Coastline Paradox Apr 2026

If you measure Great Britain with a 100 km ruler, you get a length of about 2,800 km.

Using a 50 km ruler allows you to "fit" into more curves and bays, increasing the total length to 3,400 km. Coastline Paradox

The "paradox" exists because coastlines are not smooth geometric shapes like circles or squares. Instead, they have fractal-like properties , meaning they are "jagged all the way down". If you measure Great Britain with a 100