What's directly across the ocean? Due east, due west and every direction from 37 coastlines
Stand on a beach and look out to sea: which country is over the horizon? The answer is rarely the one at the same latitude. From Ocean City, Maryland - level with Lisbon - due east across the Atlantic is Morocco, not Portugal. Below are the answers for 37 well-known coastlines, each worked out the same way as the What's Across globe: every compass bearing followed along a great circle, the true straight line on the Earth, to the first land it reaches.
Due east and due west, at a glance
| From | Due east | Due west |
|---|
| New YorkRockaway Beach, USA | United States of America (own coast) | land in view |
|---|
| Cape CodChatham, Massachusetts, USA | Spain 4,858 km | land in view |
|---|
| Ocean CityMaryland, USA | Morocco 5,794 km | land in view |
|---|
| Virginia BeachVirginia, USA | Mauritania 5,906 km | land in view |
|---|
| Cape HatterasOuter Banks, North Carolina, USA | Mauritania 5,986 km | land in view |
|---|
| Myrtle BeachSouth Carolina, USA | Mauritania 6,466 km | land in view |
|---|
| Miami BeachFlorida, USA | Cabo Verde 5,946 km | land in view |
|---|
| Los AngelesSanta Monica, California, USA | land in view | United States of America (own coast) |
|---|
| San FranciscoOcean Beach, California, USA | land in view | Papua New Guinea 10,634 km |
|---|
| San DiegoCalifornia, USA | land in view | Papua New Guinea 10,954 km |
|---|
| TofinoVancouver Island, Canada | land in view | Papua New Guinea 10,426 km |
|---|
| HonoluluWaikiki, Hawaii, USA | Colombia 8,898 km | Indonesia 8,290 km |
|---|
| HalifaxNova Scotia, Canada | Portugal 2,978 km | Canada (own coast) |
|---|
| St. John'sNewfoundland, Canada | Portugal 3,618 km | land in view |
|---|
| GalvestonTexas, USA | United States of America (own coast) | land in view |
|---|
| CancúnMexico | Cuba 786 km | land in view |
|---|
| Rio de JaneiroCopacabana, Brazil | Brazil (own coast) | land in view |
|---|
| LimaPeru | land in view | Philippines 17,554 km |
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| ValparaísoChile | land in view | China 18,794 km |
|---|
| Land's EndCornwall, England | land in view | Cuba 6,874 km |
|---|
| BrightonEngland | land in view | United Kingdom (own coast) |
|---|
| Cliffs of MoherCounty Clare, Ireland | land in view | Bahamas 6,258 km |
|---|
| LisbonPortugal | land in view | Haiti 6,346 km |
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| BarcelonaSpain | Italy 578 km | land in view |
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| Cape TownSouth Africa | land in view | Brazil 5,914 km |
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| DurbanSouth Africa | Indonesia 8,290 km | land in view |
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| DakarSenegal | land in view | Trinidad and Tobago 4,754 km |
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| MombasaKenya | Indonesia 6,650 km | land in view |
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| DubaiUnited Arab Emirates | land in view | Qatar 366 km |
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| MumbaiIndia | land in view | Oman 1,722 km |
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| ChennaiIndia | India (own coast) | land in view |
|---|
| TokyoKujūkuri Beach, Chiba, Japan | Chile 17,010 km | land in view |
|---|
| SydneyBondi Beach, Australia | French Polynesia 6,650 km | land in view |
|---|
| Gold CoastQueensland, Australia | French Polynesia 5,786 km | land in view |
|---|
| PerthCottesloe, Australia | land in view | Madagascar 6,866 km |
|---|
| AucklandPiha, New Zealand | land in view | Australia 2,146 km |
|---|
| WellingtonNew Zealand | land in view | New Zealand (own coast) |
|---|
"Land in view" means land within about 20 km in that direction, such as the coast you are standing on. Distances are to the first landfall.
Why due east is not "the same latitude"
On a flat map a line of latitude looks straight, but on the globe it is a curve. The straight line - the one a ship or a beam of light would follow without turning - is a great circle, and a great circle that sets off due east from anywhere except the equator bends steadily towards the equator. That is why most of the US east coast "faces" north-west Africa (only Cape Cod, far enough north, reaches Spain), why due west from Land's End is Cuba, and why due west from Valparaíso runs 18,794 km to China.
