This Is the Thing Michigan and Australia Have in Common

If someone were to ask you what Michigan and Australia have in common, what would you say? They are both surrounded by a lot of water. They both have beaches. They both have an English-speaking population. They both use red, white, and blue in their flag's color scheme. But overall, they couldn't be more opposites, unless you throw the word 'antipode' into the mix.

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What Is an Antipode?

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word antipode as 'parts of the earth diametrically opposite' or 'the exact opposite or contrary.' So, now that you know the definition of antipode, can you guess what Michigan an Australia have in common?

Can Exact Opposites Have Something in Common?

It turns out that, when looking at the longitude and latitude of areas on planet Earth, you can find the antipodes accordingly. With that being said, let's look at the longitude and latitude numbers for the center of the mitten, in Lansing, MI.

Lansing, MI, USA Latitude and longitude coordinates are: 42.732536, -84.555534.

And the map coordinates for Perth Australia are: -31.953512, 115.857048.

Now, although the longitude and latitude coordinates are not 'exact opposites,' they are certainly close enough to say that, though the two locations are separated by approximately 9,860 miles, Michigan and Australia are antipodes for one another.

For those of you who were hoping the commonalities between Michigan and Australia to be more kangaroo or koala bear-related, we're sorry to disappoint. But who knows? Maybe in 100 years if global warming continues, Michigan will eventually have a climate that can support a kangaroo and/or koala bear population. But, until then, let's just be happy we have something in common with one of the other most beautiful places on the planet.