RDDM Recherches

Table d’orientation cardinale

Some photo captions refer to the cardinal orientation of the camera and the resulting view. This orientation or azimuth is the angle in the horizontal plane between the direction of the object and a reference direction, in this case North. The term azimuth is derived from the Spanish "acimut", itself derived from Arabic اَلسُّمُوت as-sumūt, "the directions", the plural form of the Arabic noun السمت as-simt, which means "direction". To describe the orientation of an object or place, we have 32 cardinal points.
The table below lists all the cardinal points and intercardinal directions which are also used in land navigation to indicate the wind direction (its origin in relation to an observer).

Cardinal points	Intercardinal Directions	Secondary intercardinal Directions		Abbr	Décimal	Degrees	Min
North				N	0.000°	0	0
			North by east	NbE	11.250°	11	15
		North-northeast		NNE	22.500°	22	30
			Northeast by north	NEbN	33.750°	33	45
	Northeast			NE	45.000°	45	0
			Northeast by east	NEbE	56.250°	56	15
		East-northeast		ENE	67.500°	67	30
			East by north	EbN	78.750°	78	45
East				E	90.000°	90	0
			East by south	EbS	101.250°	101	15
		East-southeast		ESE	112.500°	112	30
			Southeast by east	SEbE	123.750°	123	45
	Southeast			SE	135.000°	135	0
			Southeast by south	SEbS	146.250°	146	15
		South-southeast		SSE	157.500°	157	30
			South by east	SbE	168.750°	168	45
South				S	180.000°	180	0
			South by west	SbW	191.250°	191	15
		South-southwest		SSW	202.500°	202	30
			Southwest by south	SWbS	213.750°	213	45
	Southwest			SW	225.000°	225	0
			Southwest by west	SWbW	236.250°	236	15
		West-southwest		WSW	247.500°	247	30
			West by south	WbS	258.750°	258	45
West				W	270.000°	270	0
			West by north	WbN	281.250°	281	15
		West-northwest		WNW	292.500°	292	30
			Northwest by west	NWbW	303.750°	303	45
	Northwest			NW	315.000°	315	0
			Northwest by north	NWbN	326.250°	326	15
		North-northwest		NNW	337.500°	337	30
			North by west	NbW	348.750°	348	45
North				N	360.000°	360	0