Second Life Grows Beyond Its Map

Click the image on the left: this is the world of Second Life's grid as it exists now-- 26.5 million acres*, with three major land masses to the Southeast, surrounded by a veritable galaxy of disparate islands. It was created by cartographer, clockmaker, and longtime SL mad scientist SignpostMarv Martin, using his version of the Lindens' Webmap API, and because it extends well beyond the official map, took him three weeks to compile. Unsurprisingly, he's seeking developer help to improve the API.  Props to JeanRicard Broek, who notes, "The maps of SL are more than frustrating and navigation is almost impossible to use. This is a neglected feature that should not be years behind what Google is doing with real world mapping and their open APIs and KML."

* How many square miles is 26.5 million acres, anyway?

Update, 3:30pm:  In Comments, MikeG1 Schumann says this makes SL, "41,000 square miles and change.  About the size of Guatemala."  (Or as Porsupah Ree calculates, as big as the US state of Kentucky.)  Judging by this list, Second Life will next overtake Cuba.

Comments

[MikeG1 Schumann]

41000 square miles and change. About the size of Guatemala.

[Porsupah Ree]

In that case, about half the area of Great Britain (80,823 sq miles), or about the same size as Kentucky (40,444 sq miles).

If we fall off the grid, should we wave to the elephants and turtle on the way down?

[Hamlet Au]

Thanks!

[magnus]

btw, do the SL continents have names???

[Harper Ganesvoort]

To Magnus: the continents have names, but I can't remember what they are. I think there's a map at The Shelter that lists them.

For myself: I wonder when some of the previously isolated islands will suddenly merge together as a new sim is added, bridging the gap? The dearly-bought isolation won't last forever.

[metoo]

OK, does that acreage include the water areas or just the land?

[Cubey Terra]

Great map. It doesn't include the Teen Second Life sims, which are located far to the east of the ones on that map.

[Cubey Terra]

... an impressive accomplishment, nonetheless. (Sorry for the double comment.)

[Brenda Archer]

That map is AWESOME. Thank you.