#antipodes

https://www.antipodesmap.com/

SO. It took me half an hour but I was finally able to guess a landmass that is the ‘antipodes’ to a location in the United States! For most of our opposite coordinates land smack dab in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

In any case, the Sub-Antarctican island Ile Amsterdam is opposite Colorado.

I did have to look up islands in the Indian Ocean because I’d don’t know all the countries and territories, but I think it should count.

Considering the land mass of the USA, it feels surprising that it does not ‘antipode’ many other land masses. Northern Alaska barely ends up in Antarctica, Hawaii ends up in Namibia, and the American Samoa lands in Niger. Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands almost hit Brazil though! (I did not check any territory without a permanent population) But once you remember that the world is about 29% land to 71% water, it makes more sense.

*if you want to go the quick route, just type in your capitol or most central city. If you want to make a little more sure, I suggest picking your most west, east, north and south cities (corner cities). If you’re absolutely determined to check every single spot like I was, trying out territories, then I have an option for you to click don’t worry lol. If you live in a territory, please count it how you’d like

**you actually live in one of the not permanently populated US territories right now. MISTAKES ARE FORGIVEN.

Antipodes - Casterman (Septembre 2024)

Dessin : Eric Lambé

April 30 2025|

-

What the fuck, antipode finder

[Image: A world map, with 4 red lines coming out of Christchurch, New Zealand at very different angles. The line to London, England Goes north through Japan, over the top of Russia, and through Finland and Sweden before reaching London. The line to Madrid, Spain goes southwest, cutting under Madagascar and through Africa before reaching Madrid. The line to Lisbon, Portugal goes south over Antarctica, through the Atlantic Ocean before reaching Lisbon. The line to La Coruña, Spain goes east, cutting through Venezuela and Colombia before reaching La Coruña. End]

So, I found a website called Great Circle Map which draws the shortest line between two airports. Now I already knew that the antipode of Christchurch is (very close to) La Coruña. [An antipode is a point opposite to the original, i.e. digging a tunnel straight through the centre of the earth and out the other side.] So, for fun, I decided to plot a straight line from Christchurch to La Coruña and the surrounding major cities. And although these lines look curved, they are straight, because the earth is a big ball and the map is a warped flat idea of the big ball.

The 1st of July sees the start of Tartan Day celebrations in  New Zealand and Australia.

Although National Tartan Day is celebrated in many countries on April 6th to commemorate the Declaration of Arbroath, in Australia & New Zealand they actually celebrate on July 1st. This date marks the anniversary of the Repeal Proclamation of 1782, annulling the Act of Proscription of 1747, which had made wearing tartan a punishable offence.

More details about Australia here https://www.thereisadayforthat.com/holidays/australia/tartan-day