West

A compass rose with west highlighted

This article refers to the cardinal direction; for other uses see West (disambiguation).

West is most commonly a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.

West is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of east and at right angles to north and south.

By convention, the left side of a map is west.

To go west using a compass for navigation, set a bearing or azimuth of 270°.

West is the direction towards which the sun sets at the equinox, and therefore the direction opposite that of the Earth's rotation.

Moving continuously west is following a circle of latitude, which, except in the case of the equator, is not a great circle.

The etymology of West can be traced back to the Old High German word westar, and perhaps to the Latin word vesper, meaning "evening", possibly derived from the Greek Hesperos''.

West in Fiction and Mythology

In Chinese Buddhism, the West represents movement toward the Buddha or enlightentment (see Journey to the West).

The ancient Aztecs believed that the West was the realm of the great goddess, of water and mist, and of maize.Campbell, Joseph. The Mythic Image. Princeton University Press, 1981.

In Ancient Egypt, the West was considered to be the portal to the netherworld.Campbell, Joseph. The Mythic Image. Princeton University Press, 1981.

Moving West in American literature, especially The Great Gatsby, symbolizes gaining freedom. This probably has to do with the colonization of the country and Manifest Destiny.

References

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