AERIALETips for guessing cities from above
A satellite image hides more clues than you'd think. Here's what to look at, in roughly the order we look at it ourselves.
Look for known landmarks
The first thing to do is look for any places you might recognise from above. Important city squares, monuments or even geographical features should always be the first thing to look for.
Look at the roof colours and shapes
Building roofs can tell you a lot about which area of the world you are in. For example, bright red roofs are typically found in southern Europe, while darker roofs are more common in northern Europe. Even the shapes and sizes of the buildings matter: in large Chinese cities you might notice many long, narrow roofs of varying colours next to each other, while many south-west Asian cities have a mix of wide roads and clusters of small buildings. Every region has its clue.
Look at the image quality
Even the quality of the image can help you work out where in the world you are. Cities in countries with higher demand for satellite imagery usually have higher-quality, sharper images, while remote areas, or cities where there is less demand for satellite imagery, tend to look more blurred.
Look at the streets
Cities around the world have different street layouts. American cities typically have grid layouts, while European cities are very dense in the centre and get sparser further out. Asian cities have a mix of very large roads and dense neighbourhoods, while cities in Africa often have sparser roads of a more even width.
Look at the shadows
At midday, shadows point north in the northern hemisphere and south in the southern hemisphere. Very long shadows suggest a city far from the equator, but they could also mean the photo was taken early or late in the day.
Look at the terrain
The terrain should be one of the first things you check. Beyond telling you about the environment, it can help narrow down the region: large cities among rocky mountains are typical of western South America or Central Asia, while greener mountains are found in north-east Asia and North America.