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Cardinal Directions and the Compass Rose


The four equal divisions - Northeast, Southeast, Southwest and Northwest - are called Primary InterCardinal directions.


The Compass Rose can be traced back to early nautical times, and its primary purpose was to display the cardinal directions in a readable and usable format. Elaborate versions of the Compass Rose exist in and on historic atlases and maps, similar to the sample below.

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This page was last modified on August 7, 2015.