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Soil #soil
407 clues · 94 countries.
Tags
407 clues · 94 countries.
Showing 407 clues across 94 countries.
Due to Alaska’s very cold climate; agricultural fields are mainly found in the south of the state, mostly in the Matanuska Valley and Kenai Peninsula.
Albania has a lot of exposed red soil next to roads.
NOTE: This is less common in Montenegro. Greece on the other hand also has a fair amount of similar-looking red soil, especially closer to the Albanian border.
A wide, almost dried out river valley going southeast to northwest, can be seen along the SH71 between Pishaj and Kokel.
The soil will always be dark.
A beach with black sand and many penguins can be seen on Deception Island.
Petermann Island can be recognized by the layer of snow with patches of exposed rocks, and the overexposed camera.
The coverage at the western tip of Ross Island can typically be recognised by the extremely dark, and mostly barren, rocky soil.
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.
Red soil is typically found in the Misiones province.
NOTE: Brazil and Argentina can look similar in this region. Make sure to look for other clues first.
In the Chaco and Formosa provinces, you will often see sandy soil with an abundance of vegetation; mainly low trees and bushes.
Salt pans in Argentina are typically found in Jujuy.
NOTE: They can also be found in southwestern Bolivia and northeastern Chile.
These volcanic rocks in Generation 4 coverage can only be found on the RP43 south of Antofagasta de la Sierra in northwestern Catamarca.
Red soil with a barren landscape and mountain ranges, can often be seen on the RN76 in Parque Nacional Talampaya in western La Rioja.
The “sawdust” car is found in centre-south Argentina and has a unique sandy dust on its visible black back.
Western Australia, and especially the Perth area, is known for its reddish-orange soil.
NOTE: Although this is very useful, there are numerous areas in WA with light soil, and conversely there are areas in other states with reddish-orange soil.
The vegetation in the area surrounding Darwin is extremely distinct. It features dark red soil, as well as rich green grass and trees. The tree trunks are typically black.
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.
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.
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 area around Mount Gambier, SA features white soil and extensive pine tree plantations, making it recognisable.
Kangaroo Island in South Australia tends to have a distinct look. The vegetation mostly consists of bushes and low, stubby eucalyptus trees with puffy clusters of leaves. The orange soil colour is reminiscent of Western Australia.
In addition, the island only has Generation 2 and Generation 4 coverage.
The Stuart Highway from Alice Springs to around Pimba, SA can be easily recognized by its bright orange dirt, short trees and blue car Generation 4.
NOTE: Use the road angle and whether there are rumble strips to determine whether you are in NT or SA. Rumble strips are much rarer on the NT side.
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.
Corn tends to be planted in the west of Bangladesh - large and medium-sized fields can be found in Rajshahi, Rangpur, western Mymensingh and northern Khulna.
Smaller patches of corn can be found in the south of Barishal, usually adjacent to other crops.
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.
While the Paro International Airport is located in a dry northwest valley, the Bumthang Domestic Airport is located in a wet northern valley.
If all else fails, and you have a tough 50-50, it can help to look at the colour of the rocks and soil, which often have a distinct reddish tint in Bolivia, more so than the other Andean countries.
This information should be used with a fair amount of caution, as there are many variables. Only use it when you have no other clues available.
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.
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).
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.
Within this tropical area, coverage on unpaved roads is only found around Santa Cruz. These roads again prominently have the pink soil that is very characteristic of the area east of Andes.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A large region in the middle western part of the country is characterised by very white sandy soil. In addition, the vegetation tends to look very dry.
NOTE: Sandy soil can be found in many places in Botswana. This tip specifically refers to the bright white colour of the sand.
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.
Maun is the only relatively large city in Botswana that has this bright white sandy soil, which is typical for the middle western region of the country.
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 mostly unpaved road north of Maun to Khwai can be identified by extremely white sandy soil and tall green trees surrounding the road. The first section of the road, between Maun and Shorobe, is paved. But that section can still be identified by the trees, faint road markings, and power lines to the west of the road.
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.
Southeast of Tshabong, the A20 has been recently repainted and has very bright yellow lines and relatively dark asphalt. There is a powerline running alongside it to the northeast, it has orange-tan sandy soil, and you can often find patches of yellow flowers.
