Geography Tool
Antipodes Map
Dig a straight tunnel through the centre of the Earth: where do you come out? Drop a marker and the tool shows its antipode, the exact opposite point on the planet, on both a 3D globe and a flat world map. Draw great circles, latitude circles and diameter lines to see how navigation really works on a sphere.
Tip: double-click the globe or the map to drop a marker anywhere.
No markers yet. Search a country, hit Random, or double-click either view.
What is an antipode?
A location's antipode is the point on the Earth's surface diametrically opposite to it. For a point at latitude L and longitude G, the antipode sits at latitude -L and longitude G shifted by 180 degrees. Because oceans cover roughly 71 percent of the planet, about 85 percent of all land has an antipode that lands in water. That is why, despite the old saying about digging to the other side of the world, you would almost always surface in the open sea.
Great circles vs latitude lines
A great circle is the shortest path between two points on a sphere. On the flat Mercator map it renders as a sweeping curve, while a line of constant latitude renders as a straight horizontal line. Toggle Transparency on the globe to watch a great circle wrap all the way around as a single continuous loop, and a diameter line pass straight through the planet to its antipode.
Curious about a specific country? See where New Zealand's antipode lands or explore the full set of country profiles.