Having launched in 2007 with only five US cities being shown, Google Street View is now touting availability in 50 countries. The 50 country milestone arrives as Google takes Street View into Hungary and Lesotho. This latest update however includes coverage for more than just those two named areas. In fact, Google has this update listed as being the largest single update ever for Street View.
Basically, this update has brought new and updated coverage for approximately 350,000 miles of road. Perhaps more telling, those 350,000 miles are spread out across 14 countries. Those looking to take a virtual trip using Street View will now be able to see landmarks such as the Hungarian Parliament building as well as the Chain bridge or venture over to Lesotho and see the Evangelical Church, which was founded in 1833 and is said to be one of Africa’s oldest Protestant churches.
Aside from the new coverage in Hungary and Lesotho, this update brought refreshed coverage in France, Italy, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore and Thailand. Looking back, Google also updated Street View in February and March of this year. The February update took Street View inside of some NFL stadiums and the March update took us to some of the tallest mountains in the world.
Focusing in on the mountain update and those checking out Street View are now be able to virtual climb peaks such as Aconcagua in South America, Kilimanjaro in Africa and Mount Elbrus in Europe as well as the Everest Base Camp in Asia. Bottom line here, while the 50 country mark is a decent milestone, this is more than likely just another in an ongoing series of Street View improvements.
[via Google Lat Long Blog]