Every place, every direction
New York Rockaway Beach, USA
From New York the widest stretch of open sea looks south-east, towards Australia. In all, 29 other countries lie across the water within 144° of open sea; the furthest is Australia, 21,074 km away.
- Due east
- United States of America (its own coast, 21 km)
- Due south
- Haiti, 2,442 km
Widest part of the view: Australia (13°, towards the south-east), Brazil (12°, towards the south-east), Dominican Republic (7.0°, towards the south), Namibia (6.3°, towards the east-south-east), Bahamas (6.3°, towards the south).
Antipode: open ocean at 40.56°S, 106.13°E. See every direction on the globe
Cape Cod Chatham, Massachusetts, USA
From Cape Cod, due east across the water is Spain, 4,858 km away. In all, 17 other countries lie across the water within 184° of open sea; the furthest is Australia, 20,986 km away.
- Due north
- United States of America (its own coast, 231 km)
- Due east
- Spain, 4,858 km
Widest part of the view: Canada (29°, towards the north-east), Morocco (17°, towards the east), Australia (17°, towards the south-east), Spain (7.8°, towards the east-north-east), Brazil (7.5°, towards the south-east).
Antipode: open ocean at 41.70°S, 110.00°E. See every direction on the globe
Ocean City Maryland, USA
From Ocean City, due east across the water is Morocco, 5,794 km away. In all, 34 other countries lie across the water within 232° of open sea; the furthest is Australia, 21,050 km away.
- Due north
- United States of America (its own coast, 93 km)
- Due east
- Morocco, 5,794 km
- Due south
- Cuba, 1,970 km
Widest part of the view: Morocco (16°, towards the east), Australia (11°, towards the east-south-east), Brazil (11°, towards the south-east), Bahamas (8.8°, towards the south), Portugal (8.5°, towards the east-north-east).
Antipode: open ocean at 38.36°S, 104.99°E. See every direction on the globe
Virginia Beach Virginia, USA
From Virginia Beach, due east across the water is Mauritania, 5,906 km away. In all, 20 other countries lie across the water within 185° of open sea; the furthest is Australia, 21,234 km away.
- Due north
- United States of America (its own coast, 123 km)
- Due east
- Mauritania, 5,906 km
Widest part of the view: Morocco (16°, towards the east), Brazil (11°, towards the south-east), Australia (9.3°, towards the east-south-east), Portugal (9.0°, towards the east-north-east), France (7.8°, towards the east-north-east).
Antipode: open ocean at 36.87°S, 104.02°E. See every direction on the globe
Cape Hatteras Outer Banks, North Carolina, USA
From Cape Hatteras, due east across the water is Mauritania, 5,986 km away. In all, 37 other countries lie across the water within 186° of open sea; the furthest is Australia, 21,146 km away.
- Due east
- Mauritania, 5,986 km
- Due south
- Cuba, 1,610 km
Widest part of the view: Bahamas (22°, towards the south-south-west), Morocco (17°, towards the east), Canada (13°, towards the north-east), Cuba (13°, towards the south-south-west), Brazil (11°, towards the south-east).
Antipode: open ocean at 35.20°S, 104.55°E. See every direction on the globe
Myrtle Beach South Carolina, USA
From Myrtle Beach, due east across the water is Mauritania, 6,466 km away. In all, 32 other countries lie across the water within 187° of open sea; the furthest is Australia, 21,434 km away.
- Due east
- Mauritania, 6,466 km
- Due south
- Cuba, 1,258 km
Widest part of the view: Bahamas (24°, towards the south), Morocco (10°, towards the east), Cuba (9.5°, towards the south), Australia (8.0°, towards the east-south-east), Namibia (7.8°, towards the east-south-east).
Antipode: open ocean at 33.62°S, 101.12°E. See every direction on the globe
Miami Beach Florida, USA
From Miami Beach, due east across the water is Cabo Verde, 5,946 km away. In all, 17 other countries lie across the water within 211° of open sea; the furthest is Angola, 10,922 km away.
