Profile
Settings
Refer your friends
Sign out
People from all across the world use a particular set of directions known as cardinal directions. The directions that are considered to be cardinal are north, south, east, and west. For the sake of these directions, the rising and setting of the sun serve as reference points.
The four cardinal directions or points are north, east, south, and west, typically symbolized by the initials N, E, S, and W. East and west are perpendicular to north and south, with east rotating counterclockwise and west rotating in the opposite manner. Compass points are intermediate places between the four cardinal directions. These routes are intermediate: northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest. Observers facing north on Earth will have the south behind them, the east to their right, and the west to their left. Therefore, the majority of equipment and methods for orientation discover north first, although any other direction is as legitimate provided it can be located correctly.
Cardinal Directions
North, south, east, and west are the four cardinal points of the compass. The cardinal directions are the four cardinal directions. They are defined by the motions of the Earth.
NORTH AND SOUTH
The planet we inhabit revolves in space. We say that the Earth rotates or spins about a straight line passing through its center. This imaginary line is known as the Earth’s axis, and its two ends are known as the North Pole and the South Pole.
A globe is a miniature replica of Earth. On it are drawn lines connecting the North and South Poles. If you follow any of these lines, you will travel directly north or south. From the North Pole, only southward movement is possible. From the South Pole, only northward travel is possible. These lines, known as meridians of longitude, were devised by cartographers, who assigned them numbers to aid in locating locations on Earth.
Similar to a ball, the Earth has no top or bottom. We consider the North Pole to be the highest point since this is how globes and most maps are constructed. Sometimes we say “up north” or “down south” when we simply mean “north” and “south.”
EAST AND WEST
The Earth’s rotation provides us with two additional directions: east and west. East is just the direction in which the Earth rotates. The direction from which it turns is west. Each day, the Earth completes one complete revolution or rotation.
East and west do not correspond to specific locations such as the North and South Poles. An airplane could circle the Earth indefinitely while traveling always due west or due east.
The east-west lines diminish as they approach the poles. The line halfway between the poles is the longest. The equator is so named because it divides the world into two equal halves. These portions are known as hemispheres (half spheres). This hemisphere is located north of the equator. South of the equator lies the Southern Hemisphere.
There is no natural boundary between east and west, such as the equator. As a starting point for gauging time and space, cartographers required this line. Because Greenwich, England was the location of a renowned observatory, this line was selected as the prime meridian by nearly all nations. As with the equator, this line is numbered zero. In contrast to the equator, this is a half -circle. It simply runs between the two poles. (See additionally International Date Line, latitude, longitude, and time.)
Finding Direction by the Sun
The Sun only illuminates one side of Earth. The rotation of the Earth causes day and night. As a result of the planet’s inclination toward the east, the Sun appears to rise toward the east. Because Earth rotates eastward, the Sun appears to move westward across the sky throughout the day. The Sun disappears, or sets, in the west as a result of the Earth’s rotation.
It would appear that the Sun is most beneficial for determining east-west directions. In winter (north of the equator), however, the Sun rises and sets much to the south of true east and west, and in summer, it rises and sets far to the north. This is not the case south of the equator. On only two days every year, the Sun rises and sets precisely in the east and west. The 21st of March and 23rd of September in the spring and autumn equinoxes, respectively. This is true everywhere on the planet save the polar regions. One can determine this by observing an east-west street at sunset or sunrise. For individuals living north of the Tropic of Cancer (roughly at a latitude of 23.5° north), the Sun will always be in the south at noon, regardless of the season. On every sunny day, a shadow stick or a watch can be used to locate south. Likewise, for people who dwell south of the Tropic of Capricorn (about 23.5° south), the midday Sun will always be due north.
Conclusion
The four cardinal directions or points are north, east, south, and west. Compass points are intermediate places between the cardinal directions. Observers facing north on Earth will have the south behind them, the east to their right, and the west to their left. From the North Pole, only southward movement is possible. East and west do not correspond to specific locations such as the North and South Poles.
An airplane could circle the Earth indefinitely while traveling always due west or due east. The equator divides the world into two equal halves, known as hemispheres (half spheres). Because Earth rotates eastward, the Sun appears to move westward across the sky throughout the day. This is true everywhere on the planet save the polar regions. In winter (north of the equator) the Sun rises and sets much to the south of true east and west.
