Speaking Bee Weekly Magazine Volume 6 Dec 15-21,2013 | Page 8

5 | Seek Points of Confluence Guidelines A point of confluence occurs at the integer degree intersections where a line of latitude meets a line of longitude. There is a confluence within 49 miles (79 km) of you if you’re on the surface of Earth and there are 64,442 latitude and longitude degree intersections in the world (counting each pole as one intersection). Check out confluence.org to find out how many fall in your country. These confluences are interesting because they represent the randomness that emerges from strict order, they are an open defiance of the order our culture imposes on us. As author Tim Vasquez says, ‘[Points of confluence are] curious places that embrace you in their history, character, and ecology, surrounded by people who are locals in every sense of the word.’