewhat green and hilly landscape, features an impressive array of clouds in the sky, with the sun attempting to peek out from the west. Hues of orange can be seen on the horizon.
A very rugged mountain formation can be seen to the west from a few sections of the C35 and its sideroads.
The C38 is yet another indistinct paved northern road with sandy soil, somewhat green vegetation and short grass lining the road. The sky, which is covered with a spotty blanket of clouds, is generally the most distinct clue. The sun is faintly shining through the clouds to the north.
Most of the C39 travels through a wide valley, with small vegetation-covered hills on both sides, which are mostly visible to the north. The N-NE angle and puffy cumulus clouds dotting the sunny sky are also noteworthy.
The C40 has a general NW angle going through flat terrain with the usual northern landscape of short grass next to the road, trees further away and some hills further in the distance. Similar to the C39, a lot of cumulus clouds dot the sky, and the closer to Kamanjab you get, the lower the sun sets to the west.
East of the intersection with the C35, the road has a constant SW to NW angle, and grainy pavement. The grass looks soft to the touch, and the somewhat sandy soil is typical of this region. Cumulus clouds dot the sky.
West of the C35 intersection, the same grainy pavement and clouds remain, but the landscape is much hillier, and the road angle changes.
Along the C43 you can find some of the most impressive red-coloured tabletop mountains. The road is wide and unpaved with light coloured gravel contrasting the otherwise red landscape.
The C47 is an even wider unpaved road, with slightly redder soil when compared to the C44. The road angle on this road is NE bound, with a SW driving direction. You can also look for either a clear sky, or wispy clouds.
The D3600 and the unlabelled road going NE to Mpungu, have a very light coloured, sometimes grainy pavement, with at times very faded yellow lines, which are hard to even see. Combined with the either exactly N to S or NE angle, as well as the northern landscape, make this road very distinct.
A few roads in the north lack the typical outer yellows.
The C46, which is a long road going generally NW to SE. The E-W section by Ruacana, has very poor pavement. SE of Oshikuku, the sun is low in the sky to the NW.
C41 (M123) also has a NW angle but has more clouds in the sky than the C46.
B10 west of Eenhana is an E-W stretch, which is more vegetated, and also has the sun low in the sky to the west.
B10 east of Nkurenkuru is another NW bound stretch with the sun low in the sky, but this part is much more vegetated than the C46. You can also see the moon to the east.
D3615 is a short road with a constant N-NE angle that technically has outer yellows, but they are quite faded.
The coastal cities of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay are flat and often have sandy streets, with palms and Norfolk pines planted around. Street and road signs often have square-shaped signposts.
Road angles can be used to line up parts of the city, but a northeast bound angle is common in both.
These white and blue plastic containers are common in Swakopmund, as are yellow lamp posts in downtown areas.
While very similar to Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, Henties Bay is less gridded and noticeably poorer, with most roads being unpaved. Unlike in Swakopmund, where yellow lamps are only found near the downtown, here they can occasionally be found throughout the town.
The cloudy weather can be used to confirm the town.
Langstrand is a small resort town between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay with pink brick sidewalks next to essentially every road. The weather is always overcast and gloomy.
Light coloured rocky hillsides are everywhere in the hilly coastal town of Luderitz.
While not as common, the same thatched architecture is present in Noordoewer, and unlike Aussenkehr, the town was built on flat land, with an imposing cliffside visible to the southwest, across the border in South Africa. Similar mountains can be seen to the north as well.
Rosh Pinah can easily be recognised by the dry mountains just northeast of the city, as well as slightly further away to the southwest.
The landscape of Aus is very rocky, with dry hills devoid of vegetation all around. The hills to the north have a fairly smooth sloped shape, while the peaks to the south are more rugged.
Orange coloured mountains, which are covered in green vegetation surround the partly hilly town of Opuwo, from where you have a great vantage point of the mountains.
Otavi sits in between many sets of mountains, all of which are quite far away, but can be seen from the city. Being a northern town, Otavi is quite green, with slightly reddish sandy soil, which is common for the more northern cities. The entire town is on a northeast to southwest grid, which can rule out similar looking cities like Grootfontein and Tsumeb.
From almost anywhere in Karibib the dark silhouette of Erongo Mountain can be seen to the north. Dry hills covered in shrubbery flank the town to the south.
A lone tall ridge with a rugged, striated texture lies to the SSE of Usakos. Another smaller plain textured mountain, which has a red tint to it, is just to the east, or northeast, depending on part of town. From the northern part of town, the cliffy edges of Erongo Mountain are visible to the north.
The crown-like outline of Mt Brandeburg is barely visible to the northwest from most parts of Uis, while Many other dry hills surround the town. The open pit mines, which have a distinctive white colour, can be seen from the western half of Uis.
Ariamsvlei can be recognised by a single flat-topped hill with rocky ridgelines near the top, and small amounts of green shrubbery dotting the slopes. The hill is either to the north, or east, depending on the part of town. The soil has a dark red tint to it, with lots of bushes and small trees growing around the place.
You will see flat agricultural areas in the south as well as high altitude mountain roads in the northern half of Nepal.
The area in the far south close to the Indian border is almost completely flat, while the central and northern parts are very high altitude and very mountainous.
The western hills can be recognised by the dry landscape, with a lot of exposed hillsides lacking vegetation.
Tea Plantations are also only found in far eastern Nepal. Both in the mountains, and in the flat region.
Some roads north of Siddhicharan, in eastern Nepal are unique due to the high elevation hills with dark green rhododendron bushes growing in abundance. The bushes have red flowers which can be hard to see.
This foggy and gloomy road hosts the only natural forest dominated by east himalayan fir. You can recognise it from all the tall dark trees present around the road. It is located just northwest of Bhimeshwor Municipality, east of Kathmandu.
This sketchy yellow/orange dirt road can be recognised from the high elevation landscape with the high elevation oaks. It can be found northeast of Phungling in far northeastern Nepal.
This dirt track in a northwestbound valley can be recognised by the snowcapped mountains to the northwest. You can find it north of the Khaptad national park in western Nepal.
Trekker coverage in Nepal is limited to the northeast of the country, in the general area southwest of Mount Everest.
Green forests and trees are found in the southern parts of the Nepalese trekker coverage.
Barren mountain trails are found in the northern parts of the coverage.
A lot of the coverage in the vicinity of Namche Bazar can be summarised as being sunny, with the trails going close to the treeline, meaning you will be either near the top of or just above a forest for most of this coverage. You will generally see barren or snowy mountains in some direction.
Namche Bazar is by far the largest and most densely populated settlement with trekker coverage. There is also some coverage looking down on the town.
Khumjung village, situated just north of Namche Bazar, can be recognised by the jagged mountain towering above the village. Almost every house in the village has a green roof.
Beware that there is a label for Khumjung further north, which is not close to the village.
Pangboche is a fairly large settlement with fairly bright coverage. The surrounding landscape mainly consists of forested mountains nearby and some taller mountains in the distance.
Phorste is a fairly scarcely built settlement with a massive recognizable mountain close by. There are a lot of dead-looking trees surrounding the village.
Around the southern tip of the Nepalese trekker coverage, you will get this dark, overcast coverage inside a forested valley.
North of Phakding you will get more overcast coverage in the same forest valley, however here the coverage is far brighter.
The coverage from Monjo up to Namche Bazar is also within the same valley, however here the coverage is mostly sunny and bright.
The valley by Thamu can be recognised by the generally forested mountainsides, combined with the angle of the valley, going northwest to southeast.
Next to the village of Thame you can see this snowy, and shining bright mountain range.
Northeast of Namche Bazar, you can find this semi-green river valley with clouds covering all mountains surrounding it.
On a section north of Phorste, you get a view of the mountain Tobuche, covered in a blanket of clouds.
Further north, the cloud blanket is replaced by small, spotty clouds somewhat resembling smoke coming out of chimneys.
Even further north, the clouds disappear completely, and you get a clear view of the Tobuche peak.
Leaving Tobuche behind, you will find this small, ice-covered lake, right by Gokyo, with jagged mountains as a backdrop.
North of the icy lake, you reach a barren landscape, with a trail going to the north-north-west.
East of Gokyo, you reach this dried out glacial valley, with bright grey rocks as far as you can see.
NOTE: This valley can less commonly be seen from the trail north of Gokyo.
East of the glacial valley, you get to a somewhat red-coloured, rugged mountainside right next to the trail.
Leaving the red mountainside behind, you enter a somewhat U-shaped valley, going firmly upwards.
Above the U-shaped valley, you get a view of this spiky mountain range. While there are some clouds around the peaks, they are mostly clearly visible.
As you lose sight of the spiky mountains, you cross over a glacier, which is the largest patch of snow covered ground with coverage in the country.
The area east of the glacier can be recognised by the many irregular clouds spread across the sky and covering various mountain peaks.
Further along the trail, you get this stunning view over Tobuche from the eastern side. The mountains get increasingly covered in clouds to the west.
Closing in on the final trek toward Everest, you get a view of this wide, high-altitude river valley.
Slightly east of Namche Bazar, you can find this very overcast trail following the mountainside. There are still some trees around, and the trail is noticeably higher above the valley than other overcast sections with trees.
East of the POI called ‘Deboche’, you get this very overcast forest coverage. The dirt here is very bright and sandy, which can help differentiate it from the southern trail.
You can recognise the trail between Pangboche and Dingboche by the massive mountains, combined with the sun looking somewhat hazy.
North of Dingboche, you reach a high-altitude valley with very low clouds covering the sky and most of the surrounding mountains.
Closing in on Everest, you get this completely barren landscape, with the trail going to the north-north-east.
Reaching the endpoint of the coverage, you finally get a stunning view of the world's tallest mountain, Mount Everest.
The Netherlands is extraordinarily flat. In most of the country, you will get no more than a few metres of elevation. Large swathes of the country are reclaimed land that is at or even below sea level.
NOTE: The most major exception to this is the south of Limburg, where you can get low hills. Another place with some amount of hills is De Veluwe in central Gelderland province.
In addition, the Netherlands is a very water-rich country. The country has innumerous waterways. Canals and ditches next to the road are common. Water management is an important facet of Dutch infrastructure, so you will often see dikes (low earthen walls to protect against water), dams and bridges.
Windmills, both traditional water or grain mills, and modern wind power turbines, are common in the Netherlands.
Most of the west and north is at or below sea-level. As a result, most of this region’s countryside has a distinct “polder” landscape: the landscape is marshy, often with a large amount of small waterways.
Conversely, the south and the east tends to have a more typical flat European farmland look. Waterways are still common, but the landscape can look less marshy.
While most of the Netherlands is very flat, Southern Limburg has some low hills.
The Veluwe area is unusually forested for Dutch standards. Some parts feature a very slight amount of elevation.
Some parts of the Veluwe feature old-growth forest, heath or sandy soil. This area can look odd and unlike the rest of the Netherlands if you have never seen it before.
NOTE: Some other natural areas in the Netherlands can have a similar look, but the Veluwe is by far the largest.
Almost all of the land belonging to the province of Flevoland was reclaimed from the sea in the mid-20th century. As a result, the province has a distinct, man-made look: extremely straight roads and large crop fields dominate the landscape. Wind turbines are common. In urban areas, there are no historical buildings.
NOTE: The only exception to this description is the town of Urk, which is situated on a former island now surrounded by the rest of the province’s man-made polder landscape.
Most of the Dutch North Sea coast is lined by dunes.
The islands in the northwest are called the Wadden Islands. They are very popular local tourism destinations, which is sometimes evident in the street view coverage. Their northwestern coastlines feature a lot of sand dunes.
The Afsluitdijk is a very recognizable man-made causeway between Noord-Holland and Friesland. It is a divided highway that runs in a very straight southwest to northeast direction. You can see water to your southeast, and a dike to your northwest.
NOTE: There are other large causeways and dams in the Netherlands, but the Afsluitdijk is the biggest and has a very recognizable road direction.
In the Westland municipality, just southwest of The Hague, greenhouses are extremely common. They cover most of the municipality’s land surface.
In the southern part of the Veluwe, in National Park De Hoge Veluwe, you can find a trekker that is recognizable because the Google employee’s brown hair is visible.
The Waikato and Northland regions are characterised by their drier climate and rolling hills. In particular, the Northland region is quite hilly.
NOTE: This type of landscape can be found in other parts of the North Island, but is more common in the mentioned regions.
The West Coast and part of the Tasman region on the South Island can be recognized by its temperate rainforests and rugged landscape. This can be seen through the hundreds of tall hills and mountains, as well as the dark, compact greenery which is due to the area’s high level of rainfall.
The flatter parts of the Southland and Otago regions can be recognised by their cold climate and sloping, alpine hills. The vegetation in this area is often quite stunted due to the climate.
The Southern Alps, a large, snowy mountain range, stretches throughout the majority of the South Island. Vegetation on the mountains becomes rarer the further south it is.
Hawke’s Bay has dry, golden grassy hills, and in Generation 4 it will be sunny with a white Street View car.
Bright sandy cliffs are a common sight in the central region of Manawatū-Whanganui. They may also be found in parts of Taranaki, Waikato and a road going into Hawke’s Bay.
NOTE: Sometimes the cliffs may appear like sandy rocks.
The area of the Southern Alps, north and south of Queenstown, contains many glacial lakes, which can be recognized by their teal colours and clear waters.
Mount Taranaki, often referred to as Mount Egmont, is easily distinguished due to its relatively smooth slopes and its pointed, often snowy peak. It can frequently be identified from afar, as the surrounding area is flat.