- Due north
- United States of America (its own coast, 27 km)
- Due east
- Cabo Verde, 5,946 km
- Due south
- Cuba, 300 km
Widest part of the view: Bahamas (72°, towards the east-south-east), Cuba (48°, towards the south-south-east), Canada (12°, towards the north-north-east), Mauritania (5.5°, towards the east), Ireland (4.5°, towards the north-east).
Antipode: open ocean at 25.80°S, 99.89°E. See every direction on the globe
Los Angeles Santa Monica, California, USA
From Los Angeles the widest stretch of open sea looks south-south-west, towards Antarctica. In all, 18 other countries lie across the water within 122° of open sea; the furthest is Madagascar, 21,794 km away.
- Due south
- United States of America (its own coast, 54 km)
- Due west
- United States of America (its own coast, 96 km)
Widest part of the view: Antarctica (13°, towards the south-south-west), French Polynesia (9.3°, towards the south-south-west), Australia (7.3°, towards the west-south-west), Madagascar (7.0°, towards the south-west), New Zealand (4.8°, towards the south-west).
Antipode: open ocean at 33.97°S, 61.48°E. See every direction on the globe
San Francisco Ocean Beach, California, USA
From San Francisco, due west is Papua New Guinea, 10,634 km away. In all, 31 other countries lie across the water within 197° of open sea; the furthest is Mozambique, 22,714 km away.
- Due south
- Antarctica, 12,402 km
- Due west
- Papua New Guinea, 10,634 km
Widest part of the view: Antarctica (28°, towards the south), Philippines (13°, towards the west-north-west), Indonesia (12°, towards the west), Papua New Guinea (9.5°, towards the west), New Zealand (7.8°, towards the south-west).
Antipode: open ocean at 37.75°S, 57.52°E. See every direction on the globe
San Diego California, USA
From San Diego, due west is Papua New Guinea, 10,954 km away. In all, 28 other countries lie across the water within 237° of open sea; the furthest is Somalia, 24,218 km away.
- Due north
- United States of America (its own coast, 36 km)
- Due south
- Antarctica, 11,874 km
- Due west
- Papua New Guinea, 10,954 km
Widest part of the view: Mexico (40°, towards the south-south-east), Antarctica (28°, towards the south), French Polynesia (9.0°, towards the south-south-west), New Zealand (9.0°, towards the south-west), Papua New Guinea (9.0°, towards the west).
Antipode: open ocean at 32.74°S, 62.71°E. See every direction on the globe
Tofino Vancouver Island, Canada
From Tofino, due west is Papua New Guinea, 10,426 km away. In all, 30 other countries lie across the water within 186° of open sea; the furthest is Mozambique, 23,210 km away.
- Due south
- Antarctica, 13,626 km
- Due west
- Papua New Guinea, 10,426 km
Widest part of the view: United States of America (57°, towards the south-south-east), Antarctica (36°, towards the south), Indonesia (14°, towards the west), Papua New Guinea (12°, towards the west), French Polynesia (8.0°, towards the south-south-west).
Antipode: open ocean at 49.09°S, 54.10°E. See every direction on the globe
Honolulu Waikiki, Hawaii, USA
From Honolulu, due east across the water is Colombia, 8,898 km away; due west is Indonesia, 8,290 km away. In all, 39 other countries lie across the water within 251° of open sea; the furthest is Namibia, 19,018 km away.
- Due east
- Colombia, 8,898 km
- Due south
- Antarctica, 10,946 km
- Due west
- Indonesia, 8,290 km
Widest part of the view: Antarctica (40°, towards the south-south-west), Mexico (21°, towards the east-north-east), Indonesia (11°, towards the west), Papua New Guinea (9.5°, towards the west-south-west), Australia (7.8°, towards the south-west).
Antipode: Botswana at 21.31°S, 22.19°E. See every direction on the globe
Halifax Nova Scotia, Canada
From Halifax, due east across the water is Portugal, 2,978 km away. In all, 37 other countries lie across the water within 251° of open sea; the furthest is Australia, 21,610 km away.
- Due east
- Portugal, 2,978 km
- Due south
- Venezuela, 3,762 km
- Due west
- Canada (its own coast, 54 km)
Widest part of the view: Australia (23°, towards the south-east), Brazil (17°, towards the south-south-east), Morocco (15°, towards the east), United States of America (15°, towards the south-west), Bahamas (12°, towards the south-west).
