The map above shows where you’d end up if you dug a tunnel straight through the earth and came out the other side. In geography, points on the other side of the world are known as antipodes.
There are a few interesting things to point out about antipodes:
- If you dig from any point in the US you will not end up in China. Most likely you’ll end up somewhere in the Indian ocean.
- Similarly, most Europeans and Africans would end up in the Pacific Ocean.
- Australians, who along with New Zealanders are sometimes referred to as Antipodeans, would end up in the Atlantic.
- Of course ending up in an Ocean makes sense when you consider that roughly 71% of the earth is water and only 29% is land.
- The good news is that most Kiwis would end up in Spain.
- The the Malay Archipelago is antipodal to the Amazon Basin.
- Greenland and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago are antipodal to East Antarctica.
- Shanghai and Buenos Aires are within 380km of being antipodes of each other
- Other nearer antipodes include:
- Christchurch (New Zealand) — A Coruña (Spain)
- Wellington New Zealand) — Alaejos (Spain)
- Hong Kong — La Quiaca (Argentina)
- Ulan Ude (Russia) — Puerto Natales (Chile)
- Mangawhai (New Zealand) – Gibraltar
- Taiwan (formerly called Formosa) is partly antipodal to the province of Formosa in Argentina.
- The countries with the most other countries as Antipodes are: New Zealand (12), France (12), Brazil (9), Indonesia (8), Peru (7), United States (7), United Kingdom (7) and China (6).
- Approximately 15% of land territory is antipodal to other land, representing approximately 4.4% of the Earth’s surface.
- By definition, the North Pole and the South Pole are antipodes.
If you want even more facts and information have a look at the Wikipedia’s antipodes page.
One final interesting fact, that shows just how big the Pacific Ocean is, is that it contains its own antipodes.
To learn more about weird geography have a look at the books below:
- Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks
- Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time
- Strange Maps: An Atlas of Cartographic Curiosities
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WaywardfromHayward says
The map is very misleading. Why would the yellow continental mass be “upside down”? Backwards yes, but the poles wouldn’t flip.
Westrim says
The furthest point on the globe from another point will not be in the same hemisphere. If you started on the Arctic Circle, you would end up on the Antarctic Circle. So yes, the poles do flip.
Martin Turner says
Disagree…. Look at a real 3D globe, get a long drill bit and drill through it…. when it pops out the other side, the globe does NOT flip….. but all countries remain as they were. No Magic involved.
All Antipode maps show the ‘other side’ as upside down, which is wrong, back to front is correct. For example, if you flew North from Iceland and continued until you came to Australia you would definitely approach from the North, not the South – no flipping involved.
Nemo Thorx says
Do like you just described. Long drill bit and a globe. If you start in the northern hemisphere, you’ll exit in the southern. And vice versa.
That is why it’s flipped. The southern hemisphere has to overlay the northern.
Oscar says
Perth, Australia is pretty close to Bermuda.
mP says
You got it wrong, Perth is on the right side of the map closer to Portugal, Sydney on the left of the upside down Australia is closer to Bermuda.
Justin says
No, actually Perth is closer to Bermuda. A quick way of seeing this is to see where Tasmania is on top of the upside-down Australia – closer to Portugal. Tasmania and Sydney are both in the eastern half of Australia.