Tall hedge and tree rows are particularly common in the Canterbury region. They are mostly found in the Canterbury plains, which comprises very flat, large fields.
Due to Canterbury’s flat landscape, mountains can often be seen in the distance to the west.
NOTE: Hedges that are even taller are common near Tauranga.
Vineyards are particularly common in the Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay regions.
NOTE: Vineyards can be found throughout New Zealand, so be sure to check other clues as well.
An easy way to recognize the city of Wellington is by how hilly it is.
Stewart Island only has coverage around the settlement of Oban. It is easily recognized due to the distinct bay, which is often filled with small boats. There is only Generation 3 camera coverage.
The area around Tongariro National Park is identifiable due to the low-lying volcanic vegetation in the area. Mount Ruapehu and Mount Tongariro are in the vicinity, and their tops are often covered by clouds.
Coverage on Mount Ruapehu is easily identifiable due to the dark volcanic landscape and distinct lack of vegetation.
NOTE: This type of coverage is limited to the roads around the Whakapapa Ski Village.
In 2011, Christchurch was hit by an earthquake. As a result, roads on coverage from 2012 often appear in quite bad shape. Water damage caused many driveways to be cut off from streets due to large puddles of water, dirt or mud.
Due to this reason, many residential houses in the city had to be removed, leading to several districts on newer coverage appearing like normal suburbs, but with almost no houses. This is noticeable when looking at where former driveways used to be.
The cities of Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt can be identified by the wide, green valley they are located in, which runs southwest to northeast.
Blenheim can be recognized by having a large range of hills to the north and the south of the city.
Banks peninsula, also sometimes called Akaroa, due to the town, is rocky with grassy hills, and small patches of trees.
NOTE: This region can sometimes have gorse, which are also commonly found on the Otago peninsula.
The region of northern Marlborough, known as Marlborough Sounds, has densely forested mountains protruding from water.
NOTE: Northern Marlborough is almost exclusively in Generation 4.
State Highway 73, located near Arthur’s Pass, can be recognised by the almost dried out river with an abundance of gravel on the river bed. Additionally, the Street View car in Arthur’s Pass drove behind a black pickup truck with two ladders on its roof.
State Highway 94 is characterised by its dense red beech forest surrounded by snow-capped mountains.
State Highway 80 in the Southern Alps is recognizable by its north-south orientation up a glacial valley. The west side of the road is lined with snow-capped mountains, while the east side of the road runs alongside the Tasman River and Lake Pukaki.
The mountains of Pirongia and Kakepuku are often seen together in an otherwise mostly flat landscape. To the west, we have Mount Pirongia which is a long mountain range, with 2 distinct small bumps. Meanwhile Mount Kakepuku is to the south and has a volcanic cone shape.
The volcano of Putauaki in eastern Bay of Plenty has a seemingly cut-off top which vaguely resembles the shape of a frog, with two big “eyes” protruding on either side of the top.
Nigeria is generally a fairly flat country with subtle elevation changes throughout. The south is relatively flat apart from some noticeable hills in the southeast, in Enugu state and in the southwest, between Ife and Lokoja. In the north, more prominent hills and mountains are found from Abuja and Jimeta. The largest mountains are found in the east, making up the Mandara mountain range and the Nigeria-Cameroon border. However, due to little coverage, the mountains are rarely visible.
Shown is a Köppen climate map of Nigeria. The climate ranges from tropical rainforest in the far south, where you can find an abundance of palms with lush, green vegetation, to a more arid, savannah landscape in the centre, with more scattered trees. In the far north, it transitions to an arid steppe where the vegetation becomes even more sparse.
NOTE: Due to dry/wet seasons, the coverage may look drastically greener/drier than expected for certain latitudes.
Nigeria is a sparsely covered country, with very few roads in the northwest and east. Most of the coverage is centred around big cities and the highways that connect them.
You can click on the image to enlarge it.
If you find yourself in an arid, but green, agricultural landscape with an abundance of corn around, you are likely to be in Kano state. It is only covered by shitcam, without any Generation 3 or 4.
The highways that run through the northwestern states of Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Katsina can be recognized by an even more open and arid landscape compared to Niger state. The tree coverage becomes even more sparse, or there may not be trees at all. These states are entirely covered by shitcam.
A savannah landscape combined with rocky hills can most commonly be seen in the northeast in the states of Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, and the north of Taraba. The hills in the far east and west of this region are typically greener and covered in more vegetation compared to the hills toward the middle of the range.
NOTE: Around the city of Gombe, hills composed of softer, clay-like soil can be seen instead.
These monolithic mountains with exposed, weathered rock are common in and around Abuja.
The A3 going east of Potiskum to the Borno State border can be recognized by the Generation 4 coverage, mostly open arid landscape, and the highway being divided.
The Obudu Plateau road can be recognized by having the tallest mountains in Nigeria with street view coverage. The road winds up lush, green mountains and the coverage is slightly foggy and wet.
Rural coverage in North Macedonia will normally mostly be on highways. This is because of the limited coverage outside urban areas in the country.
The general landscape of North Macedonia consists of relatively dry grasslands, and small hills and scattered trees.
Coverage is sparse, only including some highways and some cities in the country.
The cities of Skopje, Bitola, Kumanovo, Prilep, Tetovo, Veles, Ohrid, and Strumica are the only ones with significant coverage inside the city.
You can view the official coverage in more detail on this site.
Winter to late fall coverage is found in the cities of Skopje, Tetovo, Prilep, Bitola, and Ohrid.
For some of the E-75 north of Veles, there are triple yellow lines with a dashed centre line. In the northern part of the road, there is a yellow-truck following the Google car.
The rest of the road is either under construction or newly paved. This road is very similar to the A3 east of Veles, although that one is much flatter and has an arid landscape surrounding it.
A fly can be seen on the southern portion of the R1205. This is found nowhere else in the country.
A small part of the E75 and the A1 also have planted trees in the median.
As mentioned, trees can also be seen on E-65 between Tetovo and Skopje. To distinguish between these roads, the E-65 is much more mountainous than the A1.
For a section of the E-75 between Skopje and Kumanovo, there is a large sloped hill in between the lanes.
Ohrid is the only large city located next to a lake.
These two extremely rocky hills are visible in some parts of the city of Prilep.
Northern Mariana Islands have a tropical climate with a lot of dense and somewhat low vegetation.
The Suicide Cliff is a steep cliff with a lot of exposed rock near the northern tip of the island.
Norway is a very mountainous country, with many fjords along most of the coast.
NOTE: Finland and Denmark are both mostly flat, while Sweden has a mixture of flat, hilly and mountainous areas.
Large farmlands are mainly found in three areas, the southeast, the area surrounding Trondheim, and south of Stavanger.
The following clues will explain how to differentiate between the three.
The largest concentration of farmland is found in the southeast, in the general vicinity of Oslo. The area is much flatter than most of the country, and it is common to get a rolling landscape with smooth, round forested hills in the distance. The area southeast of Oslo is particularly flat.
The farmlands surrounding Trondheim are generally very hilly, and the hills are typically both steeper and more uneven than in the southeast.
Similarly to the southeast, the farmland south of Stavanger is flatter than most of the country. However, the fields look more vast and open, and it is very common to see rock walls made of large, round rocks. Furthermore, rather than crops, most fields will only contain grass.
While fjords can be found along most of the Norwegian coast, deep fjords surrounded by tall mountains are most common between Bergen and Trondheim.
Distinct, sharp, rocky mountains with few trees can be seen on the Lofoten Archipelago.
The northeast of Norway can typically be recognized by a somewhat rolling landscape, rather than tall mountains, and vegetation mainly consisting of very small birches combined with patched grass.
Barren highlands, with no trees or bushes, and often with rocky mountains along the road, are mostly found in the southwest.
Exposed rock, often spotted with small coastal pines and bushes, are mainly found on the south coast.
Coastal grasslands with little to no other vegetation and only somewhat low, distant mountains can be found by coastal roads in the far north.
Svalbard is an unincorporated archipelago within the Norwegian Kingdom.
A separate Plonk It guide to Svalbard can be found here.
Along the Russian border you can see this noticeably humid and green-looking road, with very overcast and occasionally foggy coverage. The trees are somewhat low and mainly consist of thin birches and pines.
Most of Oman features a desert landscape with little vegetation. While the middle and southern half is mostly flat, the north coast features dry mountains similar to those found in the UAE. The southern coast also has mountains, though less dry.
The Omani Google car drivers covered a lot of small tracks in the middle of the Omani desert.
Northern Oman features a dry mountainous landscape similar to eastern UAE. The south coast of Oman also rarely features some similar mountains.
Close to the southern coast, especially around Salalah, you will find a rolling hills landscape. The area commonly features rocky ground, bushes and small trees as well as some fairly green valleys.
The mountains north of Nizwa have an amount of green bushes that are unusually large for the north. The mountains are very rocky and jagged, which differentiates them from the more rolling mountains in the south.
Sandy desert with light coloured green and yellow shrubs can be found in northeastern Oman, mainly south and west of Bidiyah.
South of Bidiyah you can find a couple of dirt roads going through a slightly rolling landscape consisting of orange-pink sand and small yellow-ish shrubs. The roads mainly go between long and low sand dunes with a general south-south-west direction.
Salalah is located on a flat coastal plain with rolling mountains surrounding it to the north.
Sandy dunes, that usually look quite red, are found near the border with Saudi Arabia and further inland in the middle of Oman.
The ridge east of Mirbat is similar to the Salalah ridge, but more pronounced, and the terrain just south of it is more rugged and hilly.
A prominent lone-standing mountain can be seen from afar just southeast of Nizwa. It is more wide than it is tall, and has a crown-like shape.
Just north of Adam, you’ll find a flat desert landscape with greyish soil and mountains in the distance, notably one long ridge to the south followed by two smaller and rounder hills to the east and southeast. Other mountains are also visible to the north and west.
Around the town of Ubar, you can find patches of green agricultural land surrounded by desert.
Oil drills are common around Amal and sometimes seen along Road 39. As well as northwest of Fahud, in Ad Dhahirah Governorate.
If you are surrounded by mountains on all sides, and you are in a somewhat urban area, you are likely just southeast of Muscat, in Al Amarat.
The bumpy and sloped ridge of hills combined with all the pipes and other oil related infrastructure makes the town of Fahud very distinct.
Musandam governorate has more in common with the UAE than most of Oman, due to the even drier mountainous landscape, and it often has an orange tone. Dipping beds, or mountains with diagonal layers, are common too.
NOTE: Most of mainland Oman is dry but still has somewhat shrubby mountains.
Some of the coverage in the Musandam Governorate exclave is coastal, with rocky cliffs usually hugging the road. A majority, but not all, of this coverage will have the coast to the west, excluding any other roads in the country with a similar look.
The road going to Saudi Arabia from Ibri can be recognised by the completely flat desert landscape with bright pink-greyish soil along with the road having very wide shoulders and the overall great road condition. The southern portion goes in a straight northeast direction, and the northern section curves more and can have more shrubs.
Similar to the previous road, the road west of Fahud goes through a flat desert with pink-greyish soil. The main difference is that the road itself is in poor shape and without roadlines as well as the direction of the road being southeast.
Road 29 south of Ibri features a fairly shrubby landscape, with low and jagged mountains on the eastern side of the road. The low-lying sun to the northwest is particularly distinct.
The southern section of Road 29 only has a middle white line, which along with the greyish and sandy desert landscape makes this road unique.
The divided section of Road 31 is the only divided road going through a flat desert landscape.
Road 32 north of Duqm travels through a hilly desert landscape, in a general northern direction.
Crossing into the Ash Sharqiyah North Governorate, the shoulders become wide, like those on Road 31. However, unlike Road 31, the desert here is darker and has more shrubs and greenery. A long portion of the road also has overcast coverage. The lighter red section is no longer road 32 but still features the wide shoulders. The landscape further north also gets hillier and more vegetated.
Road 35 is surrounded by hills and mountains, and the ground is mostly covered in green shrubs. Curved lamp posts are posted at regular intervals on the northeastern side of the road.
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.
Road 39 is also one of the more generic roads. Probably the best way to recognise it are the narrow, or even non-existent shoulders. The western parts can get quite hilly, but overall, the desert landscape is flat.
Coastal Road 41 features one of the sandiest landscapes in Oman, with very light sand all around. The coast is sometimes visible in the distance. On the north-to-south stretch, you can see a distant ridge to the west.
Road 42/49 east of Salalah is a scenic coastal road that features a lot of light-coloured tall rocky cliffs. The coast is also often visible.
Road 43, also south of Ubar, is unpaved and features sunset coverage along with a dust trail behind the car.
Just west of ميتان, only labelled in Arabic on Google Maps, literally translating to methane, there is a stretch of road, which has a uniquely light-coloured pavement. To the north, you can see sand dunes.
Roads 45 and the western stretch of 39 both feature a similar slightly hilly desert landscape, sunny weather, and a general east-to-west direction. What makes them unique is the light-coloured shoulders the roads share, though it is most pronounced on Road 45. The roads also mostly have a faded white middle line. To tell the 45 and western 39 apart, look at the sun, which is overhead on the 39, but to the west on 45. The section north of Mudayy is also the 45, but unlabelled on Google Maps.
A significant portion of the Pakistani coverage was taken in large, well ordered gardens, often surrounded by stone walls and in combination with old temples or fortresses. This type of garden is typically referred to as a Mughal garden.
The coverage in Jallo, an eastern suburb of Lahore, can be recognised by the semi-urban coverage in a fairly poor-looking neighbourhood, with a very thick haze.