Antipode: open ocean at 44.43°S, 116.41°E. See every direction on the globe
St. John's Newfoundland, Canada
From St. John's, due east across the water is Portugal, 3,618 km away. In all, 23 other countries lie across the water within 226° of open sea; the furthest is Australia, 21,522 km away.
- Due north
- Greenland, 2,010 km
- Due east
- Portugal, 3,618 km
- Due south
- France, 4,730 km
Widest part of the view: Greenland (31°, towards the north), Morocco (21°, towards the east), Brazil (21°, towards the south), Antarctica (15°, towards the south-south-east), France (13°, towards the east-north-east).
Antipode: open ocean at 47.59°S, 127.40°E. See every direction on the globe
Galveston Texas, USA
From Galveston the widest stretch of open sea looks south, towards Mexico. In all, 10 other countries lie across the water within 160° of open sea; the furthest is Puerto Rico, 3,050 km away.
- Due east
- United States of America (its own coast, 372 km)
- Due south
- Mexico, 1,202 km
Widest part of the view: Mexico (78°, towards the south), Cuba (16°, towards the east-south-east), Colombia (8.8°, towards the south-east), Bahamas (0.8°, towards the east-south-east), Haiti (0.8°, towards the east-south-east).
Antipode: open ocean at 29.22°S, 85.21°E. See every direction on the globe
Cancún Mexico
From Cancún, due east across the water is Cuba, 786 km away. In all, 21 other countries lie across the water within 194° of open sea; the furthest is Namibia, 11,546 km away.
- Due east
- Cuba, 786 km
- Due south
- Mexico (its own coast, 54 km)
Widest part of the view: Cuba (40°, towards the east-north-east), Honduras (25°, towards the south-south-east), Colombia (24°, towards the south-east), United States of America (20°, towards the north-east), Venezuela (6.0°, towards the east-south-east).
Antipode: open ocean at 21.14°S, 93.30°E. See every direction on the globe
Rio de Janeiro Copacabana, Brazil
From Rio de Janeiro the widest stretch of open sea looks south, towards Antarctica. In all, 16 other countries lie across the water within 177° of open sea; the furthest is Indonesia, 15,082 km away.
- Due east
- Brazil (its own coast, 24 km)
- Due south
- Antarctica, 6,266 km
Widest part of the view: Antarctica (40°, towards the south), Indonesia (31°, towards the east-south-east), Argentina (15°, towards the south-south-west), South Africa (8.3°, towards the east-south-east), Namibia (7.8°, towards the east-south-east).
Antipode: open ocean at 22.98°N, 136.80°E. See every direction on the globe
Lima Peru
From Lima, due west is Philippines, 17,554 km away. In all, 25 other countries lie across the water within 176° of open sea; the furthest is Philippines, 17,370 km away.
- Due south
- Antarctica, 6,818 km
- Due west
- Philippines, 17,554 km
Widest part of the view: Australia (29°, towards the south-south-west), Antarctica (19°, towards the south-south-west), Chile (18°, towards the south), New Zealand (14°, towards the south-west), Philippines (12°, towards the west).
Antipode: Cambodia at 12.17°N, 102.96°E. See every direction on the globe
Valparaíso Chile
From Valparaíso, due west is China, 18,794 km away. In all, 31 other countries lie across the water within 188° of open sea; the furthest is China, 18,650 km away.
- Due north
- Peru, 1,762 km
- Due west
- China, 18,794 km
Widest part of the view: Japan (34°, towards the west), Peru (21°, towards the north), New Zealand (13°, towards the south-west), Mexico (12°, towards the north-west), Russia (11°, towards the north-west).
Antipode: China at 33.00°N, 108.33°E. See every direction on the globe
Land's End Cornwall, England
From Land's End, due west is Cuba, 6,874 km away. In all, 22 other countries lie across the water within 228° of open sea; the furthest is New Zealand, 20,594 km away.
- Due north
- United Kingdom (its own coast, 602 km)
- Due south
- Spain, 738 km
- Due west
- Cuba, 6,874 km
Widest part of the view: Ireland (55°, towards the north-north-west), Spain (37°, towards the south), France (25°, towards the south-south-east), Brazil (23°, towards the south-west), Canada (17°, towards the west-north-west).
