The 18th meridian east is a line of longitude 18 degrees east of the Prime Meridian at Greenwich. It extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Europe, Africa, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole.
Geographic path
| Segment | Region / Country | Notable points |
|---|---|---|
| 90 ° N – 78 ° N | Arctic Ocean; Barents Sea | Passes east of the archipelago of Svalbard (Norway) |
| 78 ° N – 62 ° N | Norway | Traverses the mainland of Norway, including the county of Troms og Finnmark |
| 62 ° N – 55 ° N | Sweden | Crosses the Swedish province of Norrbotten and Värmland |
| 55 ° N – 54 ° N | Finland (small segment) | Cuts through the eastern part of the country near the town of Kuusamo |
| 54 ° N – 50 ° N | Baltic Sea; Denmark (Jutland) | Passes through the Danish peninsula of Jutland near the town of Viborg |
| 50 ° N – 45 ° N | Germany | Crosses northern Germany, passing west of Hamburg |
| 45 ° N – 44 ° N | Czech Republic | Travels through the eastern part of Bohemia |
| 44 ° N – 41 ° N | Austria | Crosses the state of Upper Austria |
| 41 ° N – 37 ° N | Italy | Passes through the region of Trentino‑Alto Adige and the southern Alps |
| 37 ° N – 35 ° N | Mediterranean Sea | Crosses the Tyrrhenian Sea |
| 35 ° N – 30 ° N | Libya | Traverses the Sahara Desert region of north‑central Libya |
| 30 ° N – 13 ° N | Chad | Crosses the central Sahara and Sahel zones |
| 13 ° N – 3 ° N | Central African Republic | Passes through the northern portion of the country |
| 3 ° N – 0 ° N | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Crosses the equatorial forest region |
| 0 ° – 20 ° S | Angola | Traverses the southern interior of Angola |
| 20 ° S – 30 ° S | Namibia | Passes through the Namib Desert |
| 30 ° S – 60 ° S | Southern Ocean | Extends through the Southern Ocean |
| 60 ° S – 90 ° S | Antarctica | Cuts across the Antarctic continent within the sector claimed by Norway (Queen Maud Land) |
Characteristics
- Great circle – The 18th meridian east forms a great circle together with the 162nd meridian west.
- Time zones – The meridian lies within the central part of the Central European Time (CET) zone (UTC+1) and its daylight‑saving counterpart (UTC+2), though national and regional time‑zone boundaries do not follow it precisely.
- Cartographic use – It is used as a reference line in certain national mapping systems and for defining sectors of territorial claims in Antarctica.
Related meridians
- The 17th and 19th meridians east lie immediately to its west and east, respectively, and together they delineate the 2‑degree longitudinal band that spans from 17° E to 19° E.
See also
- Prime meridian
- List of meridians
- Geographic coordinate system
References
- International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), Limits of Oceans and Seas, 3rd edition, 1953.
- United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN), Standardization of Geographical Names, 2012.
- National Geographic Atlas of the World, 2022 edition.
