As we all know – well, most of us – the earth isn’t the right shape to truly have “ends.” There are some places however that do have the appearance of terrestrial cul-de-sacs; parts of the world that for one reason or another have a feeling of finality about them.
Here are my five nominees for Ends Of The Earth:
- The Pacific Coast. Standing at the edge of any ocean and staring out at seemingly endless ocean is enough to make anyone feel small. But the Pacific is a beast even in oceanic terms. If you’re ever fortunate enough to stare out over the Pacific, think of this: if you had a boat that could travel at highway speeds (and unlimited fuel) you would still need an entire week of non-stop travel to get to the other side.
- Point Nemo. While we’re talking about the Pacific, let’s stop at a tiny patch of ocean known as “Point Nemo” – an anonymous piece of water somewhere around 48 degrees south and 123 degrees west. It’s recognized by the National Ocean Service as the remotest place on earth, and is more that 2600km from the nearest land. If you were floating in that piece of ocean, the nearest humans to you might well be astronauts overhead in the International Space Station.
- Mount Roraima. Located where Brazil, Venezuela, and Guyana’s borders meet is the spectacular Mount Roraima. It’s a flat-topped mountain, and the plateau is surrounded by cliffs up to 1000 metres high. This means that everything about the top of the mountain is different from the rainforest floor far below; the climate, the plants, the animals, everything. It’s basically an in-land island, with many species endemic to its fifty or so square kilometres. It may not be as remote as some other places mentioned here (it’s actually a fairly popular hiking spot) but stand on the edge when conditions are right and you’ll definitely feel like you’re at the edge of the earth.
- The edge of the Sahara. The United States is an extremely large country. The fact that you can just about squeeze the entire thing into the Sahara desert is mind-boggling. If there’s a sandbox at the end of the world, it’s the Sahara.
- Antarctica. Okay, the Sahara is enormous, but most obnoxious nerds with a fondness for the corner of YouTube devoted to geography (me, for example) are only too happy to tell you that with its other-worldly lack of precipitation, Antarctica is technically a desert, and at 150% of the Sahara’s size, the globe’s chilly underbelly is the king of deserts. And given the way it is usually presented on 2D maps – an expanse of white acting as the world’s southern endpoint – it’s hard to argue with Antarctica’s claim as a true End Of The Earth.
What makes this a beautiful song:
1. The vocalizations at the opening sound like someone calling out across a great wide somewhere.
2. Despite the lonely places conjured up by the title, it’s actually a song about adventure and companionship. Oh, there’s an island where all things are silent / I’m gonna whistle a tune / Oh, there’s a desert that’s size can’t be measured/ I’m gonna count all the dunes […] To the ends of the earth, would you follow me? There’s a world that was meant for our eyes to see.
3. As it fades out, all that’s left in the last couple of seconds is the sound of wind that begins the next track on the album, “Time to Run”.
Recommended listening activity:
Imagining what your part of the world would look like to someone who’d never been there before.