Antipode Map: Find the Opposite Side of Earth

What are antipodes?

The term "antipode" comes from ancient Greek and literally means "with opposite feet". In geography, antipodes are two points on Earth's surface that are exactly opposite each other, separated by a straight line passing through the center of the Earth.

Mathematical calculation: If your location has coordinates (latitude, longitude), your antipode will be at (-latitude, longitude ± 180°). For example, if you're at 40°N, 3°W (near Madrid), your antipode is at 40°S, 177°E (in the Pacific Ocean near New Zealand).

A surprising fact is that only 4% of Earth's land surface has antipodes on land. This means that if you dig a tunnel from most places in the world, you'd emerge in the middle of the ocean. The vast Pacific Ocean is responsible for most of Europe, Africa, and North America having aquatic antipodes.

Antipodal points have opposite characteristics: when it's noon in one place, it's midnight at its antipode; when it's summer in one, it's winter in the other. However, climates aren't necessarily opposite - some antipodes share similar climates due to factors like latitude and ocean currents.

Fascinating facts about antipodes

• No direct flights: There are no commercial direct flights between antipodal cities. The distance would be approximately 20,000 km, exceeding the range of any current commercial aircraft. The world's longest flight covers only about 15,000 km.
• The impossible tunnel: If you fell through a tunnel crossing the Earth (ignoring heat and pressure), it would take exactly 42 minutes and 12 seconds to reach the other side. You'd reach a maximum speed of 28,400 km/h at the center.
• Extreme temperatures: To dig to your antipode, you'd have to endure temperatures over 1,000°C in Earth's mantle and over 5,000°C in the core - hotter than the surface of the Sun.
• The Antipodes Islands: There's an archipelago called "Antipodes Islands" near New Zealand. Ironically, they're not exactly antipodal to London, but to a point on the coast of Normandy, France.
• The Pacific Ocean: It's so vast that it contains its own antipodes. There are points in the Pacific whose antipodes are also in the Pacific.
• Zero gravity: At the exact center of the Earth you'd experience zero gravity, as Earth's mass would pull you equally in all directions.
• Synchronized tides: Tides at antipodal points are perfectly synchronized but opposite. When there's high tide in one place, its antipode experiences low tide.

Cities with land antipodes

It's extremely rare for two cities to be antipodal to each other. The uneven distribution of land masses makes most antipodes fall in the ocean. Here are the most notable pairs:

Christchurch

New Zealand

43.53°S, 172.64°E

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A Coruña

Spain

43.36°N, 8.41°W

Wellington

New Zealand

41.29°S, 174.78°E

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Alaejos

Spain

41.30°N, 5.22°W

Xi'an

China

34.34°N, 108.94°E

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Santiago Region

Chile

33.45°S, 70.67°W

Palembang

Indonesia

2.98°S, 104.78°E

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Neiva

Colombia

2.93°N, 75.28°W

Spain and New Zealand have a unique geographical coincidence: multiple cities from both countries are antipodal to each other. This is because both countries are approximately the same distance from the equator but in opposite hemispheres, and their longitudes differ by nearly 180°.

The myth of "digging to China"

In the United States and Europe it's common to hear the expression "dig a hole to China", but this is geographically incorrect. If you dig from any point in the United States, you'd emerge in the Indian Ocean. In fact, the only parts of the American continent from where you could dig and reach China are certain regions of Argentina and Chile.

This myth probably arose because China is in the opposite hemisphere and represents the "farthest away" in Western imagination. The reality is that China's antipodes are mainly in South America: Buenos Aires is almost exactly opposite Shanghai, and Santiago, Chile is antipodal to Xi'an.

History of antipodes

The concept of antipodes has fascinated humanity since ancient times. Pomponius Mela, the first Roman geographer (1st century AD), theorized that Earth had two habitable zones, North and South, but that it would be impossible to contact between them due to the unbearable heat of the Equator.

In the 4th century, St. Augustine was skeptical about the existence of antipodes, arguing that there was no biblical evidence of people living "on the other side". In 748, Pope Zachary even declared the belief that "beneath the earth there was another world and other men" to be heretical.

During the Middle Ages, Isidore of Seville popularized the term "antipodes" in his encyclopedia, contributing to discussions about the shape of the Earth. The exploration voyages of the 15th and 16th centuries finally confirmed Earth's sphericity and the existence of antipodal lands.

In 1800, Captain Henry Waterhouse discovered the Antipodes Islands near New Zealand, named for being near London's antipode. These uninhabited islands remain one of the most remote places on the planet.

Frequently asked questions