Geography
What are the compass directions?
Quick answer
The four main compass directions are north, east, south and west. Between them are northeast, southeast, southwest and northwest.
In one sentence
Compass directions are the names we use to say which way something is: north, east, south and west.
Explained
A compass is a tool with a magnetic needle that always swings to point north. Once you know where north is, you can work out every other direction. A drawing of the directions on a map is called a compass rose.
The four main directions are called the cardinal points. Going clockwise from the top, they are north, east, south and west. A handy way to remember the order is Never Eat Soggy Worms.
Halfway between the cardinal points are four more: northeast (NE), southeast (SE), southwest (SW) and northwest (NW). Together they make the eight points of the compass. North or south always comes first in the name, so it is "northeast", never "eastnorth".
No compass? The Sun helps. It rises roughly in the east and sets roughly in the west. Explorers have also used stars: in the northern half of the world the Pole Star sits almost exactly above north.
On most maps, north is at the top. That means east is on the right, west is on the left and south is at the bottom. Turning from one cardinal point to the next is a quarter turn, or 90 degrees; see angles.
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Examples
Step by step
- Find northOn a map, look for the arrow or compass rose. Outdoors, use a compass.
- Face northEast is now on your right and west on your left.
- Turn halfwayHalfway between north and east is northeast.
- Give directions"Walk two squares north, then one square east to reach the park."
Common mistakes
- Mixing up east and west. Remember: on a map, "WE" reads left to right, west then east.
- Saying "eastnorth". North or south always comes first: northeast, southwest.
- Thinking north always means "up a hill" or "forward". North is a fixed direction on Earth, not wherever you are facing.
Quick quiz
Compass directions
Check what you know with 4 quick questions.
Question 1 of 4
Going clockwise from north, which direction comes next?
Practise it
Try it
Draw a compass rose on paper, put it on the floor and play "Simon says go northeast". Then hunt for directions on a real map.
Map and direction activities
For grown-ups
Related topics
Maps
A map is a drawing of a place seen from above. A key explains its symbols, a scale shows real distances and a compass shows direction.
Latitude and longitude
Latitude and longitude are imaginary lines on Earth. Latitude measures how far north or south of the Equator you are; longitude how far east or west.
Angles
An angle measures the amount of turn between two lines that meet at a point. Angles are measured in degrees (°); a right angle is 90° and a full turn is 360°.
Magnets
A magnet is an object that pulls on certain metals, such as iron, and pushes or pulls on other magnets. Every magnet has a north pole and a south pole.
Capital cities
A capital city is the city where a country's government is based. It is not always the biggest city: Nigeria's capital is Abuja, not Lagos.
Climate
Climate is the usual pattern of weather in a place over many years, usually 30 or more. Weather is what is happening in the sky today.