What is "Null Island"?

The point on earth that has the exact coordinates (0°N, 0°E) is a source of fascination for some people. In one respect it is arbitrary: apart from historical convention there is no need for the prime meridian (zero degrees of longitude) to be where it is; however, zero degrees latitude is less arbitrary since the equator forms a natural dividing line around the globe.

The literal zero-zero location (0°N, 0°E) is in international waters in the Atlantic Ocean; more precisely it is in the Gulf of Guinea (part of the Atlantic) off the coast of West Africa. There is no land there – the nearest “terra firma” is 570 km (354 mi) to the north -- and the depth of the seabed at that location beneath is about 4,940 metres (16,210 ft). However, this exact spot has been given the name "Null Island." The "island" has through a lighthearted fiction been given a geography, a history, and even a flag (one of the designs is shown in the picture).

If you sail in search of Null Island, you will, however, find something at the zero-zero location – a buoy. This is a moored weather and sea observation station ("Station 13010 – Soul") that forms part of the PIRATA system (Prediction and Research Moored Array in the Atlantic), operated jointly by the United States, France, and Brazil.