Hiran Minar is a small temple, completely surrounded by a small lake with a single bridge connecting it to land, can be found just northwest of the city of Sheikhupura.
The coverage in Katas, north of Sargodha, can be recognised by the hazy sky combined with the hilliness.
Patriata, northeast of Islamabad can be recognised by the hilly forests, mainly consisting of tall pine trees. Interestingly, parts of the coverage were taken from an aerial lift.
The coverage in Changa Manga Forest Park can be recognised by the path angle being northeastern, and the narrow channel closely following the path, either on the northern or southern side.
Panama is a tropical country with a lot of hills. You will find a lot of palms and other tropical plants along with drier rolling hills and fields.
While Panama is quite well covered, there is barely any coverage on the north coast, or east of Panama City.
Green tropical landscapes with palm trees and very tall grass are common around Colón and Panama City.
Volcanic rocks that are either scattered on the ground, or built into rock walls, are common north of David.
The area around David is very flat, with lots of fairly open fields. Usually, mountains will be visible to the north and northeast.
The region around Aguadulce is relatively flat and features a lot of agricultural fields along with very brown or orange soil.
The main covered road in the Ngäbe-Buglé province is very high-altitude and almost above the clouds. The surrounding mountains tend to be quite dry, and the altitude makes for many stunning views.
The road going to Changuinola features a lush and green hilly landscape. The weather is cloudy or overcast on the entire road.
Highway 9 going from Panama City north to Colón is a divided concrete highway. The road is visibly grainy and has a lot of tar lines. The landscape is lush and hilly.
Most of Road 407 features a freshly paved road, with visibly orange soil on the sides of the road. The southern portion is hilly, right before the road quality deteriorates.
Sunset coverage can be found in southern Panama on a small road south of Tonosi.
A mountainous landscape with pine trees, volcanic rocks, dry grass, and gravel roads can be found northeast of Volcán.
Peru largely consists of semi-arid mountain ranges and valleys.
Tuk tuks, called mototaxis in Peru, are frequently seen in the country, especially in major cities such as Lima, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Piura, and Iquitos.
The country is generally flat in the east and mountainous in the west. However, an exception is the often flat desert near Piura in the northwest.
You can click on the image to enlarge it.
Peru has a diverse climate, dominated by a dry desert in the west, and a tropical rainforest in the east.
You can click on the image to enlarge it.
These three landscapes are typically found along offroads in Tumbes. You will always see sandy soil with either green or withered bushes.
NOTE: In addition, Tumbes does not have black cars on off roads. Make sure to consider it whenever you see such landscapes with a white Street View car.
The southwestern landscape of Piura is generally dry, featuring a low amount of vegetation with a few shrubs and bushes. The landscape is mostly flat, but you will sometimes see rolling hills.
Northwest of the city of Piura lies an area with similar vegetation to the area mentioned previously. However, this area is noticeably hillier.
Most of the sugar cane production is found in the northern coastal regions of Peru near the cities of Chiclayo and Trujillo. Typically you see large fields of sugar cane in these areas. Smaller areas of sugar cane can be found further south in other valleys close to the Pacific coast.
A flat landscape in the mountains of Peru is usually seen in central Puno and around Lake Chinchaycocha.
NOTE: This landscape might look similar to Bolivia. Make sure to look out for other clues before guessing.
Low grass, a few hills, stone walls in villages and brown brick buildings are typical for the region south of Lake Titicaca in eastern Peru.
Far north Peru features mountains that are often covered in shrubby trees and bushes. Closer to the coast and the Ecuador border, these mountains are often quite dry in appearance.
In higher elevation areas near the centre of the country, exposed rocky outcroppings are commonly seen in the sides of hills and mountains. Some areas with the highest concentrations are near Lago Chinchaycocha (Junin District) stretching south towards the city of Ayacucho.
NOTE: Exposed rocks can rarely be seen anywhere in the country, so use this meta with some caution.
Similarly, taller mountains near the middle of the country often feature rocky and sharp mountain tops. The main region of these mountains stretches from near the city of Huaraz southward to the city of Cusco; generally away from the coast.
Areas near the cities of Ica, Arequipa, and Tacna feature barren and mostly flat desert landscapes that can resemble areas of northern Chile. You can typically see mountains in the distance, primarily while looking to the east.
Coastal agricultural valleys in the middle and south are commonly sandwiched between dry mountains with no vegetation. The general orientation of these valleys are southwest-northeast.
NOTE: Agricultural valleys in the north of Peru can look similar, but often feature more shrubs and trees on the mountains.
The 1N near the Piura and Lambayeque border has a distinct looking landscape. It features a semidesert landscape and has overcast coverage in Generation 3. The new Generation 4 is drier but still looks somewhat similar.
Ruta 5N between the towns of San Alejandro and Esperanza is a relatively straight, flat road in good condition. This road primarily runs north-south through the rainforest.
Ruta 30C in eastern Peru uses a white Street View car in Generation 3 between the cities of Planchon and Iñapari. It features dense forest, few villages, and resembles interior areas of Brazil. Some of this area has been overwritten with Generation 4. Most of this segment runs north to south.
Ruta 28B between the towns of Kimbiri and Echarate is a paved road with very faded or missing road lines. It is also characterised by being a relatively small road with Generation 4 coverage, which hugs the hillside and is located next to a river valley.
The valley connecting the cities of Jauja and Huancayo features a flat plain with plentiful trees, agricultural areas, and small villages. North-south oriented mountains can be seen on both edges of the valley.
The coverage on the north side of Lake Titicaca was taken during a significantly wetter season than the coverage taken on the south side of Lake Titicaca.
North of the city of Huancayo lies a shallow lake called Lake Chinchaycocha (also referred to as ‘the middle lake.’). This lake is generally marshy and a range of mountains can be seen to the east of the lake. This lake can look similar to Lake Titicaca, but is generally less densely populated and features fewer trees.
Volcanoes are often seen in and around the city of Arequipa.
NOTE: Within Peru, volcanoes are only found in the southeast in the highlighted area.
Iquitos is a city in northeast Peru. It is an isolated city with only Generation 3 Street View coverage. Three-wheeled tuk-tuks, overcast skies, and rolling Amazonian landscapes are commonly seen in the area. This coverage is isolated from other areas of northern Peru.
The southern city of Cusco is recognizable by its prevalence of both red brick and Spanish colonial style buildings. Cusco is surrounded by mountains on all sides and features an airport in the middle of the city. Due to its proximity and similar architecture, Cusco superficially resembles the Bolivian city of La Paz.
The city of Tacna in the far south of Peru has this distinct dry ridge to the north.
Tuk-tuks, also referred to as tricycles, are extremely common in the Philippines, in many areas they are more common than typical cars.
The forested mountain range in Northern Luzon is characterised by somewhat dry mountainsides and an abundance of pine trees. You may rarely come across a similar landscape on high-altitude roads in Mindanao.
On central Bohol you can find these distinct round grassy hills. The hills generally have dark brown soil beneath the grass, earning them the name of Chocolate Hills.
The Arayat Volcano can be recognised by being completely surrounded by flat agricultural fields.
The Mayon Volcano is one of the tallest mountains in the Philippines and can be recognised by its almost perfect smooth cone shape. Beware that it will very often be covered in clouds.
In and around the city of Marawi, Mindanao you can find many destroyed houses and ruins from the Marawi siege in 2017.
These large decorated white waystones, commemorating the Bataan Death March, can be seen along roads going from Mariveles and Bagac in the south to San Fernando in the north.
NOTE: The Bataan Death March continued from San Fernando to Capas by train, where a larger memorial has been built.
Coverage is limited to two islands: Pitcairn Island and Henderson Island. The following clues will be focused on Pitcairn Island, as Henderson Island only has a very small amount of beach coverage.
Pitcairn Island is a semi-tropical and densely forested island, with most of the coverage being taken on small dirt tracks going through the forest.
The coverage on Henderson Island is limited to two white sand beaches on the northern and eastern shore.
A dock with the POI “The Landing” containing a large number of small ATVs can be found at the eastern end of Adamstown.
Poland is generally a flat country, with occasional rolling hills. The country is very green, with a lot of agriculture, and some amount of forest cover.
NOTE: Mountains can be found near the southern border.
Even though most of Poland is flat, the southern border area is very hilly. Some parts even have mountains.
NOTE: Some other areas in Poland are somewhat hilly, but the south has by far the most amount of significant elevation.
The Tatra Mountains are the highest mountains in Poland. They can be found near Zakopane, on the border with Slovakia.
The main road on the Hel peninsula is very recognizable: it is a coastal forest road with a railway track running parallel to it.
Open fields sparsely populated with holm oaks (Quercus ilex) and cork oaks (Quercus suber) are very common in the southeast. These species of oaks tend to be on the smaller side, and have a Mediterranean look. While these fields will look quite dry during summer and fall, they will look much lusher during spring.
In the Douro wine region, straight east of Porto, you will commonly find steep terraced vineyards.
The Serra da Estrela natural park can be recognised by the rocky mountainous highland landscape, often combined with yellow and black striped snow poles.
Pine forests with extremely sandy white soil can be found near the coast between the cities of Setúbal and Sines.
In the far southwest of the country you can find a flat uncultivated landscape with very limited vegetation, which typically appears quite dry. There are almost no trees nearby, and only very low bushes and grass.
Southern Puerto Rico can often look distinctly drier than the rest of the island.
The North and South coasts of Puerto Rico typically feature flat coastal plains or rolling hills.
Most of the mountainous regions of Puerto Rico are located in the middle section of the country. Most of the coverage in these areas is limited to divided highways.
Qatar's landscape is predominantly desert, with arid, and mostly flat expanses of sand as far as the eye can see. You will often not see a lot of trees or other greenery.
Qatar is pretty well covered, with almost every main road and some side roads having coverage. Only the south and west lack coverage at the moment.
Bollards in Qatar are only found on a few roads, and you can easily tell them apart.
The horizontal road just west of Qatar map label uses black and yellow centre lines.
The horizontal road south of Madinat al Ka`ban has a lot more greenery and, the coverage is also very overcast.
The coastal road south of Fuwayrit has coastal shrubs all around, and you can often see the coast.
If the road doesn’t fit the above descriptions, guess on the long vertical road west of Qatar map label.
Réunion is a mountainous volcanic island in the Indian Ocean on a similar latitude to Queensland, Australia. Most roads are along the coast, with lush green mountains visible close by. Vegetation consists of palms and ferns, pine trees at higher elevation, and flowering plants due to the island’s tropical savanna climate.
Cilaos is a town inside a caldera. It can be recognized by the wall of mountains surrounding the town with overcast coverage.
The northwestern section of the N1 is divided, with a distinct ridge to the southeast and the ocean to the northwest.
Note that although a bridge appears on the map, the coverage was taken before the bridge was built, meaning you will not see the bridge.
Route du Volcan can be recognized by the Martian landscape. The only vegetation is scattered shrubs and the soil is a distinct brown-red colour. These white stones lining the road are also a good clue.
La Route Forestière 58 de la Scierie et du Haut des Makes is a winding dirt track that can be recognized by the dense vegetation surrounding it, particularly pine trees and eucalyptus. The track itself is also dark in colour, with grass growing in the middle of it.
The eastern region of Réunion is the least densely populated, evident by the eastern part of the N2, which is a single carriageway passing through somewhat dense vegetation on both sides, or a vast landscape with little to no trees.
The Romanian landscape ranges from tall forested mountains and hills in the centre to flat or rolling agricultural landscapes in the south, west and east.
This is an elevation map of Romania. The tallest mountains are found in the middle and north of the country, while the south and west are particularly flat.
Completely flat agricultural landscapes can be found in the south and west.
NOTE: If you can see distant hills or mountains to the north, you are likely in the south, and if you see them to the south or east, you are likely in the west.
South of Iași, near the border to Moldova, you can find rolling agricultural valleys with a very specific north-north-west to south-south-east angle.
NOTE: Make sure to look for agricultural fields on top of the hills to confirm this region.
The 7C is recognisable as going through some of the most dramatic mountains in Romania. The highest point on the road is right by the border between Sibiu and Argeș.
If you see a mountainous landscape in Generation 2, you are likely close to Brașov.
Flat landscapes in Generation 2 are mostly found near Bucharest.
A boat trekker, with a green boat, can be found in the far east of the country. It mostly goes through small, overgrown canals in a flat landscape.
NOTE: There is no road coverage in this region.
Birches very close together, as well as forests consisting of only birches, are indicative of areas east of the Urals, most commonly between Chelyabinsk Oblast and Novosibirsk Oblast.
Sparsely planted larches along the road with open rolling fields is common in Tatarstan and adjacent federal subjects.
Sandy roadsides are common in Khanty-Mansi and Yamalo-Nenets and adjacent subjects, as well as areas around Nizhny Novgorod on the Volga river. Other notable areas are Karelia, Murmansk, and western Sakha. Beware, however, that sandy roadsides can less commonly be found near rivers in other regions.
The Kamchatka peninsula has unique grey gravelly soil, as well as the largest number of volcanoes of any region in Russia. They are frequently seen across the peninsula, and in some places can appear quite close such as in Klyuchi.
Extremely gravelly and sometimes dark soil appears as you approach the mountains east of Yakutsk, starting around Keskil.
Lush and diverse forests in a hilly landscape characterises the noticeably warmer region around Vladivostok. Most of the coverage is overcast and has a white car with a long antenna. Further south, near the tri-border, you will find a more open rolling hill landscape.
The eastern half of the Kolyma Highway going to Magadan features a lot of tall hills and mountains, usually shrouded in a haze. Most of the roads are unpaved and feature dark gravelly soil. The haze is not present in the western half.
