Imaginary Lines We'd be Lost Without Quiz

Answer: intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)

The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is a zone of almost no wind. Sailors call this zone the "doldrums".

The equator is a latitude line of 0 degrees.

Answer: Greenwich

The prime meridian is 0 degrees longitude and runs through the city of Greenwich, England. Prior to 1884 many countries used their own prime meridian for navigation. In 1884, representatives from different nations met in Washington D.C. to choose one single meridian as a common reference. Delegates voted to make the Greenwich meridian the world's prime meridian. Greenwich was chosen because nearly two-thirds of the world's ships were already using charts based on the Greenwich meridian. The delegates also established a global time zone known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Satellite data and other measurements established a new prime meridian in the 1980s. It was found to lie approximately 335 feet (102 meters) from its previously known position. It is known as the International Reference Meridian (IRM).

Answer: Tropic Zone

The Tropic of Cancer is a line approximately 23.5 degrees north of the equator. It is the northernmost point on Earth where the sun's rays can appear directly overhead at local noon. It also marks the northern boundary of the Tropic Zone, which is the region that extends from the equator north to the Tropic of Cancer and south to the Tropic of Capricorn.

The Tropic of Capricorn is a line approximately 23.5 degrees south of the Equator. It marks the southernmost point on Earth where the sun's rays can appear directly overhead at local noon. It also marks the southern boundary of the Tropic Zone.

Answer: 38th parallel north

Since the end of WWII, the 38th parallel has been the dividing line between the two Koreas. Originally meant to be temporary, the line became permanent with the Korean War (1950-1953). A state of war continues between the two Koreas as no peace treaty has ever been signed.

Answer: Point Barrow, Alaska

Point Barrow, Alaska is located on the northernmost tip of the U.S. Point Barrow is not connected by road to the rest of Alaska. In 1935, an airplane crash occurred that killed Wiley Post and his passenger, the entertainer Will Rogers near Point Barrow.

Large portions of Canada, Russia, Norway, Finland and Sweden also fall within the Arctic Circle's borders. So does the majority of Greenland.

Answer: True

True. Meridians are numbered from 0 degrees to 180 degrees east or west of the Prime Meridian. Parallels are not numbered but are referred to by their location relative to the Equator. Parallels run from east to west and do not intersect with each other, while meridians run from north to south and intersect at the North and South Poles. Parallels measure distance north or south of the Equator, while meridians measure distance east or west of the Prime Meridian.

While there are 180 parallels, counting the Equator there are 181.

Answer: Bay of Guinea

The island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe is located in the Bay of Guinea. The Niger is one of many rivers that empty into the Bay. Ghana is the closest country to the confluence.
The nearest point on the mainland is Achowa Point, Ghana.

Answer: Null Island

Null Island is the location at zero degrees latitude and zero degrees longitude (0°N 0°E / 0°N 0°E ), i.e., where the prime meridian and the equator intersect. Since there is no landmass located at these coordinates, it is not an actual island.
Null Island has been called one of the most visited places on Earth due to its significance as a reference point for geolocation data.
That naming process gave something non-existent a touch of reality. All of sudden, maps were drawn of Null Island, flags designed, and wild tales were conjured up.

Answer: True

True. The International Date Line (IDL) is located at about 180° east. It is halfway around the world from the prime meridian. The International Date Line is not based on international law. The Nautical Date Line (NDL) is determined by the countries it borders. It follows the 180° meridian from the North to the South Pole. and is determined by international agreements.

The IDL runs from the North Pole to the South Pole and marks the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. It is not straight but curves around landmasses and national borders. It is the boundary where each calendar day starts and is also known as the "Line of Demarcation" because it separates two calendar dates: When you cross the IDL traveling east, you subtract a day, and if you cross the line traveling west, you add a day.

The 180° meridian was selected as the basis for the IDL because it mostly runs through the sparsely populated Central Pacific. This was decided at the International Meridian Conference in 1884 in Washington, D.C.

Answer: Mason-Dixon Line

An example of 18th century surveying is that the Maryland-Pennsylvania border was initially defined as a line 15 miles south of the southernmost house in Philadelphia.

The Mason-Dixon Line was drawn in 1765 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon who were commissioned by William Penn. The Line became the border between slave and free in 1780 when Pennsylvania abolished slavery. Over time, more northern states would do the same until all the states north of the line became free states.
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The "south" is still considered to start below the line.