In addition to Nazca, there are examples of geoglyphs in other parts of South America including Chile and further afield. Hill figures are common in the UK with famous chalk drawings inluding the ancient Uffington White Horse and the Long Man of Wilmington, and more recent examples such as the Cerne Abbas Giant (probably 17th century) and the badges of various military units. The Folkstone White Horse has revived this traditional motif in a modern style, and perhaps the appearance of crop circles has reinvented the geoglyph.

Many modern artists are attracted by the challenge of creating on such a big canvas. The biggest geoglyph in the world is the 4 km high Maree Man in Australia. Nobody has owned up to creating him, but it is thought the drawing was made using a GPS-guided bull-dozer. American artist Jim Denevan also thinks big and one example of his work is a 3 mile wide drawing in mud flats in Nevada. It took 100 miles of walking to create the pattern of circles - all to be erased by the next rain storm. Inevitably the commercial world has its own take on the geoglyph, the 'Smart Loop' logo is near Hokkaido in Japan.