<Dd> Or, as a graphic example, imagine drawing a line around all US territory, shrinking the line to its minimum possible length, and filling in all the oceans within the line . The Virgin Islands would then be the farthest east you could walk on the new land mass and Guam would be the farthest west . </Dd> <Dd> Or, if you prefer, use a map with the Prime Meridian at Washington DC . Such maps were common in the nineteenth century . On such a map, The Virgin Islands would have the largest east longitude and Guam the farthest west...Jim - Jameslwoodward (talk contribs) 22: 50, 19 July 2010 (UTC) </Dd> <P> Thanks for your reponse . I am unable to find any definition of' direction of travel' that correlates your definition . Please post some sites that would clarify . I am also unsure of the true value of this system of measurement in this case . It seems to cause more confusion than anything else by allowing someone to arbitrarily locate a Prime Meridian anywhere they chose . Using this logic, I could place the Prime Meridian anywhere I chose, effectively negating its practical usefulness . I could understand this being used on maps 200 years ago, but those same maps are not used today due to their' inaccuracies' . If the extreme points of the USA are going to be listed, I don't see how this helps clarify the situation .--Preceding unsigned comment added by 204.8. 66.103 (talk) 21: 12, 21 July 2010 (UTC) </P> <Dl> <Dd> Sorry, I'm out of explanation--it seems very simple to me--it's the farthest point you can travel to in an easterly direction and still be in the USA without traveling more than half way around the world . The definition doesn't depend on where the Prime Meridian is; in fact, it ignores the Prime Meridian . And, by the way, the entirely separate question of what to use as the Prime Meridian has not been settled for as long as you think--I own a French chart issued less than 40 years ago that shows the PM at Paris...Jim - Jameslwoodward (talk contribs) 22: 34, 21 July 2010 (UTC) </Dd> </Dl>

What is the farthest eastern point in the united states