The 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.
Soil in most of Brazil is distinctly red. It can range from a light pink around Mato Grosso to a deep maroon near the Paraná river. The soil is usually not red in the North East, or in the majority of Rio Grande do Sul, however.
NOTE: Parts of Paraguay and the nearby Argentine province of Misiones have deep red soil, as well a handful of other regions around the world.
Northeastern Brazil can be identified by its dry soil, shrubs and succulents (the Caatinga landscape). In rainy season coverage, the shrubs are still recognisable, but can be deceptively green.
Soybeans appear as small, leafy soil grown plants. They are most commonly grown in Mato Grosso, Paraná, and Goiás.
These uneven but mostly square stone roads are seen in western Rio Grande do Sul and west Santa Catarina. The soil will often be very dark in these regions too.
NOTE: The same roads are seen in the Misiones province of Argentina.
Most roads in Piauí have red gravel on the side of the road. Some roads in Generation 4 now have tarmac and kerbs, but some gravel shoulders remain.
Coastal regions in Rio Grande do Sul are recognisable due to being a rare flat wetland, which is uncommon in Brazil.
The Amazonas 319 has a very lush, bright green and tropical landscape, as it cuts through the Amazon rainforest. The road is flat and mostly unpaved, featuring bright orange soil. However, closer to Manaus the road becomes paved. There are wooden or ladder poles alongside the entire stretch. It is covered by the blue Generation 4 car.
Many roads are unpaved. Usually, only main roads and roads in and near urban areas are paved.
The low-lying central plain is home to most agricultural land. The landscape is flat, cultivated, and dotted with villages and farms.
Sandy, white soil is very common in the region southeast of Phnom Penh, as well as around the city itself. The colour can range from bright white to slightly beige.
NOTE: You may find sandy, white soil in other parts of the country, however it is by far the most common in this area. Conversely, some roads in this region can have darker soil than expected.
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).
The road between Road 48 and Kiri Sakor is under construction and only has one paved road side. The unpaved side has red soil.
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.
There is another good way to recognize Road 4 between Angk Snuol and Preah Sihanouk: in most sections, it has a distinctive wide, red-brownish shoulder on both sides of the road.
NOTE: Near Phnom Penh, the soil of these shoulders tends to have a lighter, pinkish or beige colour. In the hills and closer to Preah Sihanouk, the soil tends to have a darker colour.
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.
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.
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.
The Canadian Shield extends through the eastern part of Canada. Therefore, you will commonly see exposed rocks on street view in the highlighted area.
Prince Edward Island soil has a distinct red tint to it. Potato farming is also very common on PEI.
NOTE: This type of soil can occasionally be seen in certain areas of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
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.
This unique Google car and dark-coloured soil is found in Tulita, NWT. The car will most often look like this, but can also be fully blurred with just the antenna visible, or with the hood of the car visible.
The town of Qikiqtarjuaq features distinct mountains, and red tinted soil.
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 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.
This brownish red soil can sometimes be seen in Atacama region.
NOTE: This is most reliable in Generation 3. This soil can be seen in other regions in Generation 4.
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 slight, sandy ridge with a gradual incline can be seen in Arica.
A rockier, and more uneven ridge can be seen in Antofagasta.
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.
The inland trekker on Pulau Luar (Horsburgh Island) can be recognized by the dry, yellow grass, and more sparse vegetation.
The Northern part of the country is characterised by white, sandy soil and an arid landscape.
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.
Rice fields are mostly found south of the town of Bagaces in Guanacaste province. Some fields are harvested or just recently planted but can be recognized by the raised edges around the paddies.
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.
Larger irrigation canals exist in the area south of Bagaces and Cañas in Guanacaste province.
Bright white soil roads likely place you just north of the city of Liberia, Guanacaste province.
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 north-western region of Istria, south of the Italian city of Trieste, sometimes has distinct red soil.
While the bright exposed limestone rock is a good clue for the country, it is mainly found along its southern coast.
On the other hand, reddish soil is found in the interior and northwest of the country.
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.
