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= Sextant.org POInts to History =

Sextant.org is a wiki-based system designed to let you learn about, and tell others about, the history which surrounds you everywhere on the planet.

Things you can do with Sextant.org:


 * Create entries outlining the history of particular places, or Points of Interest (POI).
 * Search for historical Points of Interest within a particular geographic area, or which fall into particular categories.
 * Store your search results as a GPS compatible file of historical Points of Interest.
 * Take a guided historical tour of anywhere in the world by uploading Sextant.org POI files to your GPS device or by using your smartphone.

= Existing POI Entries =

Click on a POI marker to link to that POI's wiki page.


 * Please note that there may be a delay of up to 24 hours before new POI entries appear on this map.

= What are POI?... and what are Geographic Coordinates? =

Each page of this wiki concerns an historical Point Of Interest (POI) somewhere in the world.

Each POI is a precise geographic location which identified by its LATITUDE and LONGITUDE.

Latitude



 * Latitude is the coordinate which identifies where a geographic point lies above or below the equator.
 * Lines of Latitude, which include the equator, are imaginary horizontal lines that run east-to-west (or west to east) on maps.
 * Lines of Latitude are measured in degrees ranging from 0° at the equator, 90° at the North Pole, and -90° at the South Pole.

Longitude

 * Longitude is the coordinate which identifies where a geographic point lies east or west of the Prime Meridian.
 * The Prime Meridian runs from the North Pole to the South Pole, passing through Greenwich, England.
 * Lines of Longitude are also measured in degrees. These range from 0° at the Prime Meridian to 180° at the International Date Line. However, because the International Date Line is both 180° east and west of the Prime Meridian, the International Date Line can have a longitude of either 180° or -180°.
 * Longitudinal coordinates east of the Prime Meridian have positive values and can reach 180°, or the International Date Line. Likewise, longitudinal coordinates west of the Prime Meridian have negative values, and can reach -180°, which again, is the International Date Line.

Coordinates &amp; Points Of Interest[[Image:POI Example.jpg|frame|right]]

 * A Point of Interest (POI) is a specific geographic point on the globe, defined by its one latitudinal coordinate and one longitudinal coordinate.
 * The latitudinal coordinate tells how far above or below the equator the POI lies, and the longitudinal coordinate shows where the the POI lies between the Prime Meridian and the International Date Line.
 * Web mapping systems, such as GPS devices and Google Maps, express a POI's coordinates in decimal degree format. This simply means that a point's latitude and longitude are expressed using both whole numbers and decimals.
 * Typically, latitude and longitude are expressed to six decimal places. This allows one to differentiate between geographic locations which are as close as approximately 11 cm (at the equator). For example, the point 30.000000,-60.000001 is approximately 11 cm to the west of 30.000000,-60.000000.



= Searching for POI =


 * To search for individual POI entries, use the SEARCH BOX on the left of this page. You can search by keyword, latitude, or longitude.
 * To search for all of the POI in a particular area, click on the POINTS IN A SQUARE button in the menu on the left of this page.
 * To find the latitude and longitude of a point which is not yet entered into Sextant.org, use the iTouchMap service. Click once on the desired location, and then once on the marker that appears.