The meridian 2° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Africa, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole.

Line across the Earth
2nd meridian west

The 2nd meridian west forms a great circle with the 178th meridian east.

From Pole to Pole

edit

Starting at the North Pole and heading south to the South Pole, the 2nd meridian west passes through:

Co-ordinates Country, territory or sea Notes
90°0′N 2°0′W / 90.000°N 2.000°W / 90.000; -2.000 (Arctic Ocean) Arctic Ocean
81°45′N 2°0′W / 81.750°N 2.000°W / 81.750; -2.000 (Atlantic Ocean) Atlantic Ocean Passing just east of the island of Foula, Scotland,   United Kingdom (at 60°8′N 2°3′W / 60.133°N 2.050°W / 60.133; -2.050 (Foula))
59°33′N 2°0′W / 59.550°N 2.000°W / 59.550; -2.000 (North Sea) North Sea
57°41′N 2°0′W / 57.683°N 2.000°W / 57.683; -2.000 (United Kingdom)   United Kingdom Scotland
57°18′N 2°0′W / 57.300°N 2.000°W / 57.300; -2.000 (North Sea) North Sea Passing just east of Aberdeen, Scotland,   United Kingdom (at 25°8′N 2°5′W / 25.133°N 2.083°W / 25.133; -2.083 (Aberdeen))
55°46′N 2°0′W / 55.767°N 2.000°W / 55.767; -2.000 (United Kingdom)   United Kingdom England — passing through Berwick-upon-Tweed (at 55°46′N 2°0′W / 55.767°N 2.000°W / 55.767; -2.000 (Berwick-upon-Tweed)) and western Birmingham (at 52°40′N 2°0′W / 52.667°N 2.000°W / 52.667; -2.000 (Birmingham))
50°36′N 2°0′W / 50.600°N 2.000°W / 50.600; -2.000 (English Channel) English Channel Passing just west of the Cotentin Peninsula,   France (at 49°42′N 1°57′W / 49.700°N 1.950°W / 49.700; -1.950 (Cotentin Peninsula))
Passing just east of the island of   Jersey (at 49°12′N 2°1′W / 49.200°N 2.017°W / 49.200; -2.017 (Jersey))
48°40′N 2°0′W / 48.667°N 2.000°W / 48.667; -2.000 (France)   France
46°44′N 2°0′W / 46.733°N 2.000°W / 46.733; -2.000 (Atlantic Ocean) Atlantic Ocean Bay of Biscay
43°19′N 2°0′W / 43.317°N 2.000°W / 43.317; -2.000 (Spain)   Spain Passing just west of San Sebastián (at 43°19′N 1°59′W / 43.317°N 1.983°W / 43.317; -1.983 (San Sebastián))
36°51′N 2°0′W / 36.850°N 2.000°W / 36.850; -2.000 (Mediterranean Sea) Mediterranean Sea Alboran Sea
35°5′N 2°0′W / 35.083°N 2.000°W / 35.083; -2.000 (Algeria)   Algeria
34°56′N 2°0′W / 34.933°N 2.000°W / 34.933; -2.000 (Morocco)   Morocco
32°9′N 2°0′W / 32.150°N 2.000°W / 32.150; -2.000 (Algeria)   Algeria
23°12′N 2°0′W / 23.200°N 2.000°W / 23.200; -2.000 (Mali)   Mali
14°35′N 2°0′W / 14.583°N 2.000°W / 14.583; -2.000 (Burkina Faso)   Burkina Faso
10°59′N 2°0′W / 10.983°N 2.000°W / 10.983; -2.000 (Ghana)   Ghana
4°45′N 2°0′W / 4.750°N 2.000°W / 4.750; -2.000 (Atlantic Ocean) Atlantic Ocean
60°0′S 2°0′W / 60.000°S 2.000°W / -60.000; -2.000 (Southern Ocean) Southern Ocean
69°53′S 2°0′W / 69.883°S 2.000°W / -69.883; -2.000 (Antarctica) Antarctica Queen Maud Landclaimed by   Norway

Ordnance Survey of Great Britain

edit

The British national grid reference system uses the point 49°N 2°W / 49°N 2°W / 49; -2 as its true origin.[1]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "The true origin". Southampton: Ordnance Survey. 4 September 2007. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 23 March 2010.