Question map
Which one of the following has geographical position of 0° latitude and 0° longitude ?
Explanation
The geographical position of 0° latitude and 0° longitude represents the intersection of the Equator and the Prime Meridian [3]. This point is located in the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the South Atlantic Ocean [t1][t4]. Specifically, it lies approximately 600 kilometers south of the West African coast [t1]. While the Prime Meridian itself passes through the Royal Astronomical Observatory at Greenwich, England [c2], and the Equator passes through several countries including those in Africa, their intersection (0,0) occurs in international waters [t1][t5]. This location is often referred to as 'Null Island' in digital cartography and is physically marked by a weather observation buoy known as Station 13010 or 'Soul' [t4][t6]. Therefore, the coordinates 0°N 0°E are situated in the South Atlantic Ocean rather than on land in Ghana or at the Greenwich Observatory.
Sources
- [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 18: Latitudes and Longitudes > 18.3. Comparison: Latitude vs. Longitude > p. 250
- [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Null_Island