A presence of Siberian larches and large mountains on a mostly paved, but sometimes wide-gravel road indicates the main road south of Yakutsk, with Generation 4 white car appearing north of Berkakit.
Very hazy coverage is found east and south of Mirny, especially along the Vilyuy river. The colour of the haze varies, but it is often orange or white.
The landscape in Buryatia is very unique, containing open grassy landscape with shrubs and mountains. It is lusher near Baikal, but the mountains persist.
This forest fire haze is found near Lake Gusinoye, southwest of Ulan-Ude in Buryatia. While similar to the haze found near Mirny, the Buryatia haze coverage can typically be recognised by the open rolling landscape, which is not found near Mirny.
The main road of Altai Republic has a black car long antenna driving north through the Altai Mountains, often with foggy or rainy coverage.
Dry steppe mountains with a long antenna will usually indicate the Tuva Republic. The south part of the main road in the Altai Republic and Tuva can appear similarly dry, so things such as driving direction and cloudiness can be used to distinguish them.
The landscape in the far north can be recognised by the relatively flat landscape, with very low vegetation.
The coverage in Omsk Oblast is some of the most recognizable in Russia. It is typically summer Generation 4 and has a distinct landscape consisting of green agricultural fields, which are interrupted by isolated patches of (primarily) birch forest.
Note that in Generation 3, this landscape can be seen in a much larger area of Russia.
NOTE: This combination of coverage and landscape spills over slightly into the neighbouring Tyumen and Novosibirsk Oblasts (in the south, and near Tatarsk, respectively).
The area west of the Caspian Sea can often be recognised by its extremely dry and flat landscape, especially in Kalmykia, Astrakhan Oblast, and Dagestan.
Grassy fields, with bushy vegetation, in early spring Generation 4 coverage is typical for Dagestan. The landscape can either be completely flat or mountainous. These flowers are also quite common in the Generation 4 Dagestan coverage.
The Caucasus mountain range is one of the largest mountain ranges in Russia. The tallest mountain in Russia, Mount Elbrus, can be found on the border of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic and Karachay-Cherkessia.
Rocks along the road are extremely common throughout most of Karelia and Murmansk Oblast. They can also be found in Perm Krai and Buryatia but are less common and smaller in size.
An open, hilly landscape with low shrubbery and fireweed usually indicates Murmansk. The lower the shrubbery, the more north it generally is.
This is the full coverage map of Russia. It can be helpful to know areas where there isn’t any coverage. The coverage is notably very sparse in the east and north.
You can check out the extent of the official coverage on this website.
Spring Generation 4 is common in several distinct places, such as around Kemerovo and Krasnoyarsk, Orenburg and Kamyshin, around Lipetsk, and in Moscow city. Differentiating these places typically comes down to landscape, as they tend to be fairly distinct.
Vorkuta in far northern Komi Republic has dead-looking winter coverage, sometimes with reddish soil. The apartment blocks will typically have large northern apartment block foundations.
Sovetskaya Gavan and Vanino in eastern Khabarovsk have winter coverage, somewhat similar to Vorkuta.
NOTE: While Vorkuta and Vanino have similar coverage types, Vorkuta is noticeably flatter, having lower vegetation and a more barren landscape.
The Khabarovsk-Vanino road has a mountainous landscape with very sunny coverage. It also drives west with a black car with a blurred, long antenna, which helps to confirm.
The Jewish Autonomous Oblast effectively has one road of coverage, outside of Birobidzhan. The west side has highly rainy and foggy coverage.
Sunset coverage, with the sun very close to the horizon, with an eastern-looking landscape will be the P-297 in Amur Oblast, roughly between the towns of Never and Sivaki.
Olkhon Island on Lake Baikal has a single road, driving on rolling sandy hills during sunset. You can often see Lake Baikal directly with a mountain ridge across the bay.
Tunkinsky National Park in western Buryatia is a very green river basin with tall, jagged mountains to the north. In comparison to most of Buryatia, it is much greener.
In the desert-like region west of the Caspian Sea, this completely flat and rural Generation 4 coverage on small poorly-tracked dirt roads can only be found in northern Dagestan and southwestern Astrakhan Oblast.
Tropical plants in Russia such as palm trees are only found on the Black Sea, most commonly around Sochi.
Kamchatka trekkers encompass a majority of the trekkers present in Russia. They can be recognized using the same clues to recognize Kamchatka normally.
The coverage has a noticeable hazy tint to it, which is especially apparent in the sky.
NOTE: In Africa, similar hazy Generation 4 coverage is common in Senegal.
Rwanda is generally quite hilly, but not very mountainous.
Streets in Rwanda are noticeably very clean and free of garbage.
Tea plantations are common in Western Rwanda, and a couple other pockets.
Northeastern Rwanda has less extreme elevation compared to the rest of Rwanda. It more so consists of rolling hills and open agricultural land or undeveloped grassland.
Volcanoes and volcanic rocks can be seen in northwestern Rwanda.
The Akagera national park features a very vegetated yet dry landscape with wide unpaved roads that are reddish-brown in colour.
You can also find these rectangular waystones at intersections.
This coverage was taken with the brown Google car.
NOTE: There is some coverage on the paved section south of the national park.
The Nyungwe Forest National Park goes through a lush and hilly landscape, which has 2 distinct covered roads; The yellow NR10 is paved, with roadlines. French style bollards and green lamp posts can be seen on the sides of the road. The white NR26 going south is mostly paved, except for the southernmost section. No roadlines are present.
This coverage was taken with the brown Google car.
A wide river can be seen along the northeastern border of Kigali City.
The landscape mainly consists of flat or rolling grasslands. The coast will be visible more often than not.
Coverage is fairly limited, being only found in the eastern parts of Saint-Pierre as well as at the northern tip of Miquelon-Langlade.
A slightly hilly, grassy landscape with boxy houses spaced apart can be seen on Île-aux-Marins.
This rural trekker in the far north can be recognized by the rolling, grassy landscape. The trekker can also be seen walking on a wooden path, with trees on either side.
The rural trekker on Saint Pierre island has a more rocky landscape. The trekker also walks on a path with trees on both sides.
The 739m-tall Monte Titano dominates the surrounding landscape and is visible from almost every point in the Republic.
NOTE: Look for the three towers to safely identify it.
The landscape of San Marino largely consists of smooth agricultural hills, with many small winding roads. The vegetation is distinctly Mediterranean, and normally appears quite lush.
São Tomé and Príncipe are tropical islands, which are almost completely covered in rainforests. Banana plants are especially common throughout the islands.
This is a coverage map of Senegal. Most of the coverage is west of Touba, with very few roads apart from main roads covered in the east.
You can click on the image to enlarge it. Alternatively, you can look at the coverage in more detail on this site.
The landscape north of The Gambia and for Senegal generally is a flat, arid, savannah-desert landscape with sparse trees. The trees themselves will be somewhat short and have leaves that are faded in colour.
The vegetation in the region south of The Gambia is more lush and green compared to the rest of Senegal, and palm trees can be seen closer to the coast.
NOTE: Coverage toward the west will also be especially tropical. In addition, make sure not to confuse the south with some coverage near Dakar, which can look deceivingly green. However, here the vegetation will look a lot more low and coastal.
Diourbel Region is the only region in Senegal with extensive rural coverage. The coverage in the region will look like this, with the Google Car driving on a sandy road with sparse trees. Some of the coverage extends to the west in the Thies region up to Babou.
NOTE: The sand in the coverage around Touba tends to be more grassy.
A very slightly rolling landscape consisting of vegetated sand dunes can be seen along the northwestern coast.
A dry landscape with slight hills can mostly be seen around Bakel, but also south to Nayé.
A greener landscape with larger hills can be seen around Kedougou and Mako.
Irrigated rice fields can sometimes be seen in the region between St Louis and Richard Toll.
The N1 between Tambacounda and Nayé generally runs in a northeast east direction. A railway runs parallel to the road. The railway is to the south of the road between Tambacounda to just before Youpe Amadi, and is to the north from Youpe Amadi to Bellé.
Hazy coverage with a low sun through a sometimes agricultural landscape can be seen on the N2 between St. Louis and Richard Toll.
The N2 between Richard Toll and Matam is a wide road going through a flat desert landscape with very sparse trees. It can be recognized by the bright blue skies with no clouds. The road itself goes east-west and northeast-southwest.
NOTE: The higher the sun is, the more east you are.
Distinct, tall patches of bright yellow grass can be seen along the N3, mostly to the east in the Matam Region.
The road northeast of Kedougou to the Malian border can be recognized by the hazy bushfire coverage. Smoke trails can sometimes be seen in the distance. The road is paved south of Saraya.
NOTE: The car is always blurred.
A flat, slightly marshy landscape with low vegetation can be seen on a few sections of roads in the Saloum River Delta.
The white road in the Forest of Thies can be recognized by the dry, slightly hilly landscape with brown vegetation. The road itself is made of bright orange dirt. There is also a noticeably haze in the coverage.
This is a coverage map of Serbia. Most of the coverage is in the north in Vojvodina, around Belgrade and in the southeast around Niš. Kosovo does not have any coverage.
In the north of Serbia in the Vojvodina region, from the Hungarian border to Belgrade, the landscape is extremely flat, with no hills whatsoever. A slight ridge however can be seen at Fruška Gora National Park.
A more hilly landscape can be seen in the central-southern region. The most mountainous regions of Serbia are found in the southwest and southeast, where the Dinaric Alps, Carpathian and Balkan mountains run through Serbia.
Vojvodina, the northern region between the Hungarian border and Belgrade, can be recognized by the flat, agricultural landscape. The landscape will be completely flat with no hills whatsoever.
This slight ridge in an otherwise flat landscape can be seen in Fruška Gora National Park, southwest of Novi Sad.
Central-northern Serbia can be recognized by the slight rolling hills.
A similarly rolling landscape can be seen in the southern Morava River basin, however larger hills and mountains can be seen.
A lush, green, mountainous landscape can be seen in the south and southeast, along the Bulgarian and Kosovo border.
Fall coverage can be seen in this region south of Čačak, and a small area around Valjevo.
The distinct Vršac Mountains can be seen east of Vršac near the Romanian border. The mountains protrude out from a flat landscape and vineyards can commonly be seen to the south of the mountains. The Vršac Castle can also be seen atop the mountain.
This tadpole-shaped smudge can be seen east of Belgrade, from just west of Bavanište to the Romanian border.
The Tuas planning area is an industrial area that is characterised by straight roads, industrial complexes, cranes and shipping containers, making it recognisable.
You can easily recognise the island of Sentosa thanks to the green signposts, winding roads and general resort feel. Occasionally you might see a green lane like this as well.
The Generation 3 trekker on Pulau Ubin can be identified by the unusually rural forest coverage and the camouflage-type hat sometimes visible when looking down.
You can recognise St John and Lazarus Islands thanks to the Generation 3 trekker, the smooth asphalt roads and the sea almost always nearby.
Hiking markers, made up of one colourful strip between two white ones, are commonly found in Slovakia and Czechia. They sometimes form an arrow.
NOTE: While by far being the most common in Slovakia and Czechia, similar signs can be found in other European countries such as Poland, Hungary and Germany.
The Slovak landscape varies between very mountainous and completely flat. Generally speaking, Czechia is hillier, but less mountainous.
The tallest mountains in Slovakia are found in the central and northern parts of the country, while the flattest areas are found mainly in the southwest and in the southeast.
The western lowlands in Slovakia are characterised by completely flat agricultural fields, which are rare to find anywhere else in the country.
NOTE: While there are some generally flat areas in Czechia, it is rare to see complete flatness which reaches beyond the horizon.
The eastern lowlands can typically be recognized by wide, flat fields, surrounded by hills or mountains in the far distance.
Two wide valleys surrounded by tall, often sharp mountains can be found in the northern parts of the country. Due to the directions of the valleys, figuring out the direction to the closest mountain is typically enough to differentiate the two.
NOTE: The light red area has tall, sharp mountains to the northwest, and much lower hills and mountains to the southeast.
Pine forests are common in the westernmost part of the country.
Not only is Bratislava by far the largest city in the country, it is also the only major city with a large river running through it.
The Slovenian landscape is generally very hilly and forested, with occasional agriculture.
For exceptions to this, see the region guessing section.
A very significant portion of the coverage in Slovenia was taken on small roads deep inside forest.
The tallest mountains in the country can be found in the northwestern alpine region.
Flat, or rolling, agricultural fields with no mountains or tall hills in view can be seen in the east of the country.
Near the coast you get a landscape similar to the rest of the Adriatic coast; white cliffs with bushy vegetation, vineyards and Mediterranean architecture.
A wide valley going east to west, with mountains to the north and south can be found in the southeast.
The northeast of the country can look very dry and somewhat barren, with a lot of orange or red soil. You will often see hills or mountains covered in shrubs.
NOTE: Depending on the season, the coverage can change drastically from dry to very green.
Unique rocky, treeless mountains can be seen in Western Cape, with most of the mountains having tall, steep sides and sharp peaks.
NOTE: Similar mountains can be seen in and around Lesotho.
A dry landscape with red soil is typically found in the Northern Cape.
NOTE: This map is a useful guide in guessing based on the climate of South Africa.
Grassy rolling hills are generally located in the coastal area of Western Cape between Cape Town and George, and just north of Cape Town. Tall ridges are usually visible to the north or east.
The landscape near the Mozambique border in the highlighted area is noticeably flat, with green subtropical vegetation.