Dark red fields, even if covered in vegetation, are a good clue for northern Cyprus and Famagusta, the far eastern region.
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.
The wind turbines in the east are built on sandy rolling hills, surrounded by agricultural fields .
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.
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.
This extremely dry landscape is only found in the coastal region between Guayaquil and Manta.
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).
Many of the buildings you see in the trekker coverage are made of sandstone.
The MR3 South of Ngomane can be recognized thanks to flatness, long dry grass and the dirt on the camera.
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.
Inland New Island can be recognized by the dark brown soil. Tire tracks may also be visible.
Roads with a significant red, purple or burgundy tint are most commonly found in an area between Paris and Dijon, with Normandy being a notable exception. The historical region of Burgundy, which gave the name to the shade of red, roughly corresponds to the highlighted area.
NOTE: Normal roads may deceptively look reddish under some lighting, so use this with caution.
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.
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.
Ghana is mostly flat with red soil, however hills and mountains can be seen in some regions. Tropical vegetation is very common, and palms are common especially toward the south.
Northern Ghana features a savannah landscape, which can be identified by its dry soil and less dense vegetation.
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 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.
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 Boabeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary has a unique Google car. The ‘Ghana tape’ and roof rack will not be visible however, the black right side mirror will be slightly visible just outside the blur.
NOTE: The red soil and surrounding vegetation should still be good clues for the country, despite the lack of the typical car meta associated with Ghana.
Red dirt is very common in Greece.
NOTE: Albania also has a lot of red dirt.
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.
On the other side of the fjord from Narsarsuaq, a black ATV with an orange and purple bag in the front can be seen. The coverage has a lot of tall green grass and the dirt is unusually red for Greenland.
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.
Unlike most houses in Greenland, the houses in Tiilerilaaq are commonly grey rather than colourful. The village can also be recognized by the ground, which is almost entirely made up of smooth, light grey rocks.
The southern regions of Guatemala mainly consist of completely flat agricultural land. It is generally more built up than flat areas in the north.
A small dirt road in the middle of a dense jungle can be found north of Tikal, in the far north of the country.
Contemporary Hawaiian homes are typically 1 or 2 storey wooden structures, commonly lighter in colour. Many homes feature retaining walls made of volcanic rock.
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 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 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.
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 town of Kaunakakai is the largest settlement on the Island of Molokaʻi. It is the only area on the island with an ‘urban’ vibe. As it is on Molokaʻi, the soil is somewhat red.
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.
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.
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.
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 northern plains, also known as the Ganges River Valley, of India are very fertile with extremely flat and open agricultural fields.
Distinctly dark soil is mainly found in Maharashtra and adjacent regions.
Red soil can be found in several regions, but mainly near the southern west coast and in and around Chhattisgarh and western Odisha.
The western parts of Rajasthan can commonly be recognised by the dry landscape with sandy soil.
The area on the border of Telangana and Karnataka often have houses with roofs made out of distinctly thin grey bricks. These grey bricks and similar coloured rocks are sometimes also seen in walls and scattered on the ground in stockyards.
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.
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.
A flat, bushy landscape with very red soil can be found in southern Tamil Nadu.
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.
Red soil with a layer of white soil on top of it is most commonly found in the Bangka Belitung islands. On these islands, the white soil can often be seen spilling onto the road.
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.
The area in and around Burren National Park is characterised by a unique karst landscape consisting of exposed grey limestone rocks.
Southern Israel and eastern West Bank are extremely dry and sandy.
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.
Timna National park can be recognised by the complete dryness combined with the mountain ridges in all directions.
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 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.
Rice is mainly produced in the western and central parts of Po valley, and less commonly in Sardinia.
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.
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.
Agricultural fields with red soil are commonly found on several southern islands, most notably on the islands of Miyakojima and Ishigaki in southern Okinawa.
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.
Near and in the city of Madaba, you will find flat fields which are sometimes tilled. They uniquely have the characteristic of rich, red soil.
NOTE: The fields continue both north and south of Madaba, along Highway 35.
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.
Sandy and shrubby desert-like landscapes are common in southwestern Kazakhstan.
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.
