The term cradle of civilization has frequently been applied to a variety of cultures and areas, in particular the Ancient Near Eastern Chalcolithic (Ubaid period) and Fertile Crescent. It has also been applied to ancient Anatolia, the Levant, Armenia and Iran.
The Washington Meridian runs north on a longitude of 91Â°09â²36â³W from the base line, which is the MississippiâLouisiana border at latitude 31Â° north. The Washington Meridian is the basis of cadastral surveys in southwestern Mississippi, south of the Choctaw Meridian base line and west of the territory of the Saint Stephens Meridian. The Washington Meridian shares the same initial point as the Saint Helena Meridian, which runs south from that initial point.
The Prime Meridian is the meridian (line of longitude) at which the longitude is defined to be 0Â°. The Prime Meridian and its opposite the 180th meridian (at 180Â° longitude), which the International Date Line generally follows, form a great circle that divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. The Equator is the line of latitude at which the latitude is defined to be 0Â°.