The landscape around Kruger National Park is generally flat, with a savannah climate and dry vegetation. You will not see any agriculture and the vegetation is mostly made up of grasses, with small trees dotting the landscape. Red soil can also be seen below the grass.
In addition, this distinctive directional waystone is commonly found at many junctions.
NOTE: Within the coverage of the park, you will mostly find unpaved gravel roads or small and paved roads without road lines.
The section of the R360 north of Bokspits, next to the Botswana border, has asphalt with a recognizable reddish tint. The landscape is arid and features dry greyish trees, shrubs and long golden grass. The road runs in a general north to south direction.
NOTE: Asphalt with a reddish tint can be found on other roads and the southern part of the R360. However, the landscape north of Bokspits looks predominantly like this.
The distinct Table Mountain, located west of Cape Town, can be recognized by its prominent three-kilometre plateau. It is flanked by Devil’s Peak, which is more pyramidal.
Mountains in the Witfontein Nature Reserve, likely George’s Peak, will be visible north from the city of George.
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are a British Overseas Territory east of the Falkland Islands. As such, for country streaks purposes, they are counted as the UK.
Coverage is very limited: there are only a couple of Generation 3 trekkers:
One trekker in the abandoned town of Grytviken
Three trekkers in the isolated fjords of the rest of the island.
Due to the sparse nature of the coverage, that is also entirely not on any streets, it is not useful to learn any territory identification metas. Instead, it is better to just memorise what the trekkers look like.
Abandoned, rusted machinery can be seen in Grytviken.
Grytviken is the only pinpointable trekker in South Georgia. Therefore, this trekker appears in pinpointable maps like A Community World.
This wide open valley with lightly snow capped mountains can be seen on the west side of South Georgia Island.
Prion Island can be recognized by the wooden walkway, lush green plants and numerous seals which inhabit the island.
This boat trekker in Hercules Bay can be recognized by a man in a red jacket and the MS National Geographic Explorer in the background.
A considerable amount of the coverage was made during autumn and winter.
Note that more pleasant-looking spring and summer coverage is also not uncommon.
The South Korean landscape is predominantly mountainous. It is very rare to not see at least some hills or mountains in the distance. Even in the flat areas, you can almost always see elevation on the horizon.
South Korea has fairly limited and very spotty coverage. Other than large highways, most of the coverage is concentrated in and around major cities.
Jeju is a volcanic island with a lot of dark volcanic dirt, where you can also often see volcanoes in the distance.
Jeju also has a lot of rock walls, made of dark volcanic rocks.
The area around Gimje can be recognised by being one of the only completely flat areas of South Korea, combined with the open, yellow-green fields along almost every road in the area.
Spain has highly diverse landscapes, ranging from lush Atlantic forests to bone-dry semideserts. Elevation is also varied: highland plateaus interspersed with rolling hills are common, but you might also encounter jagged mountain ranges and very flat lowland areas.
While there is not one single definitive Spanish landscape, most of the country has a somewhat dry, Mediterranean climate, with matching vegetation and agriculture.
Spain is a very mountainous country.
The highest mountain ranges are the Pyrenees in the northeast, and the Baetic System (which includes Sierra Nevada) in the southeast.
The Meseta Central is a high altitude, mostly flat area in the centre of the country. It is surrounded by several smaller mountain ranges: the Cantabrian Range in the north, the Iberian System in the east, and Sierra Morena in the south.
Within the Meseta Central there are two more mountain ranges: the Sistema Central (going from the Portuguese border to the northeast of Madrid) and Montes de Toledo.
There are four big river basins in Spain. The Tajo and Guadiana cross Extremadura and go into Portugal, the Guadalquivir covers most of the southwest of Andalusia and the Ebro river basin starts in Navarra and flows into the mediterranean in the south of Catalonia.
The landscape in the far north is much more green and lush than the rest of Spain. The landscape is generally quite hilly. Hedges and green meadows are common. In some places, this region’s landscape bears a vague resemblance to Ireland, France and the UK.
The Pyrenees is a large mountain range on the border between Spain and France. Its mountains are some of the highest in all of Spain. It can be recognized by its light grey rock and abundance of pine trees. Local architecture features many rock walls.
NOTE: Andorra and the French part of the Pyrenees look very similar in terms of landscape and architecture. Also consider that the exclave of Llívia is part of Spain.
Thick forests of tall pines can be found all throughout the Pyrenees. When encountered in smaller mountains in between grazing fields or agricultural land, it will most likely be in the Basque Country or Navarra.
The centre of Castilla y León features a mostly flat agricultural landscape, with only slight changes in elevation. Most of the fields will have cereal crops like wheat and barley, and it is fairly common to find sunflower plantations.
Vineyards can be found in several places in Spain. However, if you see vineyards in between mountain ranges to the north and south, you are most likely in La Rioja.
Starting in Navarra and cutting across the middle of Aragón, there is a strip of semi-desert landscape on both sides of the Ebro river basin. Light sandy soil and small shrubs growing on small hills are common in this area.
Very arid looking and mostly flat areas are common in central and south Aragón.
The soil is very white and rocky in the northern part. Red soil is more common in Teruel.
Castilla la Mancha can have completely flat landscapes, which are not that common in Castilla y León. Half of Spain’s wine is produced in this region, so vineyards are fairly common.
In the western provinces of Ciudad Real and Toledo, it is very common to see olive tree plantations, generally in flatter ground than those found in Andalusia.
In the southeast of Spain, especially in Murcia, you can find a rather arid landscape, with very sandy soil and medium sized mountains surrounding.
Small shrubs and small plantations of fruit trees and olive trees are a common sight around rural roads.
Mountains in this area, especially Murcia and the south of Alicante have a very distinct look.
They are quite rugged, usually lacking in vegetation. This region commonly features a hazy look, making mountains in the distance look like they are behind a sort of mist.
The mountain range of Sierra Nevada features snowy peaks through the months of November and May. Sierra Nevada is the only mountain range in south Spain with snow during most of the year.
Towns built on a mountain face, consisting entirely of white houses, are very common on the south coast of Spain, around Málaga.
Around Córdoba and Jaén, you can find massive olive tree plantations growing over rolling hills and going as far as the eye can see.
The bigger and more remote plantations are usually only covered in Generation 2.
South of Madrid, olive tree plantations are usually in small or medium sized fields, in mostly flat terrain and commonly accompanied by red soil.
Olive plantations on the east coast are commonly fenced or behind rock walls and you will almost always see mountains in some direction.
On the east coast of Spain, you can find many orange tree plantations. They are usually in small valleys, and if they are in flat land you can usually see mountains to the west, north or south.
In the Guadalquivir river basin you can also find many orange plantations, usually in much more open and flat terrain than those of the east coast.
There are some extensive plantations in the mountains, but coverage is sparse there.
Baltic pines (Pinus sylvestris) are tall and thin, with a dark bark that sheds at the top, revealing the orange-red wood underneath. They usually do not have branches on the bottom half of the trunk, especially when fully grown.
Baltic pines can be found in mainly three mountain ranges: the Pyrinees, Sierra de Guadarrama and the Iberian System.
The Balearic islands have a recognizable, coastal Mediterranean look. Somewhat dry looking forests of Aleppo pines cover most of the hills, and small patches of agricultural land, mainly with fruit trees and olive trees, cover the flatter areas between towns.
Low rock walls are extremely common on the Balearic Islands.
NOTE: Another Mediterranean region with a similar amount of rock walls is the area around Bari in Italy. This region can sometimes look similar to the Balearic Islands.
Within the Balearic Islands, grazing fields are almost exclusive to the island of Menorca.
The small island of Formentera frequently features low coastal shrubs. It is common to be able to see the mountains of Ibiza from Formentera’s north coast.
The north-west of Mallorca has a tall mountain range that can be seen from many places on the island. It is the only island in the Balearics with mountains this big.
The Canary Islands (or Canaries for short) are a Spanish archipelago off the west coast of Africa. Because they are so far away from mainland Spain, being able to consistently recognize them is important for your scores.
NOTE: Do not confuse their location with the nearby Portuguese island groups of the Azores and Madeira.
The Canaries have extremely diverse landscapes, including steep mountains, pine forests, volcanic soil, and extreme aridity. You can also encounter more normal landscapes that can look more like mainland Spain.
NOTE: Because of its diversity, it is hard to pin down the average landscape in the Canaries. A more useful strategy is to focus on whether it looks unique and unlike anything that you would find in mainland Europe: if meta matches with Spain, but something is “off” in terms of vibe, consider the Canaries.
In some parts of the island of Lanzarote on the Canary Islands, a very dark, exposed volcanic soil can be seen. In places, this landscape superficially resembles the surface of the moon.
NOTE: The other Canary Islands can sometimes have similar landscapes as well, but it is by far the most common on Lanzarote.
The island of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands is characterised by a very arid landscape with little to no vegetation. Orange soil is very common, and within the Canary Islands archipelago essentially unique to this island.
You can find these unique wine plantations with volcanic soil and rocks in the shape of a semicircle on the island of Lanzarote.
Off the north coast of Lanzarote, you will find the small island of La Graciosa. The island’s landscape is completely barren, and the entire coverage features overcast weather. There are two towns on the south coast of the island, with white flat-roofed houses like the east Canaries.
The two Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa, which are partially surrounded by Morocco, both have coverage. They often catch beginning players off-guard, so it is good to be aware of them and their location.
Ceuta features north African architecture, consisting of mainly flat roofed houses in warm colours, ranging from pale yellow to red.
Almost all of the Generation 4 coverage in Ceuta features a bright blue sky in sunny weather with occasional clouds.
You will find a mountainous, mediterranean landscape in Ceuta, featuring a mix of eucalyptus trees and pines.
Melilla also features similar North African architecture. The coverage in Melilla has a hazy look, with a significantly less saturated sky than Ceuta. Most of the coverage is cloudy or overcast.
Melilla has little rural coverage, mainly by the Morocco-Spain border.
Coverage during early spring on dirt roads between green grassy fields, and leafless vineyards with red soil, is very common in the central-north part of Castilla la Mancha.
This type of coverage is particularly extensive in the northern part and exclusively in generation 3. Towards the south you will also find very similar looking coverage in generation 4.
The Ebro delta (Deltebre in catalan) features an extremely flat landscape, where rice fields and water canals are very common.
There are significant mountains to the South, West, and North, and some of them can be seen from almost every location in the delta.
Between Almeria and Motril you can find many greenhouses with white roofs, in the lowland area close to the sea. They are especially common in El Ejido.
In Doñana National Park, southwest of Seville, you will find this rare and unique car meta.
Sri Lanka is a tropical country. It usually has very lush, green vegetation. It is densely populated and many parts are covered in a patchwork of agricultural fields.
This map shows Sri Lanka’s topography. Hills and mountains are strongly concentrated in the central-southern part of the country.
You can click on the image to enlarge it.
The southwest of Sri Lanka has a more wet climate that is characterised by lush, dense vegetation. Deep green tones dominate the landscape.
Conversely, the rest of the country has a slightly more dry climate. The vegetation is often lower and more open. The landscape usually has a mix of brown and green tones.
Note that the difference is not extreme, as the landscape in Sri Lanka never truly gets downright arid. However, with some practise, you can often learn to tell the difference. Your mileage may also vary depending on the season, local forest cover, or coverage type (Generation 3 often tends to make the landscape look more arid than it really is).
Tea plantations are found in the central and southwestern parts of the country. They are most common in the area just west of Nuwara Eliya.
Tea plants look like small, compact shrubs with bright green leaves. They are usually planted in organised rows or clusters on hillsides.
Horton Plains National Park has a very distinct and bait landscape, consisting of hilly plains covered in long grass. In the distance, you can see forests, but most of the park’s roads meander through a wide open landscape.
The general landscape consists of barren, treeless mountains. Trees and greenery are a very rare sight, with the majority of vegetation consisting of moss and grasses. The sky is also often overcast, with a gloomy look to the coverage.
Pyramiden feels more abandoned compared to Longyearbyen. Multi-storey soviet-style apartment blocks can be seen, however, with a lack of human-activity. As the name suggests, many pyramidal mountains can be seen in the distance.
Of the three towns, Barentsburg feels the most desolate. Distinct, multi-coloured apartment blocks can be seen near the top of the hill. Coverage is also more overcast and gloomy than Longyearbyen or Pyramiden.
This road going south-east of Longyearbyen can be recognized by the barren, treeless mountains on both sides of the road, with lakes leading up to the mountains. A small black mirror can sometimes be seen on the left.
A trekker can be seen holding on to a red car heading up a winding road, south of the Svalbard Airport. If the car is not present, this distinct line of mountains to the northeast is a good indicator that you are there.
This large ship can be seen around the Northwest Spitsbergen National Park. The coverage gets increasingly late toward the east, where it eventually becomes dark.
This small red boat with men in red jackets on board can be seen in the northwest.
This boat with a black deck can be seen in Isfjorden, between Barentsburg and Grumant.
Sweden has a varied landscape, with a lot of boreal forests, small to medium-sized farmlands and many lakes. The northern and western parts of the country are quite mountainous, with long, narrow lakes and rivers, while the southern and eastern parts are generally flatter.
While it is possible to see forested mountains in several regions in the country, mountains with no trees at the top can only be found in the northwestern parts of the country.
Beech forests, which can generally be recognised by the barren ground covered in brown leafs, are mainly found in the far south.
It is very common to see exposed, often somewhat round, rocks on the Swedish west coast. They will often have lower vegetation, such as small bushes, growing on them.
NOTE: Exposed rocks around Stockholm are also fairly common, however these typically look sharper than rocks on the west coast, and commonly have thick moss growing on them.