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
Between Kokshetau and Atbasar, the car has a thin coating of dirt and dust, which is most visible near the back of the roof.
East of Aktobe, there is a vertical line of dirt on the right side of the roof.
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 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.
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 A3 north of Garissa is very unique, with light coloured soil and many green trees on either side of the road.
This car that is covered in specks of dirt is unique to these stretches of the A3, B9, and the Habaswein-Dadaab Road connecting the two.
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.
Within this southern region, west of the roundabout that takes you up to Manas (Previously Jalal-Abad), the mirror will have a varying degree of dirt on it.
The mountains and hills south of Naryn have a unique combination of snow and red soil that make them very distinct.
You will almost always see the Issyk Kul lake, and the Tian Shan mountains on this section. The soil here is sandy and rocky.
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.
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.
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.
This rocky dirt road going to Chunkurchak is mostly high up in the snowy hills south of Bishkek. Some of the soil here has a red tint to it. On the northern part of the road, you can only see the snowy hills to the south. Also pay attention to the red-and-white bollards on the sides of the roads.
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
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.
Northern Lebanon is very flat and agricultural. You might see the mountains to the southeast.
Several sections of the A5 south of Nyakosoba are under construction. As a result, you will often see a sort of temporary “bollard” next to the road, consisting of a stick that is mostly painted white.
Even on sections without the bollard, you can often recognize this road, as it is a wide dirt road with very dark brown soil.
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.
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.
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.
An area with coverage south of Ambiky can be recognized by the large, solitary green bushes combined with a very slight red tinge in the dirt. Certain parts of the coverage are quite wet.
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 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.
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.
Kirindy Mitea National Park can be most easily recognized by having the reddest soil present on Street View in Madagascar.
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 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.
Coverage on a somewhat rocky ground with no people following the trekker can be found southwest of the bay.
Due to the lack of flat terrain, terrace farming is extensively practised on the island. Stone walls are used to separate the individual plateaus.
The ER211 can be recognized by the dark pavement combined with its exposed brownish soil.
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 Sankoré Mosque is surrounded by very sandy ground. The mosque itself has a prominent pyramid-shaped tower.
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 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.
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.
Red agricultural fields are commonly seen in Zacatecas and occasionally southern Durango.
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.
Almost blindingly white soil in the Yucatan peninsula is most common in Quintana Roo.
NOTE: This is only consistent in Generation 3.
These red agricultural fields surrounded by dense forests of tropical trees are most common in northern Campeche.
The area around Ciudad Obregon is distinct due to the pinkish-tan soil and canals found around the city’s agricultural areas.
The outskirts of Ciudad Juárez features a lot of dirt roads with a distinct shade of orange soil and low shrubs.
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.
Mongolian neighbourhoods are very frequently separated by dirt alleys and wooden fences.
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.
You can find arid steppe rangeland, characterised by the coarse soil, patchy grass, and small shrubs, throughout southwestern Mongolia.
Due to Mongolia’s harsh climate and terrain, crop fields are rare, but they do occasionally appear in the subdivisions of Selenge and Töv, near Ulaanbaatar.
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.
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.
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.
The Pljevlja Coal Mine can be recognized by the wide, artificial wall of gravel. The mine can often be seen from afar.
A pocket around Oshakati, and to a lesser extent the rest of the north features more agricultural land and has very light sandy soil. This map also closely lines up with where you can find the Hyphaene Petersiana fan palms.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Very red soil and small tufts of golden grass lining the road can be used to recognise the paved C19. The sky is mostly covered in dark clouds, especially to the north.
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.
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.
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.
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 C44 is a wide unpaved sandy road lined with trees, easily recognised from the general E-SE angle, and the westbound driving direction.
NOTE: The D3301, a bit further south looks similar, but the soil is generally much redder, and the car is driving east.
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.
Gobabis is a big north-south gridded city in the desert, with red soil permeating the landscape and roads, which are very often unpaved. A faint green ridge is sometimes visible to the north to northwest. The street signs, while rare, are also green, with silver framing on the top and bottom. Blue bins are also a good clue for Gobabis.
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.
While not entirely unique, most streets in Rundu consist of deep and light coloured sand, with a bumpy texture, and tire tracks engraved into it.
