ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

3rd meridian west

Imagine a big globe, like a giant ball. This big ball helps us understand where different places are on Earth. Just like how your map shows you where your house is, the big ball helps us understand where countries and cities are.

The big ball is divided into slices like a yummy pizza. These slices are called meridians. The meridians help us to know where we are on the globe. They start from the North Pole, go through the Equator in the middle and end at the South Pole. Just like how the lines of your notebook help you to write in a straight line, these meridians help us to understand where different countries and cities are located.

Now, let’s focus on the 3rd meridian west. This is a specific slice that goes from the North Pole through the Equator to the South Pole, but is located 3 slices to the left of the Prime Meridian (which is in Greenwich, England). So, 3rd meridian west is a line that helps us understand where different countries or cities exist 3 slices to the left of the Prime Meridian.

For example, if you want to find out where the city of São Paulo is located in Brazil, you can use the 3rd meridian west. You will start at the Prime Meridian, move three slices to the left (or west) and then find Brazil on the globe. You can then trace the line to find the city of São Paulo.

In summary, the 3rd meridian west is a line on the globe that helps us understand where different countries and cities exist 3 slices to the left of the Prime Meridian.