In Skåne you will find the most open agricultural landscape in Sweden. It is the only region where, rather than a dense forest in the distance, you can get only a few small patches of trees strewn across the fields. On top of that, crops are often more diverse than the cereal crops, which are typical for the rest of Sweden.
The area surrounding lake Mälaren can often be recognized by the fairly flat ground with medium sized agricultural fields, forests beyond them, and small “islands” of bushes and trees in the middle of the fields.
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.
On the west coast, and particularly in Halland, you will see a lot of flat agricultural fields with small, round, forested hills in the distance. Generally, the hills get larger and the fields get smaller further north. The area also has more precipitation than most of the country, and as such it typically looks very lush.
If you see flat, medium-sized to small agricultural fields, and you suspect that you are in the northern half of the country, you are likely somewhat close to the coast between Umeå and Luleå.
In most of Jämtland County, particularly around lake Storsjön, you can find large farmlands, commonly situated in the middle of wide, often somewhat steep hills, which is uncommon in the rest of the country, where most farmlands will be either on flat ground or in valleys. The fields are generally not cultivated and will mostly consist of ordinary grass.
The landscape around the High Coast in Västernorrland can be recognised by the many forested, rocky mountains surrounding agricultural valleys. The valleys are rarely straight and the mountains are of varying heights and shapes.
Agricultural fields in and around Södermanland very often go through small valleys, with forests up on the sides of the valleys. The fields are typically medium to small sized.
White sand can often be seen next to roads on Gotland. It is typically more noticeable in the northern half of the island and on Fårö.
Red dirt roads are mainly found in Dalarna, but can also be found in and around Kalmar county, the border between inland Norrbotten and Västerbotten, and rarely between lakes Vänern and Vättern.
Öland is an extremely flat island with a somewhat barren south half with many small bushes, while the north is typically slightly lusher with fewer, but larger bushes and some trees. The island also contains a very large number of small rock walls.
Dense rows of very small red sheds are commonly found in coastal towns on the northern west coast.
Many roads in western Dalarna and nearby regions have a very noticeable red colour.
NOTE: Forests in the region predominantly consist of thin pines, which, in combination with the red roads, is a very good indication of the region.
The E10 between Kiruna and the Norwegian border is a major road which can be recognised by the vegetation mainly consisting of small birches, occasionally with some pines strewn in, combined with snow covered mountains, which can typically be seen in the distant west close to Kiruna, and in all directions when you approach the border. A major lake can also be seen to the north on the western half of the road.
The northern section of road 99 can usually be recognized by its grey sandy ground with brown-green moss, the noticeable ditch following most of the road and its fairly low, dense forest with a mixture of birches, pines and spruces.
Beware that the most recent coverage on much of the road was taken during early spring, which makes some of these features harder to recognise.
The road to Ritsem can generally be recognised by having a large lake following it on the south, combined with having some of the most dramatic mountains seen on Street View in the country. The road is small and without roadlines, but still fairly well-paved. It is covered both in summer and in early spring.
Most mountain roads in Sweden have been built below the treeline, resulting in small trees being visible on almost all coverage. The only paved road in Sweden above the treeline, with no visible trees, can be found on the border between Jämtland and Västerbotten, near the Norwegian border. The coverage was taken during fall, giving the limited vegetation a yellowish brown colour.
The highest altitude public road in Sweden, which is a dirt road going straight over a treeless mountain plateau, was covered in Generation 4 on a cloudy day during summer.
NOTE: The highest point on the road features a parking spot and is right on top of the “Falkvålen” label.
In Kiruna it is very common to get a glimpse of one of the two mountains which have taken shape as a result of the local mine, one to the south and one to the north. On the side of both mountains, different layers in the shape of a staircase may be seen, which is a very strong indication of the town. The mountains may also be spotted from the E10 west of the town.
In the town of Gällivare you can often see a mountain with a smooth slope and a low tree line to the southwest. No other town in Sweden has a natural treeless mountain in such close proximity.
If you are surrounded by flat agricultural fields, with a single forested hill range to the west, you are likely to be east of Omberg in western Östergötland.
The island of Visingsö in the middle of Lake Vättern can often be recognised by the agricultural fields with the lake being visible both to the northwest and southeast, with forested hills at the shore of either side of the lake.
A majority of all large orchards in Sweden are found around the town of Kivik on the east coast of Skåne.
Large orchards can also be found northeast of Kristianstad in Vånga, around Båstad, and on the southern east coast of lake Vättern.
Following the northern west coast of Öland you will find this small coastal road, with a rocky beach and low, bushy vegetation.
If you suspect you are on Gotland, and see small, dry stony fields with small juniper bushes, you are very likely to be on Fårö. This landscape becomes more extreme near the north coast of the island.
On the southern tip of Gotland you can find this west coastal road with grassy fields and a grassy hill ridge to the east.
Numerous small grey, and sometimes red, wooden windmills are spread across Öland. The island has more windmills than any other region in the country.
Visby is the only preserved Hanseatic town in Sweden. The inner town can typically be recognised by the cobblestone streets, combined with the small, brightly painted stone houses and an abundance of roses following the house walls. It is also quite common to get a glimpse of the old Hanseatic wall surrounding the town.
The old town of Stockholm can be recognised by the old stone buildings, usually painted in warm colours, towering over the narrow cobblestone alleyways.
The stretch of the E4 between Umeå and the Finnish border is one of very few roads in the northern parts of the country which is large enough to normally have either a wide ditch or a barrier between the carriageways. The area is fairly flat and the road is mainly surrounded by forests, mostly consisting of thin birches and pines, which get lower further north.
Road 95 west of Arjeplog can be recognised by the Generation 4 thawing snow coverage in a mountainous landscape. The amount of snow significantly decreases as you go further east.
The stretch of the E45 going between Orsa and Älvros can be recognised by the brown-red wet pavement with forest consisting of thin pines and birches along the roadside.
While the southern half of Switzerland is extremely mountainous, with long, thin valleys between the mountains, the northern half mostly consists of large farmlands on either flat ground or rolling hills, typically with forested hills in the distance.
Elevation is an important part of region-guessing Switzerland. The southern half of Switzerland is extremely mountainous, while the northern half mostly has smaller mountains and hills.
A fairly flat landscape with a long chain of medium-sized, forested mountains northwest means you are likely south of the Jura Mountains.
Exposed limestone rocks, protruding from forested hills, are commonly found in the Jura mountains.
Rock walls are mainly found in the Jura mountains, but can also be found in the Alps, particularly in the Italian speaking parts.
If the area around your location appears hilly, but not mountainous, and you manage to catch a glimpse of a large lake to the south, with tall mountains on the other side, then you are very likely north of Lake Geneva.
Seeing a wide lake to the northeast, situated in a landscape with relatively low elevation, means you should be looking at Lake Constance (on some Maps labelled as the Bodensee).
NOTE: Due to the low-lying landscape, you will probably be fairly close to the shore if you see the lake.
The valley of Martigny has the highest density of fruit plantations in the country. It can easily be recognized by the many small fruit trees in combination with the wide, flat valley with large mountains on either side.
Apart from the valley of Martigny, the most likely area to find fruit trees is near Lake Constance, followed by the area northwest of Lake Geneva.
In the canton of Graubünden, you can find this unique and easily recognizable train coverage on the tracks of the “Bernina Express.” It runs around most of the canton, all the way down to Tirano in Italy.
This is a map of the counties of Taiwan. Importantly, Taiwan has a couple of smaller islands and island groups with coverage that are fairly far away from the main island. It is important to be aware of these, as they often catch beginning players off-guard. These include:
Kinmen close to the coast of mainland China.
Lienchiang (Matsu Islands), also close to the coast of mainland China.
Penghu in the middle of the Taiwan Strait.
Green Island and Orchid Island, southeast of the main island. These two islands belong to Taitung County.
The central western plain of Taiwan mainly consists of flat to low rolling plains. It is common to find crops and other farmland in this area.
The central-eastern region that covers two-thirds of Taiwan consists of forested mountains.
The central mountain range that runs all the way to the south of the island is made up of tall mountains and rugged valleys. At high elevations, the vegetation can look less tropical and feature temperate or even coniferous trees.
The Hualien-Taitung Valley is a thin and long valley located on the east coast of the island passing from Hualien City at the north to Taitung City at the south. It is very recognizable as it consists of flat gentle plains surrounded by densely-forested mountains to the east and west.
NOTE: Most of the coverage on the east coast lies within this valley.
There are also other valleys in central Taiwan that can look similar.
The Yilan Plain is easily identifiable by the mountain ranges that are seen in the north, west, and south. Rice paddies are also extremely common as well as houses built right next to these fields.
NOTE: While the landscape on the surface can look quite similar to the valleys of Hualien and Taitung, unlike those two, you will almost never find mountains to the east in the plains of Yilan. Furthermore, the flat plains of Yilan are also generally more open.
Miaoli and Hsinchu share a landscape of low rolling hills and winding roads as well as sparse farmland with vegetation that can look messy and unkempt.
Similarly, Taichung features these open plains surrounded by low mountains that are often in the distance.
Cultivated fish farms are mostly found right next to the coast in the western counties.They are generally seen in the southern-half of the island, anywhere from Changhua to Pingtung, but predominantly found in the counties of Yunlin, Chiayi, Tainan, and Kaohsiung.
Tea plantations are generally seen in mountainous areas all over Taiwan. You can find them commonly in Chiayi, Nantou, Hsinchu, and Miaoli.
The islands east of Taitung, Green Island and Orchid Island, are distinct due to the more tropical climate, abundance of coconut palms, and lush cliffs. Additionally, it is common to find run-down, concrete pavement.
NOTE: While the landscape between Green Island and Orchid Island are quite similar, a good way to distinguish the two is that Green Island frequently uses yellow outer lines. Additionally, Green Island is slightly more built-up.
Lienchiang County, also referred to as the Matsu Islands, is recognizable from the hilly landscape and frequent use of concrete roads. The coverage is overcast and this pavement can also commonly be found.
The Provincial Highway 8 that runs from Taichung to Hualien is very recognizable, specifically in the Hualien part, due to the yellow guardrail that can be found all throughout the western half of the road in the county.
The eastern half of the road features these tall exposed-rock cliffs that tower over the road.
The Provincial Highway 20, specifically the part that runs through Yushan National Park, features tall mountains covered with coniferous trees. The road also utilises these tube-like double guardrails.
NOTE: This road is only covered in Generation 2 and 4. The Generation 4 coverage is very overexposed and features sunny weather.
This open landscape with forests of short trees surrounding a narrow grassy road can be found in Hualien in the flat parts of Guangfu and Fenglin. This area can be distinguished due to it being commonly covered in Generation 2; however, you can find similar landscapes in Generation 3 and 4.
A green train car can be found in east Chiayi around Alishan National Forest.
The Mount Kilimanjaro tripods show a high altitude landscape, with dark grey rock and in some places eternal snow in the distance. In some panos, you will see mountaineers and tents.
A walking trekker goes through a large part of Gombe National Park. The landscape varies somewhat from place to place.
In the lowland parts, you will see dense jungle and usually very little sunlight, leading to dark coverage. Sometimes, you can see chimpanzees.
Higher up on the hills, the forest becomes more open and you will see savannah-like trees around you.
On top of the hills, the trees make way for a bare grassland landscape. Here, you have breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape and Lake Tanganyika.
There is a boat trekker in Lake Tanganyika, that hugs the coast very closely, next to Gombe National Park. The coast is always to your east. You will see hills that are mostly covered in tropical forest, with some bare and grassy hilltops.
You can see the boat through the blur: it is painted olive green and white, and has some people in it. The boat and people are always pixelated due to the blur.
NOTE: Do not confuse this boat trekker with the boats in Madagascar.
There is one more tripod in Tanzania, inside Jane Goodall’s house. It is also located in Gombe National Park, adjacent to the normal Generation 3 trekker coverage.
Thailand has two regions that are relatively flat and dry compared to other areas. One north of Bangkok, the other more east.
NOTE: The eastern area feels sometimes a bit drier than the area north of Bangkok.
Tall mountains are most often seen in northwestern Thailand.
NOTE: Some parts of the southern peninsular part are also mountainous.
Low, smooth and forested mountains can be found in the centre-north of the country.
Steep mountains with a lot of exposed rock are most commonly found in the west and on the peninsula.
The most extensive fruit plantations can be found in the valley between Chiang Mai and Lamphun as well as eastern Sa Kaeo and Chanthaburi.
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.
The island of Phuket is very touristy and wealthy. You will often see modern buildings, resorts, and heavy traffic among hills.
Koh Samui and Koh Pha-Ngan are touristy islands with narrow, crowded roads and a tropical feel.
These red trucks, known as songthaews, are transport vehicles found most commonly in Chiang Mai.
The Phrao District in Chiang Mai is a fairly flat valley surrounded by mountains in all directions. The valley will commonly grow rice and fruit.
Doi Luang Chiang Dao is the 3rd tallest mountain in Thailand. It along with other distinctly shaped mountains can be seen clearly from the Chiang Dao district of Chiang Mai.
A large and slightly jagged north-south mountain ridge runs through the middle of Phayao. It can be seen to the east from afar.
Rolling hills of corn or sugar cane fields can be found in the west of the Tak province. In this area, paved roads are often very brown.
Large north-south mountains can be seen on either side of the Phetchabun valley.
Deep red fields with cassava and rubber trees can be found in Kanchanaburi.
These distinctly shaped mountains can be found in southwestern Lopburi.
The northern half of Saraburi consists of large, exposed rock mountains in an east-west orientation.
