2007-05-11 10:44:31 · 4 answers · asked by jessica a 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
The very first longitude line, where time begins so to speak, is 0° (Prime Meridian) and is in Greenwich, England.
Directly on the other side of the world, at the halfway point is 180° and that is the International Date Line. It is not a straight line like the Prime Meridian. The Prime Meridian follows 0° all the way from the South Pole to the North Pole but on the opposite side, the International Date Line does not follow the 180° line all that accurately. If it did, it would go through the middle of countries and that would mean that part of the country would be one day and another part of the country would be a totally different day.
If you look at the date line you will see that it moves going around continents and countries.
2007-05-11 11:42:36 · answer #1 · answered by Critters 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Well a few hundred years ago they were trying to work out longitude to help with ships sailing over the world and not getting lost.
The guy who came up with the clock to accurately tell time and was able to be used to calculate logitude was English.
They chose a place in England where a ball was dropped at 12 pm everyday to set these clocks (these clocks were so important only the ships captain would have the key) so they had the exact time..This place was Greenwich.
Once the "world" had been discovered and times had to be given to these countries and places, they just went 12hrs from Greenwich which is the place they now have the international date line. Here in New Zealand we are literally on the other side of the world from England and 12hours ahead, while those on the other side of the line are in "yesterday" time!!!
If the person to come up with longitude was in China, then all the times and the place where the day begins would most likely be in a different place...so its just fortutatous that NZ sits where it does and is the first country in the world to see the light of a new day as a result.
2007-05-11 20:10:28 · answer #2 · answered by mareeclara 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's the 180th meridian. It's mostly in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It was chosen becuase it is exactly half way around the world from the Zero Meridian where Greenwich Mean Time is figured.
2007-05-11 17:53:45 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
They put it there to have a minimal impact on people.
2007-05-11 18:24:35 · answer #4 · answered by JOHNNIE B 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