Antipodes

In geography, the antipodes ( /ænˈtɪpədiːz/; from Greek: ἀντίποδες, from anti- "opposed" and pous "foot") of any place on Earth is the point on the Earth's surface which is diametrically opposite to it. Two points that are antipodal (/ænˈtɪpədəl/) to each other are connected by a straight line running through the centre of the Earth.

In Britain and Ireland, "the Antipodes" is often used to refer to Australia and New Zealand, and "Antipodeans" to their inhabitants. Geographically the antipodes of Britain and Ireland are in the Pacific Ocean, south of New Zealand. This gave rise to the name of the Antipodes Islands of New Zealand, which are close to the antipodes of London at about 50° S 179° E. The antipodes of Australia are in the North Atlantic Ocean, while parts of Spain, Portugal, and Morocco are antipodal to New Zealand. The antipodes of South Africa and Zimbabwe are in the North Pacific Ocean, with Botswana antipodal to Hawaii, though as Southern Hemisphere ex-British colonies, they are sometimes included as antipodeans in colloquial English.

All together, less than 4% of land is antipodal to land. The largest antipodal land masses are the Malay Archipelago, antipodal to the Amazon Basin and adjoining Andean ranges; east China and Mongolia, antipodal to Chile and Argentina; and Greenland and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, antipodal to East Antarctica.