Chaiyaphum features very long and flat mountain ridges that can be seen from nearly anywhere in the province.
The area around Khao Yai National Park in southern Nakhon Ratchasima is a large tourist attraction. You will see many advertisements, businesses, restaurants, and resorts along otherwise rural roads. Large rocky hills can be seen closer to the border with Nakhon Nayok and Prachin Buri.
In northern Nakhon Phanom, along the Mekong River, you will sometimes see jagged limestone karst mountains to the northeast. These formations stand on the Lao side and are often visible from long distances.
The province of Mukdahan features many long, low hills among fields of rice, sugarcane, cassava and rubber trees.
Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park in western Prachuap Khiri Khan features large, distinct exposed rock mountain massifs. Notably, the mountains can be seen from the center of the province.
Khao Sok National Park in northern Phang-nga and western Surat Thani features some of the tallest and steepest exposed rock mountains in the south of Thailand. The mountains generally run east-west.
Western Krabi and parts of eastern Phang-nga also feature large exposed rock mountains running north-south.
Brown paved roads among fields of sugarcane, cassava, and corn can be found in southeastern Nakhon Ratchasima.
Brown paved roads among fields of bananas, durians, rubber, and corn can be found in southern Sisaket.
NOTE: Southeastern Nakhon Ratchasima may look similar at times.
Southern Lopburi features a large, slightly north-north-west grid with fields of rice, corn, sugarcane, and cassava. Ridges can often be seen to the north, south and west.
Western Rayong province features a northeast-southwest grid filled with modern and industrial buildings among fields of rubber trees, cassava, and pineapple.
A smudge on the front left of the camera can be seen on the densely forested road going through Khao Yai National Park. This smudge can also be found in nearby areas of Nakhon Nayok and Prachin Buri.
NOTE: Other smudges may rarely exist elsewhere in the country.
Tunisia has Mediterranean, dry and semidesert climates.
NOTE: In the second step, you will find more about region specific climate and landscape.
Coverage is mostly limited to the east coast, between Bizerte in the north and Medinine in the south. Most coverage is in bigger towns and on main roads. The biggest towns and the island of Djerba have quite extensive side road coverage.
The area north of Tunis has a Mediterranean climate with hilly terrain. The region is very agricultural and at the time the coverage was captured, almost all fields laid fallow.
The area between Tunis and Hammamet looks similar to the area north of Tunis, but the hills tend to be higher and more vegetated.
The large middle region between Hammamet and Gabes is very flat, and more arid. Olive tree plantations are common and the more south you go, the drier the landscape becomes.
South of Gabes is where the landscape changes into something more akin to a desert. A lot more rubbish and small white rocks can be found along the roads. Olive tree plantations are still somewhat common. A mountain range far in the distance is often visible to the southwest.
Bizerte Lake is instantly recognizable due to its teal coloured waters. There are slight hills to its south, with the rest of the area around the lake being flat. The city of Bizerte is located on the northeast side of the lake.
If you see a large amount of palm trees in a single place, you are probably in Gabes.
NOTE: While Djerba also has many palm trees, the towns and surrounding area tend to look more rural.
On the P1 road northwest of Medinine, you can occasionally find sandy hills that look like this. These hills are quite unique, as most coverage in southern Tunisia is in very flat areas.
An offroad from road P12 southwest of Sousse can be recognised by the dark pavement surrounded by bright sandy soil combined with the east-west road angle. The eastern part of the road is fairly vegetated, with large numbers of prickly pears, while the western part of the road is very arid with little to no vegetation.
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.
The Turkish landscape ranges from arid in the southeast to a Mediterranean landscape in the southwest. In the north you will often find a more forested and lush landscape. The most typical landscape is semi-arid, either rolling or flat, with vast agricultural fields, containing very limited vegetation other than crops.
Beware that Turkey is a very naturally diverse country with many landscapes that are not mentioned in this tip.
Northern Turkey tends to be significantly lusher and more forested than the rest of the country.
In the northeast you will find uncultivated grasslands in valleys surrounded by round hills. Trees are very limited in the region. In Generation 3 the area has an extremely distinct look, with deep green grass covering the hills. It is significantly more difficult to recognise in Generation 4, where the grass has a more arid look.
Tea plantations are common in the province of Rize.
Lake Van is by far the biggest lake in Turkey and has a semi-arid landscape, being surrounded by dry grassy hills and occasional trees and agricultural fields near the shore.
Dark, volcanic rocks are commonly found between the cities of Şanlıurfa and Diyarbakır.
River valleys surrounded by steep, barren and rocky cliff sides can be found between the cities of Erzurum and Artvin and in the southeast near the city of Hakkâri.
Many buildings in the Nevşehir Province are built by large, light and unevenly coloured, sandstone bricks.
Göreme, west of Kayseri, can be recognised by the tall sandstone monoliths with ancient dwellings carved into them.
Mount Ararat, labelled as Ağrı Dağı on Google Maps, is a dormant volcano in far eastern Turkey and the tallest mountain in the country. It is often seen together with Küçük Ağrı, a smaller volcano to the southeast.
Road E99 south of Şanlıurfa is a divided highway which can be recognised by the slightly hazy Generation 4 sunrise coverage combined with the flat agricultural landscape and general south-north road angle.
Along the western shore of Lake Beyşehir and Lake Eğirdir you can find this small single lane road with jagged, exposed rock and Turkish pines to the west. These two can be differentiated by the road west of Lake Eğirdir having a middle road line.
Uganda has very limited coverage, with most of the coverage in the capital city of Kampala and the nearby city of Entebbe. The rest of the coverage is located in the various national parks that will be covered below.
Note: Because the coverage in Uganda is limited, this guide is structured differently than most of the other country guides, with two separate sections for Kampala and the National Parks. These sections also include most of the tips needed to identify the country.
You can click on the image to enlarge it.
Kampala is a fairly busy-looking city, with many signs, narrow unpaved roads and typically fairly small, one-storey houses. Like many African countries, houses will often be surrounded by tall walls, commonly with barbed wire on top.
Kampala is a very hilly city, and as such it is rare to get a round without elevation or noticeable hills.
The National Park is located in the northeastern parts of the country and mostly consists of a large savannah with mountains being visible in most directions. The most recognizable mountain range can be seen to the east and is visible in most of the coverage.
The southern half of the north road in Kidepo is somewhat forested, and as such it may occasionally be hard to see the various mountains.
The northern half of the north road in Kidepo is located in a savannah and can be easily recognised by the wide mountain to the north.
The National Park is located by the northern end of Lake Albert and can commonly be recognized by the low dirt barriers along the side of the roads. A savannah can be seen in the western part, while the eastern parts contain many small trees and bushes. Apart from a fairly low and wide mountain range far away to the west, there are no mountains in the vicinity.
The National Park has three types of coverage, the first of which is a very wide dirt road going through a dense, tropical forest. It is by far the widest dirt road in the country outside of Kampala with Street View coverage.
The second type of coverage in Kibale is on a small forest road, which is still large enough to be covered using a car. The forest appears to be quite dense, however it is typically not very dark. The area is mostly flat.
The final type of coverage is a number of tiny forest paths. The coverage is somewhat dark, with the sun shining through every so often.
The park is located west of lake Victoria and has by far the driest coverage in the country. The grass is almost always completely dried out, which is normally enough to recognise it. Bushes and trees along the road also typically look very dry. The area is quite hilly, but not mountainous.
The coverage in the national park consists of two small forest paths running parallel to each other. The forest appears very humid, and on much of the coverage, drops of water can be seen on the camera lens.
The national park is located near the Kenyan border and has two stretches of paths covered, the first of which is in a forest with a fairly steep slope heading upwards to the east. The dirt typically has a very dark red colour.
The eastern stretch of path covered is easily recognized by its small palm-like trees on an open hilly field and a man following the photographer, who is dressed in green and holding a rifle.
On top of the brown dirt, the national park also contains large cacti with many branches going almost straight upwards, resembling the shape of trees.
On the northern coverage, it is common to see large, water-filled craters. Similar craters cannot be found elsewhere in the country.
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.
This is the stereotypical rural round in Ukraine:
Generally bad road quality.
A landscape that is usually flat or slightly hilly.
A line of trees or bushes next to the road, with wide open agricultural fields beyond that.
A lack of road infrastructure or buildings, until you reach the next urban area.
Low amount of traffic.
Almost all Ukrainian coverage was made in the summer, meaning the foliage is green and the people around are dressed for sunny weather.
Five major cities have autumn coverage, with distinct fall colours and colder weather. See the region guessing section for more information.
Coverage in Ukraine is mostly limited to urban areas and the main roads between them. See the region-guessing section for a map.
However, one type of coverage that can sometimes trick people are ultra-rural tracks close to cities. This is a decently common type of coverage in Ukraine, despite the general rule that most coverage is either urban or on a main road.
Five major cities were covered in 2011, years before the rest of the country was covered: Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, Odesa and Donetsk.
This coverage was made during autumn, meaning that the trees have distinct fall colours and people are dressed for colder weather.
In Kyiv, Lviv and Kharkiv, almost all of this coverage has been overwritten by the newer summer coverage. However, in all of Donetsk, and most of Odesa, it is still intact. In Donetsk specifically, there is no newer coverage at all.
The Carpathian Mountains is an area in western Ukraine that is significantly hillier than the rest of the country, in some places bordering on mountainous. It is also much more forested, with very little agriculture, and a lot of pine trees. The roads going through it tend to be more curvy, rather than the straight highways found in the rest of the country.
Forests with Baltic pines (Pinus sylvestris) are most commonly found in the north, most often near the border with Belarus. Baltic pines are usually tall and have orange-red bark.
While some of these forests consist solely of this species, many of them are a mix of Baltic pines and broadleaf trees.
NOTE: Note that the Carpathians are also covered in a lot of pine forests. They are noticeably hilly however, allowing you to distinguish this area from the very flat north.
Towards the south, the climate becomes warmer and drier. The landscape is more arid. Forests are considerably more rare, and make way for shrubs and open fields. The difference is not extreme, but can become noticeable after some practice.
Sunflowers are grown in most of Ukraine. However, they only start to bloom as early as late July. Due to the way Ukraine was covered, this means you will usually only see sunflower fields that are in bloom in the far south and east of the country.
These fields are most common in Kherson, Mykolaiv and Odesa Oblast. The road T0403 to Nova Kakhovka especially has a lot of them.
Note that sunflower fields that are not in bloom can be found in most of the country. These will just look like regular crop fields to most people.
Google sent a special car trekker to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, where the nuclear disaster happened in the 1980s. This car goes from Ivankiv all the way to the abandoned town of Pripyat.
On most of the road to Pripyat, you will not really be able to tell that you are inside the Exclusion Zone. However, inside Pripyat you will see completely abandoned and overgrown buildings, giving the place an eerie look.
The UAE typically features a flat desert landscape.
Coverage in the UAE is mostly limited to the Northeastern part of the country.
NOTE: The only car coverage outside of this region exists on Sir Baniyas Island. All other remote coverage was taken by a trekker.
Mountains are only found in the far east of the country.
You can easily recognise the Northern part of the emirate of Ras al Khaimah thanks to the light-coloured mountains visible to the east.
If you see mountains to the west, and flatness to the east, you are likely near the Gulf of Oman, in the extreme East of the country.
Remote trekkers, with sand dunes all around, can be found in the far south of the country, between the towns of Taraq and Alyhyali.
The British countryside tends to be very green, with lots of hedgerows lining the road. Low, rolling hills are common throughout most of the country.
NOTE: The Irish countryside looks very similar, so make sure to look at other clues before guessing.
The Scottish Highlands can be distinguished by the semi-barren, very mountainous landscape.
NOTE: A lot of Generation 4 coverage in the Highlands is from (early) spring, meaning that the vegetation often looks brown and yellow.
In addition, some of the most mountainous parts of Wales and Northern England can look similar.
The Lake District is very hilly, with a lot of exposed rocks and stone walls. It can look like the Scottish Highlands, but Scotland is generally less rocky.
Shown here is the population density of the United States. In General, areas east of the Missouri river are more densely populated than areas to the west.
You can click on the image to enlarge it.
Shown here is a topographic map of the US.
Most significant elevation is in the west: here you will find large mountain ranges, but also more flat, high plateaus. Some parts have lower elevation: good examples are the Central Valley and Imperial Valley in California.
Elevation in the east is generally much lower. The most significant amount of elevation is found in the Appalachians, low mountain ranges running through the eastern and northeastern US. Good examples of hills in otherwise fairly flat regions are the Driftless Area in the Midwest, and The Ozarks in Missouri and Arkansas.
You can click on the image to enlarge it.
This is a forest density map of the contiguous United States. Eastern and Northern regions of the country typically have much denser tree cover than Western and Southwestern regions.
You can click on the image to enlarge it.
Along the Canadian border in North Dakota, and rarely Montana, fields filled with short yellow canola flowers (Brassica napus) can commonly be seen from the road.
Rice production only occurs in a few areas of the US, so it is very useful for region guessing. It is typically grown in large, flat fields that resemble low prairies. It is only grown in north-central California and the Lower Mississippi River Valley in Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi. You can click here for a more detailed map.
NOTE: When rice is not fully grown, rice fields often look similar to this.
Oil pumpjacks are short, industrial-looking metal structures located at the surface of oil fields and are used to pump crude oil from the earth below. They are most common in western states, particularly in Texas, Eastern New Mexico, and North Dakota.
The Great Plains are in the middle of the United States and stretch from the Canadian border in the North, to central Texas in the South. This area is primarily flat with few trees. Some areas feature agriculture fields, while others feature dry and barren grassy fields.
