Antipode of Athens, Greece
The opposite side of the world to Athens is Mataura, French Polynesia.
Athens
Greece
Continent: Europe
Coordinates: 37.984, 23.728
Antipodal point
South Pacific Ocean
Exact location on the other side of the world
Coordinates: -37.984, -156.272
Mataura
French Polynesia
Mataura is the closest city to Athens's antipodal point (1,747 km).
The antipodal city to Athens is Mataura. This means that, among all the populated locations in the world, the farthest city from Athens is Mataura.
The distance from Athens to Mataura is about 18,000 kilometers. A direct flight would take around 20 hours, but there aren't commercial routes between these cities.
Cities on the other side of the world of Athens
This table contains the populated locations that are closest to Athens' antipode. These are the farthest cities in the world from Athens.
| City | Country | Distance from antipode | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mataura | French Polynesia | 1,747 km | (-23.347, -149.485) |
| Avera, Îles Australes | French Polynesia | 1,782 km | (-22.478, -151.351) |
| Moerai, Îles Australes | French Polynesia | 1,785 km | (-22.451, -151.342) |
| Waitangi, Chatham Islands | New Zealand | 1,826 km | (-43.954, -176.560) |
| Avarua, Rarotonga | Cook Islands | 1,890 km | (-21.208, -159.775) |
| Tolaga Bay, Gisborne | New Zealand | 2,221 km | (-38.367, 178.300) |
| Ruatoria, Gisborne | New Zealand | 2,226 km | (-37.883, 178.333) |
| Gisborne | New Zealand | 2,243 km | (-38.653, 178.004) |
| Manutuke, Gisborne | New Zealand | 2,251 km | (-38.683, 177.917) |
| Te Karaka, Gisborne | New Zealand | 2,258 km | (-38.467, 177.867) |
Athens, Greece
Local time:
Coordinates: 37.9838° N 23.7278° E
Mataura, French Polynesia
Local time:
Coordinates: 23.3472° S 149.4849° W
How to calculate the antipodal point?
The antipode can be calculated by understanding the geographic coordinates and applying simple formulas. We will use the following variables:
- LatO: Latitude at the origin point.
- LngO: Longitude at the origin point.
- LatA: Latitude at the antipodal point.
- LngA: Longitude at the antipodal point.
Step 1: Obtain the geographic coordinates of Athens
The DMS coordinates are: 37°59'1.5'' N 23°43'40.2'' E .
Calculations are easier by using the decimal format, hence:
LatO = 37.98376°
LngO = 23.72784°
Step 2: Calculate the latitude
LatA = - LatO = -37.98376°
Since the latitude is positive (north direction), the antipode must be negative (south direction).
Step 3: Calculate the longitude
LngA = LngO ± 180° = 23.72784 - 180° = -156.27216°
Since the longitude is positive, we subtract 180° to ensure the final value lies between (-180, 180). If it were the other way around, we would sum 180° for the same reason.
Result:
The antipode of Athens is located on coordinates: (LatA, LngA) = (-37.98376, -156.27216)
In DMS format: 37°59'1.5'' N 23°43'40.2'' E .
