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The four cardinal directions, or cardinal points, are the four main compass directions: north, south, east, and west, commonly denoted by their initials N, S, E, and W respectively. Relative to north, the directions east, south, and west are at 90 degree intervals in the clockwise direction. The ordinal directions (also called the intercardinal ...
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions — north, east, south, and west —each separated by 90 degrees, and secondarily divided by four ordinal (intercardinal) directions—northeast ...
North corresponds to 0°, so east is 90°, south is 180° and west is 270°. The history of the compass started more than 2000 years ago during the Han dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD). The first compasses were made of lodestone, a naturally magnetized stone of iron, in Han dynasty China. [ 1][ 2] It was called the "South Pointing Fish" and was used ...
A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself with magnetic north. Other methods may be used, including gyroscopes, magnetometers, and GPS receivers.
A compass rose, sometimes called a wind rose, rose of the winds or compass star, is a figure on a compass, map, nautical chart, or monument used to display the orientation of the cardinal directions ( north, east, south, and west) and their intermediate points. It is also the term for the graduated markings found on the traditional magnetic ...
Within church architecture, orientation is an arrangement by which the point of main interest in the interior is towards the east ( Latin: oriens ). The east end is where the altar is placed, often within an apse. The façade and main entrance are accordingly at the west end. The opposite arrangement, in which the church is entered from the ...
Classical compass winds. The Tower of the Winds in Athens, partly reconstructed, in 1762. In the ancient Mediterranean world, the classical compass winds were names for the points of geographic direction and orientation, in association with the winds as conceived of by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Ancient wind roses typically had twelve winds ...
Wind direction is usually reported in cardinal (or compass) direction, or in degrees. Consequently, a wind blowing from the north has a wind direction referred to as 0° (360°); a wind blowing from the east has a wind direction referred to as 90°, etc. Weather forecasts typically give the direction of the wind along with its speed, for ...