Antipode: open ocean at 50.14°S, 174.59°E. See every direction on the globe
Brighton England
From Brighton the widest stretch of open sea looks south, towards France. In all, 7 other countries lie across the water within 172° of open sea; the furthest is Venezuela, 7,186 km away.
- Due south
- France, 162 km
- Due west
- United Kingdom (its own coast, 36 km)
Widest part of the view: France (117°, towards the south), Guernsey (8.0°, towards the south-west), Brazil (4.8°, towards the west-south-west), Portugal (4.0°, towards the west-south-west), Suriname (2.0°, towards the west-south-west).
Antipode: open ocean at 50.76°S, 179.87°E. See every direction on the globe
Cliffs of Moher County Clare, Ireland
From Cliffs of Moher, due west is Bahamas, 6,258 km away. In all, 32 other countries lie across the water within 198° of open sea; the furthest is Panama, 8,050 km away.
- Due north
- Ireland (its own coast, 36 km)
- Due west
- Bahamas, 6,258 km
Widest part of the view: Canada (29°, towards the west-north-west), Brazil (14°, towards the south-west), Bahamas (7.0°, towards the west), Portugal (6.3°, towards the south-west), Venezuela (5.3°, towards the west-south-west).
Antipode: open ocean at 52.95°S, 170.55°E. See every direction on the globe
Lisbon Portugal
From Lisbon, due west is Haiti, 6,346 km away. In all, 38 other countries lie across the water within 232° of open sea; the furthest is New Zealand, 18,626 km away.
- Due north
- Ireland, 1,426 km
- Due south
- Morocco, 762 km
- Due west
- Haiti, 6,346 km
Widest part of the view: Morocco (37°, towards the south), Canada (31°, towards the north-west), Greenland (23°, towards the north-north-west), Brazil (17°, towards the south-west), United States of America (14°, towards the west-north-west).
Antipode: open ocean at 38.72°S, 170.55°E. See every direction on the globe
Barcelona Spain
From Barcelona, due east across the water is Italy, 578 km away. In all, 7 other countries lie across the water within 182° of open sea; the furthest is Libya, 1,882 km away.
- Due east
- Italy, 578 km
- Due south
- Algeria, 538 km
Widest part of the view: Italy (41°, towards the east), Algeria (35°, towards the south), France (18°, towards the east), Tunisia (9.0°, towards the south-east), Libya (4.0°, towards the east-south-east).
Antipode: open ocean at 41.35°S, 177.76°W. See every direction on the globe
Cape Town South Africa
From Cape Town, due west is Brazil, 5,914 km away. In all, 25 other countries lie across the water within 158° of open sea; the furthest is Russia, 23,418 km away.
- Due north
- South Africa (its own coast, 27 km)
- Due west
- Brazil, 5,914 km
Widest part of the view: Brazil (39°, towards the west), Argentina (21°, towards the west-south-west), United States of America (20°, towards the west-north-west), Côte d'Ivoire (6.5°, towards the north-west), Ghana (5.8°, towards the north-north-west).
Antipode: open ocean at 33.88°N, 161.59°W. See every direction on the globe
Durban South Africa
From Durban, due east across the water is Indonesia, 8,290 km away. In all, 16 other countries lie across the water within 161° of open sea; the furthest is Canada, 22,906 km away.
- Due east
- Indonesia, 8,290 km
- Due south
- Antarctica, 4,498 km
Widest part of the view: Antarctica (44°, towards the south), Australia (33°, towards the south-east), Madagascar (30°, towards the east-north-east), Indonesia (28°, towards the east), Fiji (4.0°, towards the south-east).
Antipode: open ocean at 29.84°N, 148.93°W. See every direction on the globe
Dakar Senegal
From Dakar, due west is Trinidad and Tobago, 4,754 km away. In all, 35 other countries lie across the water within 250° of open sea; the furthest is New Caledonia, 19,226 km away.
- Due north
- Iceland, 5,450 km
- Due south
- Antarctica, 9,906 km
- Due west
- Trinidad and Tobago, 4,754 km
Widest part of the view: Brazil (44°, towards the south-west), Antarctica (31°, towards the south), Canada (24°, towards the north-north-west), United States of America (22°, towards the north-west), Mauritania (15°, towards the north).
