Definition
The 61st meridian west is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole to the South Pole, located 61 degrees west of the Prime Meridian at Greenwich, England. It is one of the 360 meridians that constitute the geographic coordinate system used for navigation and cartography.
Overview
As a longitudinal line, the 61st meridian west forms a great‑circle arc on the Earth's surface. It traverses a range of climatic zones and geopolitical regions, intersecting oceans, seas, islands, and continental territories. The meridian is used primarily as a reference in geographic information systems (GIS), marine navigation, and for defining time‑zone boundaries in certain contexts.
Etymology / Origin
The term “61st meridian west” follows the standard nomenclature for lines of longitude, combining a cardinal number that indicates the angular distance (61°) from the Prime Meridian and the directional qualifier “west” to denote its position relative to Greenwich.
Characteristics
| Segment | Geographic feature(s) crossed | Notable points / remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Polar to Arctic | Arctic Ocean | Begins at the North Pole and proceeds southward through the frozen waters of the Arctic Ocean. |
| North America | Greenland (eastern coast), Canada (Nunavut, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec) | Crosses the eastern edge of Greenland’s ice sheet; traverses the Labrador Sea before reaching mainland Canada, passing through the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and the territory of Quebec. |
| Atlantic Ocean | North Atlantic, Caribbean Sea | After leaving the Canadian mainland, the meridian enters the Atlantic Ocean, passes through the Caribbean Sea, skirting the eastern coast of the island of Saint Lucia (approximately 13.9° N, 60.9° W). |
| South America | Venezuela, Brazil (states of Amazonas, Pará, Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, etc.) | Enters South America near the border region of Venezuela and Brazil, continuing southward across the Amazon Basin and the Brazilian Northeast, intersecting several state boundaries. |
| Southern Ocean | Southern Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean | Leaves the South American continent and enters the Southern Ocean, following a path through high‑latitude waters. |
| Antarctica | Antarctic Peninsula region (claimed by the United Kingdom, Argentina, and Chile) | Terminates at the South Pole after crossing the Antarctic continent, within a sector of overlapping territorial claims. |
The meridian does not correspond to any major political boundary, but it is occasionally referenced in the delineation of maritime zones and in scientific surveys that require precise longitudinal references.
Related Topics
- Prime Meridian – The reference meridian (0°) from which all other longitudes are measured.
- Great circle – Any circle on the surface of a sphere whose centre coincides with the centre of the sphere; the 61st meridian west forms half of a great circle with the 119th meridian east.
- Time zones – Longitude determines the nominal standard time for regions; the 61° W line lies near the boundary between UTC‑4 and UTC‑5 zones in the Atlantic region.
- Geodetic coordinate system – The framework of latitude and longitude used to specify locations on Earth.
- Antarctic territorial claims – The portion of Antarctica intersected by the 61st meridian west falls within the overlapping claims of the United Kingdom (British Antarctic Territory), Argentina (Argentine Antarctica), and Chile (Chilean Antarctic Territory).