Cardinal direction

The four cardinal directions are the main ways we describe where we are going when we use a compass. These directions are north, east, south, and west. Each of these directions points to a specific part of the horizon, helping us understand where we are and where we need to go.

In addition to the four main directions, there are also four ordinal directions: northeast (NE), southeast (SE), southwest (SW), and northwest (NW). These directions are found between the main cardinal points and help give more detail about a location.

To make things even more precise, there are eight more points on a compass called secondary intercardinal directions. These include directions like west-northwest and north-northeast. All these points help us describe any direction we might travel, whether it’s straight ahead or slightly to the side.

Determination

The four main directions on a compass are north (N), east (E), south (S), and west (W). These directions help us understand where we are and where we are going. There are also four directions in between these main ones, called northeast (NE), southeast (SE), southwest (SW), and northwest (NW). These directions help us describe locations more precisely.

Additional points

See also: Points of the compass

Azimuth

Main article: Azimuth

The main directions we use—like north, east, south, and west—are linked to special angles called azimuths. These angles help us figure out where we are going when we travel or use tools like GPS. Each direction matches up with a special number of degrees on a compass:

• North (N): 0° = 360°
• East (E): 90°
• South (S): 180°
• West (W): 270°

Intercardinal directions

Besides the main four directions, there are four more in between them. These are called intercardinal directions. They sit right between each pair of the main directions:

• Northeast (NE), 45°, halfway between north and east, is the opposite of southwest.
• Southeast (SE), 135°, halfway between south and east, is the opposite of northwest.
• Southwest (SW), 225°, halfway between south and west, is the opposite of northeast.
• Northwest (NW), 315°, halfway between north and west, is the opposite of southeast.

Subintercardinal directions

These eight directions can be mixed even more to create 16 special points on a compass. And if we go further, we can make 32 points in total, such as north by east, north-northeast, and many others.

Beyond geography

Cardinal directions, like north, east, south, and west, can also help us understand positions in other areas besides maps. For example, we can use these directions to describe up and down, or positions in space using special coordinate systems.

In astronomy, these directions help us describe points on stars or planets in the sky. The north point on a star is the closest part to the North celestial pole, while the south point is closest to the South celestial pole. The east and west points are at right angles to these. When looking at stars, "east" and "west" can seem reversed compared to maps because we are looking up at the sky instead of down at the ground.

Germanic origin of names

During ancient times, the names for the main directions—north, east, south, and west—came from Germanic languages and spread into Romance languages. These new names replaced older Latin terms.

• North comes from an ancient word meaning "submerged," linked to ideas of the left side and the rising sun.
• East is related to the word for dawn, from a root meaning "shine."
• South is tied to the word for the Sun, meaning "the region of the Sun."
• West comes from a word for "evening," also linked to shining or red light.

Cultural variations

In many parts of the world, the way people think about directions depends on the winds they experience. For example, ancient Greeks named the winds as the Anemoi. In Europe, people used up to 32 points of the compass, often linking them to winds like the Sirocco from the Sahara.

Some cultures connect colors to directions. Often, these are natural colors like those humans see every day, not just scientific primary colors. Many Asian cultures also add a center as a fifth important direction.

Northern Eurasia

Cultures in Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Northeast Asia often link colors to directions. In China, this idea comes from old beliefs like the I Ching and the Wu Xing. Each direction has a color and sometimes a special creature linked to it. For example:

• East is green or blue, linked to spring and wood. Places like Qingdao mean "Green Island."
• South is red, linked to summer and fire. The Red River (Asia) flows in southern China.
• West is white, linked to autumn and metal. The Mediterranean Sea is called Akdeniz, meaning "White Sea" in Turkish.
• North is black, linked to winter and water. The Amur River in Northeast China is called Heilongjiang, meaning "Black Dragon River."
• Center is yellow, linked to earth. The Huang He or "Yellow River" runs through central China.

Arabic world

Countries where Arabic is spoken have special names for directions, such as aš-šamāl for north and aš-šarq for east. The word for center, al-wasaṭ‎, is also used. These words appear in place names across many regions.

North America

Some Native American cultures, like the Hopi in the Southwestern United States, think about directions based on where the sun rises and sets during special times of the year. They also connect directions to colors, though these colors can differ between groups.

India

In India, ten holy figures called the Dikpālas represent the four main directions, the four in-between directions, and also up and down.

Indigenous Australia

Some indigenous Australians, such as the Warlpiri people and Guugu Yimithirr people, use the four main directions in everyday life, even to describe things close to their bodies. The exact directions are important in their traditions and language.

Unique (non-compound) names of intercardinal directions

In some languages, such as Estonian, Finnish, and Breton, the four middle directions have special names that are not made by combining the names of the main directions. For example, in Estonian, these directions are called kirre, kagu, edel, and loe. In Finnish, they are koillinen, kaakko, lounas, and luode.

In Japanese, the main directions use native words, but the middle directions use words borrowed from Chinese. In the Malay language, special words are used to describe these middle directions as well.

Sanskrit and other Indian languages that borrow from it use the names of gods to describe directions. The Hopi language has its own unique way of naming directions based on where the sun rises and sets during certain times of the year.

Non-compass directional systems

Many cultures use directions other than the compass points to describe where things are. For example, in Hawaii and Bali, people might refer to directions toward the sea or mountains. In places like ancient Egypt, directions might be described as upstream or downstream along a river.

Some languages, such as Lengo from the Solomon Islands, have special directions like "landward" or "seaward" instead of using north, south, east, or west. In these languages, people might not even have words for left or right and use the land and sea to describe directions instead.