Antipode: open ocean at 14.72°S, 162.64°E. See every direction on the globe
Mombasa Kenya
From Mombasa, due east across the water is Indonesia, 6,650 km away. In all, 17 other countries lie across the water within 160° of open sea; the furthest is Papua New Guinea, 11,810 km away.
- Due east
- Indonesia, 6,650 km
- Due south
- Tanzania, 84 km
Widest part of the view: Tanzania (28°, towards the south), India (27°, towards the east-north-east), Madagascar (26°, towards the south-east), Australia (25°, towards the east-south-east), Indonesia (13°, towards the east).
Antipode: open ocean at 4.09°N, 140.32°W. See every direction on the globe
Dubai United Arab Emirates
From Dubai, due west is Qatar, 366 km away. In all, 6 other countries lie across the water within 162° of open sea; the furthest is Iraq, 866 km away.
- Due north
- Iran, 162 km
- Due west
- Qatar, 366 km
Widest part of the view: Iran (67°, towards the north-north-west), Qatar (24°, towards the west), Saudi Arabia (20°, towards the west-north-west), Kuwait (9.3°, towards the north-west), Bahrain (0.3°, towards the west-north-west).
Antipode: open ocean at 25.18°S, 124.76°W. See every direction on the globe
Mumbai India
From Mumbai, due west is Oman, 1,722 km away. In all, 22 other countries lie across the water within 150° of open sea; the furthest is United States of America, 29,658 km away.
- Due west
- Oman, 1,722 km
Widest part of the view: Oman (30°, towards the west), Somalia (14°, towards the west-south-west), Antarctica (9.8°, towards the south-south-west), Tanzania (7.8°, towards the south-west), Madagascar (7.5°, towards the south-south-west).
Antipode: open ocean at 18.94°S, 107.09°W. See every direction on the globe
Chennai India
From Chennai the widest stretch of open sea looks east-north-east, towards Myanmar. In all, 16 other countries lie across the water within 211° of open sea; the furthest is Honduras, 23,218 km away.
- Due north
- India (its own coast, 300 km)
- Due east
- India (its own coast, 1,346 km)
- Due south
- Sri Lanka, 387 km
Widest part of the view: Myanmar (37°, towards the east-north-east), Sri Lanka (23°, towards the south), Australia (17°, towards the south-east), Indonesia (14°, towards the east-south-east), Bangladesh (9.3°, towards the north-east).
Antipode: open ocean at 13.05°S, 99.62°W. See every direction on the globe
Tokyo Kujūkuri Beach, Chiba, Japan
From Tokyo, due east across the water is Chile, 17,010 km away. In all, 30 other countries lie across the water within 160° of open sea; the furthest is Guinea-Bissau, 25,754 km away.
- Due east
- Chile, 17,010 km
- Due south
- Micronesia, 2,850 km
Widest part of the view: Chile (57°, towards the east-north-east), United States of America (22°, towards the north-east), Papua New Guinea (13°, towards the south), Indonesia (10°, towards the south), French Polynesia (5.3°, towards the east-south-east).
Antipode: open ocean at 35.46°S, 39.51°W. See every direction on the globe
Sydney Bondi Beach, Australia
From Sydney, due east across the water is French Polynesia, 6,650 km away. In all, 24 other countries lie across the water within 209° of open sea; the furthest is Honduras, 13,690 km away.
- Due north
- Australia (its own coast, 36 km)
- Due east
- French Polynesia, 6,650 km
- Due south
- Antarctica, 3,890 km
Widest part of the view: New Zealand (45°, towards the east-south-east), Antarctica (34°, towards the south), Chile (16°, towards the south-south-east), Mexico (13°, towards the east), New Caledonia (13°, towards the north-east).
Antipode: open ocean at 33.88°N, 28.70°W. See every direction on the globe
Gold Coast Queensland, Australia
From Gold Coast, due east across the water is French Polynesia, 5,786 km away. In all, 31 other countries lie across the water within 180° of open sea; the furthest is Colombia, 13,730 km away.
