The meridian 2° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Africa, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole.
The 2nd meridian west forms a great circle with the 178th meridian east.
Starting at the North Pole and heading south to the South Pole, the 2nd meridian west passes through:
Co-ordinates | Country, territory or sea | Notes |
---|---|---|
90°0′N 2°0′W / 90.000°N 2.000°W | Arctic Ocean | |
81°45′N 2°0′W / 81.750°N 2.000°W | Atlantic Ocean | Passing just east of the island of Foula, Scotland, United Kingdom (at 60°8′N 2°3′W / 60.133°N 2.050°W) |
59°33′N 2°0′W / 59.550°N 2.000°W | North Sea | |
57°41′N 2°0′W / 57.683°N 2.000°W | United Kingdom | Scotland |
57°18′N 2°0′W / 57.300°N 2.000°W | North Sea | Passing just east of Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom (at 25°8′N 2°5′W / 25.133°N 2.083°W) |
55°46′N 2°0′W / 55.767°N 2.000°W | United Kingdom | England — passing through Berwick-upon-Tweed (at 55°46′N 2°0′W / 55.767°N 2.000°W) and western Birmingham (at 52°40′N 2°0′W / 52.667°N 2.000°W) |
50°36′N 2°0′W / 50.600°N 2.000°W | English Channel | Passing just west of the Cotentin Peninsula, France (at 49°42′N 1°57′W / 49.700°N 1.950°W) Passing just east of the island of Jersey (at 49°12′N 2°1′W / 49.200°N 2.017°W) |
48°40′N 2°0′W / 48.667°N 2.000°W | France | |
46°44′N 2°0′W / 46.733°N 2.000°W | Atlantic Ocean | Bay of Biscay |
43°19′N 2°0′W / 43.317°N 2.000°W | Spain | Passing just west of San Sebastián (at 43°19′N 1°59′W / 43.317°N 1.983°W) |
36°51′N 2°0′W / 36.850°N 2.000°W | Mediterranean Sea | Alboran Sea |
35°5′N 2°0′W / 35.083°N 2.000°W | Algeria | |
34°56′N 2°0′W / 34.933°N 2.000°W | Morocco | |
32°9′N 2°0′W / 32.150°N 2.000°W | Algeria | |
23°12′N 2°0′W / 23.200°N 2.000°W | Mali | |
14°35′N 2°0′W / 14.583°N 2.000°W | Burkina Faso | |
10°59′N 2°0′W / 10.983°N 2.000°W | Ghana | |
4°45′N 2°0′W / 4.750°N 2.000°W | Atlantic Ocean | |
60°0′S 2°0′W / 60.000°S 2.000°W | Southern Ocean | |
69°53′S 2°0′W / 69.883°S 2.000°W | Antarctica | Queen Maud Land — claimed by Norway |
The British national grid reference system uses the point 49°N 2°W / 49°N 2°W as its true origin.[1]