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.
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.
The western hills can be recognised by the dry landscape, with a lot of exposed hillsides lacking vegetation.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Benue state can be recognized by the lush, green grass covered ground, with reddish soil. The vegetation is somewhat scattered, with the grass making way for taller trees. Shorter trees and shrubs between the grass and taller trees are somewhat uncommon. Thatched huts are also common in comparison to other southern states.
NOTE: An abundance of palms should make you lean toward the bordering southern states that can look similar.
Niger state is the shitcam equivalent to Benue state. It is almost entirely covered by shitcam, and can be recognized by the scattered trees, reddish soil, and dry grass.
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.
A flat landscape with coastal vegetation and many palms can be seen east of Lekki. The ground is very sandy. Almost all of the coverage is old Generation 3, with a silver follow car.
Dark red soil is most commonly found in and around Benin City and Enugu.
NOTE: Red-tinged soil can be found in many places. This tip refers specifically to dark red soil.
If you see a brown smudge, you will be in the far southeast of the country.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Masirah Island features a dry and slightly hilly landscape, typically with somewhat grey soil and with brown shrubs visible. Road 51, which circulates the island, usually only has a white centre road line, which can help in recognising it. The front camera on the island is slightly smudged.
Sandy dunes, that usually look quite red, are found near the border with Saudi Arabia and further inland in the middle of Oman.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The western stretch of Road 41 has wide shoulders similar to Road 31, however, the more northwest-bound angle along with the reddish soil should tell them apart. The eastern half has cloudy coverage.
North of Shalim Road 42 turns into a very wide unpaved road, with the soil being quite light in colour. You’ll sometimes see oil drills in the distance along this stretch.
Volcanic rocks that are either scattered on the ground, or built into rock walls, are common north of David.
The region around Aguadulce is relatively flat and features a lot of agricultural fields along with very brown or orange soil.
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.
A small cluster of dirt on the car can be found on the eastern road.
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.
Patches of light green lichen can be seen covering rocks and growing on the ground in high elevation areas of central and southern Peru.
Dark red-tinted soil is found in several areas of Peru. Some notable areas include the areas near Cusco and Ayacucho in the south of the country, as well as areas near the northern cities of Cajamarca and Tarapoto. It can be found to a lesser extent in adjacent regions.
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 1S south of the city of Ica is not divided and mostly follows the coast. The soil is often red or orange in these areas, and there is little-to-no vegetation. This road is also entirely covered with the Generation 4 camera.
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.
The city of Tacna in the far south of Peru has this distinct dry ridge to the north.
It is somewhat common to see grains being spread out on roads to dry.
NOTE: This practice is also common in Vietnam.
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 soil is commonly very red.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Red soil is common in the highlighted areas, notably around Izhevsk and Perm, much of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Leningrad Oblast, and Pskov Oblast, and near Volgograd and Astrakhan. Note that this map is by no means exhaustive; red soil can be found almost anywhere in the country near water or iron mines.
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.
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.
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 area west of the Caspian Sea can often be recognised by its extremely dry and flat landscape, especially in Kalmykia, Astrakhan Oblast, and Dagestan.
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.
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.
The road to Okha in northern Sakhalin is unpaved, revealing its very sandy soil. The road is surrounded by short, stunted bushes and trees.
On the east side of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, the coverage turns from rainy to wet after the rain.
Most of the soil in Rwanda has a noticeable red tint to it.
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.
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 section of NR15 from the Western Province border to this point is under construction, with no pavement at the moment; making it the only covered National Road to be unpaved for this long. Also, most of the road hugs a steep cliffside made of red dirt.
NOTE: Non-national roads are often unpaved, but they are usually not as wide, and have more stuff going on around them.
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 dry landscape with slight hills can mostly be seen around Bakel, but also south to Nayé.
Hazy coverage with a low sun through a sometimes agricultural landscape can be seen on the N2 between St. Louis and Richard Toll.
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.
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.
Flat, or rolling, agricultural fields with no mountains or tall hills in view can be seen in the east of the country.
You can find this grainy, almost Texas-like pavement with a hint of pink in Limpopo.
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.
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.