The area spanning from the Montana Border with Saskatchewan to the Western Great Lakes features many ‘prairie potholes.’ These are areas of low-lying wetlands that feature marshy grasses and small, shallow ponds.
The Appalachian mountain range is a low mountain range that runs through the eastern states. The general landscape consists of low, forested mountains, with beech and oak trees being a common sight.
NOTE: Houses in the south generally have less storeys. New England architecture, commonly consisting of wood panelling, high roofs and a porch, is also more common toward the north, especially in New England.
The Lower Mississippi River Valley is a very flat and open landscape with red soil in areas of Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Northeast Louisiana. Corn and other crops are common in this area.
The area stretching from the Canadian border to Northern New Mexico is home to the Rocky Mountains. These jagged, rocky formations often feature many pine trees and visible snow all-year round at the highest peaks. Some areas of the Rocky Mountain Range are noticeably dry, with few trees.
The Great Basin, centred around Nevada, can be recognized by the tall, sometimes snow-capped mountains in the background. There are dry, but grassy, and slightly shrubby plains leading up to the mountains.
The tallest mountains are in Nevada, Utah and California. More gradual, rocky hills can be seen in Oregon, and greener mountains can be seen in Idaho and central Utah.
Keep in mind that there are exceptions, so make sure to look out for other clues before guessing.
Extremely tall conifer trees (Douglas firs) with a dark brown bark, and dark green leaves, can most commonly be seen in Cascadia. Notably, they can also be found in northern California, Idaho and as far east as Montana.
Beware that they are also commonly found in British Columbia.
Temperate rainforests are found in coastal areas of Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. These rainforests feature many broadleaf trees, large conifers, and ferns.
NOTE: These rainforests stretch north into coastal British Columbia and Southeast Alaska as well.
The Southwest, centred around the Four Corners region of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado, feature many mesas and tablelands. Often, these rock formations will be red in colour. Additionally, red soil is common in these areas.
Just west of the metropolitan areas of Austin and San Antonio Texas lies a large area of dry, rocky hills featuring many yucca and prickly pear plants. Texas Live Oak trees are the predominant tree type in this area.
The Rio Grande Valley in South Texas is extremely flat and features shrubby trees and agricultural fields. This area borders the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.
Agricultural golden fields can commonly be seen in eastern Washington.
NOTE: Flat areas of northern and eastern Oregon can have a similar appearance.
Central Valley, California can be recognized by its Mediterranean climate. This is reflected in its agriculture, seen in the vineyards and olive trees that can commonly be found here.
In addition, rolling hills can be seen toward the edges of the valley.
The Nebraska Sandhills are a recognizable region of rolling hills covered with prairie grass in the central-north part of the state.
In the Appalachian area stretching from southern New York to southern Virginia, there are a lot of forest-covered rolling hills, with flat valleys dividing them. A majority of the ridges are oriented Southwest to Northeast.
The Ouachita Mountains stretch from Eastern Oklahoma into West-Central Arkansas. Unlike the nearby Ozark Mountains, these mountains are typically more steep in nature and easier to see from a distance.
Stilt houses can sometimes be seen on the coast. These are especially common toward the south, and on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
Alaska is the largest state and the north-, west-, and easternmost state in the US.
A separate Plonk It guide to Alaska can be found here.
American Samoa is a South Pacific island group and an unorganised US territory.
A separate Plonk It guide to American Samoa can be found here.
Many bridges are used to connect the various neighbourhoods of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. These expansive, steel bridges are commonly painted bright yellow. Additionally, Pittsburgh is easy to identify because of it being flanked by 3 rivers and steep bluffs on all sides.
The Florida Keys are an archipelago of tropical islands west of Miami. The highway connecting the islands can be recognized by green, tropical vegetation on the sides of the usually single lane road. The soil is also sandy white.
Urban locations are also similar, but with many more planted palm trees and mowed grass being a common sight.
Deep South Florida, between the metropolitan areas of Ft. Myers and Miami, features dense, jungle-like forests that have few inhabitants. Roads through these areas are commonly very straight and long.
The area between the cities of Orlando and Lakeland in Florida sometimes feature low, rolling hills. Lakes and agricultural fields are also common in this area. This is the only main hilly area in central or southern Florida.
Southwestern Oklahoma features a small area of rocky, shrubby peaks. Some of the mountains are also covered in trees, and the rocks can have a pinkish red tint to them.
Central Colorado is home to a large North-to-South oriented mountain ridge. This divides the Rocky Mountains to the west and the Great Plains to the east.These mountains are adjacent to the major metropolitan areas of Boulder, Denver, and Colorado Springs.
Big Bend National Park is located along the Mexico border in Southwest Texas. It can be identified by its dry, rocky peaks and shrubby foliage. This park is adjacent to the Chihauhan desert, so plants such as yucca and prickly pear cactus are common.
Along the New Mexico and or Texas border there is a ridge of tall, dry peaks known as the Guadalupe Mountains. In adjacent areas of both states, smaller foothills of these mountains can be seen with relatively flat tops and shrubby foliage.
Death Valley National Park can be easily recognized by the dry, sandy, treeless mountains that can be seen from the roads that go through the park. In Generation 3 coverage, the sky can look particularly dusty.
NOTE: Many smaller roads in Death Valley only have Generation 1 coverage.
Along the Canadian border in Montana lies Glacier National Park. It is easily recognizable by its extremely tall and steep mountain peaks. Most coverage is also hazy and taken during summer.
NOTE: Other National Parks within the Rocky Mountain range of the US can have a similar appearance, so consider other clues before guessing.
Badlands National Park features these distinct, sand-brown, eroded rock formations. The formations may sometimes appear more rounded, and lighter in colour.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park features similar, sand-brown, eroded rock formations to Badlands National Park. The rock formations in this park tend to have more trees on them. Additionally, almost all coverage has fall colours visible.
NOTE: Similar formations can be seen in far eastern Montana as well.
In far Northeastern Wyoming lies Devil’s Tower, which is a very tall, standalone butte protruding from the surrounding land. This can sometimes be seen from many miles away because of the lack of nearby mountains.
The Black Hills, located in far Western South Dakota and far Eastern Wyoming, are a series of moderately tall mountains with large amounts of conifer trees and rocky outcroppings. The surrounding areas are typically much flatter with lesser tree cover.
NOTE: This area has a similar appearance to many areas within the Rocky Mountains, which lie further to the West.
This is the stereotypical Uruguay round. The coverage often, but not always, features overcast weather. Most of the landscape consists of open grasslands with gentle hills. Occasionally, you might see separated tree plantations. Roads are generally in worse condition than in neighbouring countries.
As mentioned before, most of Uruguay is slightly hilly, even though the overall elevation is fairly low. Although it is by no means a mountainous country, roads generally have at least a slight incline.
Take note that this hilliness is usually very subtle: don’t expect immense rolling hills in most of the country.
NOTE: If your location is completely flat, consider that you might be in Argentina instead.
Cattle farming is an important part of Uruguay’s agriculture. Cattle outnumber people four by one, so you will see a lot of them around in rural rounds.
Subtle differences in elevation can help when trying to region-guess Uruguay.
The highest hills are mostly concentrated around two areas:
Near Minas, east of Montevideo.
North of Tacuarembo, in the far north of the country.
The landscape near the town of Minas is recognizable: some of the tallest hills in the country, with lots of exposed rocks, and often heavy bushland vegetation.
The image shown here is a fairly extreme example of this landscape, used for illustration purposes – usually it is more subtle. However, the exposed rock is always a good clue.
NOTE: The landscape in the Quebrada de los Cuervos nature reserve, situated further north, can look similar. In addition, there are also very tall hills in the north of the country. However, these look different (see the tip below).
You can also find tall hills in the north of the country. These can be recognized by their noticeably darker soil. These hills also typically do not have the exposed rocks that are visible in the Minas hills.
The vegetation tends to be natural, and you will often see tree plantations.
This specific landscape tends to be most noticeable very close to the Brazil border, on Route 30 near Tranqueras.
Tree plantations are a defining feature of much of Uruguay’s countryside, but they are especially common in two areas in the north and northwest.
Note that the highest density of plantations is in these areas, but more isolated plantations can be found all over the country.
The region near Lagoa Mirim and the Brazil border in the southeast of the country is noticeably very flat, in contrast to the slight hills found in most of the rest of the country.
Punta del Este is a seaside resort town with a recognizable look. It is an affluent and touristic place with a developed downtown that consists of many tall, modern apartment buildings. Its main attraction is its large, sandy beach.
Further away from the downtown area, you will see less highrises, but still a lot of expensive-looking villa neighbourhoods. Here, you will often see distinctive tall pine trees.
The small island of Isla de Flores is located off the coast of Montevideo. It has a trekker where you can see abandoned buildings, and usually also the lighthouse.
This unique Google car is found in the coastal town of Cabo Polonio. It can be recognized by the orange strap on the left.
The coverage is an off-road trekker line on the map. The town that it drives through has a unique vibe, consisting of makeshift-looking shacks, scattered around the seaside landscape. In some of the coverage, the car drives on the beach.
This unique Google car is found in the Valle del Lunarejo natural park, located west of the town of Tranqueras. The car has a white front and a curved black backside with a brown strap.
The coverage is an off-road trekker line on the map. The car drives on a small track through a grassy landscape.
NOTE: This park only shows up as a point of interest on the map, instead of the usual dark green polygon used for natural parks.
The US Minor Outlying Islands are a chain of islands that are US overseas territories. As such, it is counted as the US for country streak purposes.
The guide will be somewhat skewed towards the Midway Atoll, as that is the only island with pinpointable coverage.
NOTE: The easiest way to locate the Midway Atoll on the map is to zoom in slightly to the west of the North Pacific Ocean map label.
One of the most distinct features of the Midway atoll is the presence of multiple albatrosses on almost every single location.
On the eastern side of the Midway Atoll, you can find a small village.
Southeast Island is arguably the least distinctive island in the chain. It has a small lake near the centre, and a large amount of birds in the sky.
Laysan Island is the only island in the chain where the coverage has almost no clouds.
The French Frigate Shoals is a fairly long and thin island with a shabby-looking runway. The island has by far the largest number of birds out of all islands in the chain.
East Island is the smallest island in the chain. There is barely any vegetation and you can see the ocean in all directions.
The western corner of the Midway Atoll runway is arguably the most common location on the official Geoguessr world map and may thus be worth remembering, particularly for a newer player.
Primary roads on the Southern US Virgin Island of St. Croix follow a loose grid pattern. Main roads are angled from WSW to ENE, with intersecting roads angled from NNW to SSE. In contrast, the Northern Islands of St. John and St. Thomas have much curvier roads.
Two boat trekkers are found on the north coast of St Croix. The boat cannot be seen, however the trekker can be identified by the blue waters and hilly islands. The area near Buck Island National Park also has a distinct pink tint to the camera.
Vanuatu is an island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, northeast of Brisbane between the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and Fiji.
Vanuatu is a tropical island chain, with a significant part of the coverage being taken in a dense tropical forest.
Although Vanuatu consists of 13 primary islands, only Ambrym Island has coverage. Look for the ‘Port Vato’ label on the map, north of Port Vila, to find the island.
This unique volcano trekker can be found in the middle of the island.
A beach with black sand can be seen on the east side of the island.
Wide open and completely flat agricultural fields are most commonly seen in the Red River Delta and somewhat less commonly found in the Mekong River Delta.
The Mekong Delta is an exceedingly flat, water-rich area. It is traversed by numerous very straight canals, often flanked by linear villages. It is one of the most densely populated parts of Vietnam, with cultivated fields essentially everywhere. The area is even more tropical than the rest of Vietnam, with lots of palm trees and lush wetland vegetation.
The Central Highlands region tends to have a landscape with a somewhat distinct vibe: often hilly with distant mountains, red soil, and often fairly dry, rolling agricultural fields. Additionally, the vegetation is a bit drier than in the rest of Vietnam (depending on the season).
Tea plantations are primarily found in the north, limited to several disconnected areas.
A major exception is the southern province of Lâm Đồng, which has a large tea area centred around the city of Bảo Lộc.
Tea plants can be recognized by their compact and neatly trimmed shape, with small dark green leaves. They are often, but not always, planted in windy rows on hillsides.
Clusters of Khasi pines growing on hills are very typical of far northeastern Vietnam, specifically the provinces of Lạng Sơn and Quảng Ninh.
The coastal region northeast of Phan Thiết city is noticeably dry and sandy, compared to the typical Vietnamese landscape. Some parts of this region are very rocky as well.
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:
Single graves in the middle of agricultural fields can be found in the Red River Delta.
The Đồng Văn Karst Geopark in northern Hà Giang province, in the extreme northernmost tip of Vietnam, is characterized by a very distinct landscape: rounded, pointy mountains with relatively sparse vegetation, exposing the very dark rocks underneath.
NOTE: The broader region of northern Vietnam is also characterized by pointy mountains. The Geopark is unique because of the exposed rocks.
The island of Phú Quốc is found in southern Vietnam near Cambodia. Phú Quốc only has Generation 3 coverage and has a lot of dark red soil. You may sometimes see a large forested ridge, which sits northeast on the island.
On the coastal roads of the Hạ Long Bay, east of Hải Phòng, you can see numerous pointy, rocky islands rising out of the water, making for idyllic views.
A single large mountain in the middle of an otherwise completely flat landscape can be found just northeast of the city of Tây Ninh.
This peninsula in far northern Khánh Hoà can be recognised by the many sand dunes hugging the road, which is mostly a divided highway, but also a smaller paved road for a shorter stretch.