Boots and Fingers Probably the most famous shape on Earth is the Boot of Italy. Although its official name is the Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula everybody calls it the Boot because its outline on the map looks like one. Which makes it really easy to find. The Boot is the southern part of Italy surrounded on three sides by water (that’s what makes it a peninsula) and 620 miles north to south almost the distance from New York to Indianapolis. On the map of Israel look for Etzba HaGalil “Finger of the Galil ” also known as the Galil Panhandle. It’s a fingerlike strip of land in the north of Israel bordering Lebanon. It includes the towns of Metula and Kiryat Shmonah. Because of its closeness to the border the Galil Panhandle has often been a target of rocket and terrorist attacks. Closer to your home the Finger Lakes are 11 narrow lakes in upstateNew York includingLakesCayuga and Seneca which are nearly 40 miles long and very deep. It’s a beautiful resort area and the state’s largest wine-producing region with over 100 wineries and vineyards. These shapes are not just the silly imaginings of some mapmaker’s kid. They’re real. They’re seen not only on maps but also from airplanes and satellites. NASA astronauts have photographed the Boot of Italy.