Cardinal direction
Four main compass directions used for navigation and orientation.
Cardinal directions are the four main compass directions: north, east, south, and west. Intercardinal directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, northwest) and secondary intercardinal directions further divide the compass into 16 or 32 named points.
- cardinal_directions
- North, East, South, West
- intercardinal_directions
- NE, SE, SW, NW
- secondary_intercardinal_count
- 8
- total_named_points
- Up to 32
- associated_fields
- Navigation, geography, astronomy, culture
Lore & Background
Secondary intercardinal directions, such as north-northeast and west-southwest, further subdivide the compass into 16 points, and tertiary intercardinal directions yield 32 named points, including terms like 'north by east'.
Reader's Guide
Cardinal directions are fundamental to navigation, used in conjunction with azimuths for calculations in trigonometry and GPS receivers. Beyond geography, they extend to vertical positions (up/down) and three-dimensional Cartesian coordinates. In astronomy, cardinal points on celestial bodies are defined relative to the celestial poles, with east and west reversed compared to terrestrial maps due to the observer's perspective. Culturally, many traditions associate colors with cardinal directions—for example, in Chinese tradition, east is green/blue, south is red, west is white, north is black, and center is yellow. Germanic names for cardinal directions replaced Latin terms during the Migration Period, and in pre-modern Europe, winds were often named after these directions. The Arabic world uses terms like aš-šamāl (north) and aš-šarq (east), while indigenous North American cosmologies sometimes include seven directions (four cardinal, center, above, below).
Did You Know?
- Secondary intercardinal directions include west-northwest, north-northeast, and east-southeast.
- In astronomy, the order of cardinal points on a celestial body is North, West, South, East when viewed clockwise.
- The Germanic word 'north' derives from Proto-Indo-European *nórto-s, meaning 'submerged'.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Cardinal directions in the Maps & Their Symbols system?
They are the four primary compass points—North, East, South, and West—that serve as the foundational reference for all navigation and orientation on any map.
How do Cardinal directions relate to the Intercardinal points?
The four intercardinal directions (NE, SE, SW, NW) sit exactly halfway between each adjacent pair of Cardinals, splitting the full circle into eight equal sectors.
Why are Cardinal directions considered essential in maps, navigation, and related fields?
They provide the universal baseline for orientation, which is why they underpin navigation, geography, astronomy, and even cultural references to direction around the world.
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