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.
Jeju is a volcanic island with a lot of dark volcanic dirt, where you can also often see volcanoes in the distance.
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.
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.
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.
South of Madrid, olive tree plantations are usually in small or medium sized fields, in mostly flat terrain and commonly accompanied by red soil.
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.
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.
Many parts of Sri Lanka have reddish soil.
Less commonly, you may encounter white, sandy soil.
This type of vegetation, consisting of thin, weak-looking boreal trees and somewhat sandy soil can be found in the far north of Sweden.
Beech forests, which can generally be recognised by the barren ground covered in brown leafs, are mainly found in the far south.
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.
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.
Dirt roads which have a deep grey colour and are aligned with low, green grassy vegetation on either side are commonly found in the northern half of Jämtland. This is mostly found in Generation 4 summer and Generation 3 fall coverage.
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.
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.
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.
Foskrosvägen, on the border between Jämtland and Dalarna, can be recognised by the slightly red dirt on the road, combined with several water smudges on the camera. A good way to find the road when scanning is to look for the “Reindeer spot point” right on the county border.
Exposed limestone rocks, protruding from forested hills, are commonly found in the Jura mountains.
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 island of Kinmen can be recognized by these trees with fuzzy leaves lining the road and red-tinged soil.
NOTE: There is no Generation 4 coverage in Kinmen.
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.
Red soil is most common in the northeast of Thailand, but can be seen throughout the entire country.
Gravel roads can be found all throughout Thailand, but are most common in the darkly highlighted areas.
A majority of Thailand’s rice cultivation occurs within the highlighted area.
Rice cultivated during the dry season is most common in the central plains. The dry season in Thailand can typically be recognized by a haze in the sky due to wildfires.
During the wet season, the majority of rice cultivation occurs in the eastern plains.
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.
Deep red fields with cassava and rubber trees can be found in Kanchanaburi.
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.
These olive tree plantations can often be found along roads. They consist of nicely arranged rows of olive trees on an often raked, weedless soil.
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 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.
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.
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.
Cotton is mainly found in the region surrounding the city of Şanlıurfa.
Dark, volcanic rocks are commonly found between the cities of Şanlıurfa and Diyarbakır.
Like most of the national park coverage, Kampalan soil is typically very red. Even paved roads normally have a noticeable red, purple or pink tinge.
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 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.
Queen Elizabeth National Park, north of Lake Edward, is one of the only places in Uganda where you will commonly see dirt which is not red. Instead, the dirt will typically be either brown or greyish.
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.
Red soil can be seen on some ultra-rural dirt tracks around the iron mine in Kryvyi Rih, due to mining activity. Brazilian-style poles can also be seen, making locations around the mine very convincing bait. The foliage, however, will be significantly less tropical, and a long antenna can be seen.
Although the UAE is a wealthy country, it is not uncommon for residential roads to be unpaved.
Remote trekkers, with sand dunes all around, can be found in the far south of the country, between the towns of Taraq and Alyhyali.
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.
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.
Many parts of the Deep South, stretching from Oklahoma to South Carolina, have reddish soil. The exact tint of the soil can range from yellow to deep red.
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 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.
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.
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.
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 many parts of Uruguay, you can find reddish soil. The tint can range from light pink (pictured here) to deep red.
NOTE: This type of reddish soil is less common in the similar-looking parts of Argentina. Hence, it can be a good clue for Uruguay when you are faced with a tough decision.
However, be cautious with using this meta in the inverse way: the absence of this type of soil does not exclude Uruguay, as you can still find a lot of generic white and brown soil throughout the country.
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.
The coverage was taken on a volcanic island, and as such you will often see dark volcanic soil.
A distinct plateau with dark brown soil and patchy grass is seen east of the volcano.
A beach with black sand can be seen on the east side of the island.
This dirt road with tire tracks and slightly purple soil can be seen east of the beach.
Endu Pahakol, the only village with coverage on Ambrym Island, can be recognized by the small thatched huts and dark soil.
It is somewhat common to see grains being spread out on roads to dry.
NOTE: This practice is also common in the Philippines, and more rarely in Thailand as well.
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 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).
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.
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.
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.