180th meridian facts for kids
The 180th meridian is a special imaginary line that goes all the way around the Earth. It's exactly opposite the prime meridian, which passes through Greenwich, England. Think of it like this: if the prime meridian is at 0 degrees longitude, the 180th meridian is at 180 degrees, both east and west.
This line is super important because it's the main basis for the International Date Line. The International Date Line is where the date officially changes as you travel around the world. It mostly follows the 180th meridian, but it zigs and zags to avoid splitting countries or island groups. This helps everyone in a country stay on the same day!
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Where Does the 180th Meridian Go?
The 180th meridian travels mostly through the huge Pacific Ocean. But it also crosses land in a few places, like parts of Russia, Fiji, and Antarctica.
Let's take a trip down the 180th meridian, starting from the very top of the world, the North Pole, and heading south to the South Pole:
| Location | What it crosses | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Arctic Ocean | Water | Starts at the North Pole |
| Russia | Land | Wrangel Island in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug |
| Chukchi Sea | Water | |
| Russia | Land | Mainland Chukotka Autonomous Okrug |
| Bering Sea | Water | |
| Amchitka Pass | Water | Passes near Semisopochnoi Island, Alaska,  United States |
| Pacific Ocean | Water | Passes near Nukulaelae atoll,  Tuvalu and Cikobia-i-Lau,  Fiji |
| Fiji | Land | Islands like Vanua Levu, Rabi, and Taveuni |
| Pacific Ocean | Water | Passes near Moala, Totoya, and Matuku in Fiji |
| Southern Ocean | Water | |
| Antarctica | Land | Part of the Ross Dependency, which is claimed by  New Zealand |
| Antarctica | Land | The Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station at the South Pole |
Islands and Roads Near the Meridian
The 180th meridian also passes close to several island groups:
- The Aleutian Islands in the US territory of Alaska.
- The Gilbert Islands and the Phoenix Islands in Kiribati.
- North Island and the Kermadec Islands in New Zealand.
- The Bounty Islands and the Chatham Islands, also in New Zealand.
It's rare for roads to cross this specific meridian. The only places where roads actually cross it are in Fiji and Russia. Fiji has a few roads and buildings very close to the line. In Russia, there are three roads in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug that cross it.
Images for kids
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180° Meridian, Taveuni, Fiji. This spot is famous for being where "today" and "yesterday" meet!
See Also
- 179th meridian east
- 179th meridian west
- Prime meridian
- International Date Line