- Due north
- Australia (its own coast, 36 km)
- Due east
- French Polynesia, 5,786 km
Widest part of the view: New Zealand (38°, towards the south-east), Solomon Islands (17°, towards the north-north-east), New Caledonia (17°, towards the east-north-east), Mexico (9.3°, towards the east), Vanuatu (8.8°, towards the north-east).
Antipode: open ocean at 27.99°N, 26.50°W. See every direction on the globe
Perth Cottesloe, Australia
From Perth, due west is Madagascar, 6,866 km away. In all, 20 other countries lie across the water within 128° of open sea; the furthest is Bermuda, 20,074 km away.
- Due north
- Australia (its own coast, 27 km)
- Due west
- Madagascar, 6,866 km
Widest part of the view: India (15°, towards the north-west), Madagascar (14°, towards the west), Somalia (14°, towards the west-north-west), Indonesia (8.0°, towards the north-north-west), Brazil (6.3°, towards the south-west).
Antipode: open ocean at 31.95°N, 64.29°W. See every direction on the globe
Auckland Piha, New Zealand
From Auckland, due west is Australia, 2,146 km away. In all, 14 other countries lie across the water within 208° of open sea; the furthest is Somalia, 13,538 km away.
- Due south
- New Zealand (its own coast, 222 km)
- Due west
- Australia, 2,146 km
Widest part of the view: Australia (61°, towards the west), Papua New Guinea (20°, towards the north-west), Madagascar (12°, towards the south-west), Mozambique (7.8°, towards the south-west), Somalia (4.0°, towards the west-south-west).
Antipode: Spain at 36.96°N, 5.58°W. See every direction on the globe
Wellington New Zealand
From Wellington the widest stretch of open sea looks south, towards Antarctica. In all, 7 other countries lie across the water within 152° of open sea; the furthest is Morocco, 17,546 km away.
- Due south
- Antarctica, 4,730 km
- Due west
- New Zealand (its own coast, 57 km)
Widest part of the view: Antarctica (50°, towards the south), Chile (5.8°, towards the south-east), Mauritania (4.8°, towards the south-south-east), Falkland Islands (1.0°, towards the south-south-east), Argentina (0.5°, towards the south-south-east).
Antipode: Spain at 41.35°N, 5.23°W. See every direction on the globe
Records
Sweeping every stretch of coast on the globe turns up some extremes. Each link opens the globe with that point picked:
Pick your own coastline on the globe
Questions
What is directly across the Atlantic from the US east coast?
It depends where you stand, and it is rarely the country at the same latitude. Due east from Cape Cod is Spain; from Ocean City, Maryland, Morocco; from Virginia Beach, Cape Hatteras and Myrtle Beach, Mauritania; and from Miami Beach, Cabo Verde. Each answer follows a great circle, the straight line across the globe.
Why is due east not the country at the same latitude?
A straight line on a globe is a great circle, and a great circle that sets off due east from anywhere except the equator curves towards the equator - it only keeps a constant latitude on a flat map. So heading due east from Ocean City, Maryland, which is level with Lisbon, takes you to Morocco rather than Portugal, and due west from Lisbon lands in Haiti rather than the United States.
What is across the Pacific from California?
Due west from Ocean Beach in San Francisco, and from San Diego, the first land is Papua New Guinea, more than 10,000 km away; from Santa Monica the Channel Islands are in the way. From Valparaíso in Chile, due west runs 18,794 km to China.
What is the longest straight line you can travel over the sea?
About 32,000 km: from the coast of Pakistan west of Karachi, a single great circle passes south of Africa and South America and runs the length of the Pacific to Kamchatka in Russia without touching land. The globe here measures it at 32,098 km; the same path was described by Chabukswar and Mukherjee in 2018.
What is an antipode?
The point on the exact opposite side of the Earth from you. Most coastal places have open ocean at their antipode; the globe marks and names yours for every pick, and each place on this page lists its own.
How accurate are these answers?
They come from the same engine as the globe: Natural Earth 1:10m country outlines rasterised to a grid of roughly 10 km, with bearings sampled every 0.25°. Land within about 20 km counts as land in view. Small islands can fall between bearings at long range, and a point a few kilometres along the coast can give a different answer - open any place on the globe to explore around it.
Computed on 1 October 2026 with this site's own engine (Coast mode, 0.25° bearings). Country outlines: Natural Earth 1:10m (public domain).