text:
Plymouth Rock
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article is about the disembarkation site of the Mayflower Pilgrims in 1620. For other uses, see Plymouth Rock (disambiguation).
Plymouth Rock
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Plymouth Rock, inscribed with 1620, the year of the Pilgrims' landing in the Mayflower
Show map of Massachusetts Show map of the US Show all
Location
Plymouth, Massachusetts
Coordinates
41°57′30″N 70°39′43″W / 41.95833°N 70.66194°W / 41.95833; -70.66194Coordinates: 41°57′30″N 70°39′43″W / 41.95833°N 70.66194°W / 41.95833; -70.66194
NRHP reference #
70000680[1]
Added to NRHP
1970
Plymouth Rock is the traditional site of disembarkation of William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims who founded Plymouth Colony in 1620. The Pilgrims did not refer to Plymouth Rock in any of their writings; the first known written reference to the rock dates to 1715 when it was described in the town boundary records as "a great rock."[2] The first documented claim that Plymouth Rock was the landing place of the Pilgrims was made by Elder Thomas Faunce in 1741, 121 years after the Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth.[3] From that time to the present, Plymouth Rock has occupied a prominent spot in American tradition and has been interpreted by later generations as a symbol both of the virtues and flaws of the first English people who colonized New England. In 1774, the rock broke in half during an attempt to haul it to Town Square in Plymouth. The top portion (the fragment now visible) sat in Town Square, was moved to Pilgrim Hall Museum in 1834, and was returned to its original site on the shore of Plymouth Harbor in 1880. Today it is ensconced beneath a granite canopy designed by McKim, Mead & White.
Contents
[hide]
1 History of Plymouth Rock
1.1 Early history and identification
1.2 Movements
1.3 20th century
1.4 Current status
2 Panorama
3 See also
4 Notes
5 References
6 External links
History of Plymouth Rock[edit]
Early history and identification[edit]
Plymouth Rock is geologically classified as a Dedham Granite boulder and a glacial erratic.[4] The two most significant primary sources on the founding of Plymouth Colony are Edward Winslow's Mourt's Relation and Bradford's history Of Plymouth Plantation, and neither refers to Plymouth Rock.[5] The rock first attracted public attention in 1741 when the residents of Plymouth began plans to build a wharf which would bury it. Before construction began, a 94-year-old elder of the church named Thomas Faunce, then living three miles from the spot, declared that the boulder was the landing place of the Mayflower Pilgrims.[6][7] He asked to be brought to the rock to say a farewell. According to Plymouth historian James Thacher:
A chair was procured, and the venerable [Faunce] conveyed to the shore, where a number of the inhabitants were assembled to witness the patriarch's benediction. Having pointed out the rock directly under the bank of Cole's Hill, which his father had assured him was that which had received the footsteps of our fathers on their first arrival, and which should be perpetuated to posterity, he bedewed it with his tears and bid to it an everlasting adieu.[6]
The Landing of the Pilgrims, by Henry A. Bacon, 1877.
Faunce's father had arrived in the colony aboard the ship Anne in 1623, just two years after the Mayflower landing, and Elder Faunce was born in 1647 when many of the Mayflower Pilgrims were still living, so his assertion made a strong impression on the people of Plymouth. The wharf was built but the rock left intact, the top portion protruding from the dirt so as to be visible to curious visitors.[6]
More recent generations have called Faunce's assertion into question, alleging that he invented the story or did not have the correct facts, given that he was not an eyewitness to the event. Journalist Bill Bryson, for example, wrote, "The one thing the Pilgrims certainly did not do was step ashore on Plymouth Rock," arguing that the boulder would have made an impractical landing spot.[8] Others have taken issue with the significance of the rock based on the fact that the Pilgrims first disembarked from the Mayflower at Provincetown to explore Cape Cod, more than a month prior to arriving in Plymouth harbor. In 1851, a group of Cape Cod residents formed the Cape Cod Association for the purpose of promoting Provincetown as the site of the original Pilgrim landing.[9] Such efforts eventually led to the construction of the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown, which was completed in 1910.
Movements[edit]
Col. Theophilus Cotton (son of Josiah Cotton, a Plymouth magistrate) and the townspeople of Plymouth decided to move the rock in 1774. It was split into two parts, with the bottom portion left behind at the wharf and the top portion relocated to the town's meeting house.
Captain William Coit wrote in the Pennsylvania Journal of November 29, 1775 that he brought captive British sailors ashore "upon the same rock our ancestors first trod."
The 1867 monumental canopy that housed Plymouth Rock until 1920
The upper portion of the rock was relocated from Plymouth's meetinghouse to Pilgrim Hall in 1834. In 1859, the Pilgrim Society began building a Victorian canopy designed by Hammett Billings at the wharf over the lower portion of the rock, which was completed in 1867. The top of the rock was moved from Pilgrim Hall back to its original wharf location in 1880 and rejoined to the lower portion, and the date "1620" was carved into it.[7]
In 1920, the rock was temporarily relocated so that the old wharves could be removed and the waterfront re-landscaped[5] to a design by noted landscape architect Arthur Shurcliff, with a waterfront promenade behind a low seawall in such a way that, when the rock was returned to its original site, it would be at water level. The care of the rock was turned over to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and a new very sober Roman Doric portico was constructed, designed by McKim, Mead and White for viewing the tide-washed rock protected by gratings.[7]
During the rock's many journeys throughout the town of Plymouth, numerous pieces were taken, bought, and sold. Today approximately 1⁄3 of the top portion remains.[10] It is estimated that the original Rock weighed 20,000 lb (9,100 kg). Some documents indicate that tourists or souvenir hunters chipped it down, although no pieces have been noticeably removed since 1880. Today there are pieces in Pilgrim Hall Museum, as well as in the Patent Building in the Smithsonian.[7] In 1835, French author Alexis De Tocqueville wrote:
This Rock has become an object of veneration in the United States. I have seen bits of it carefully preserved in several towns in the Union. Does this sufficiently show that all human power and greatness is in the soul of man? Here is a stone which the feet of a few outcasts pressed for an instant; and the stone becomes famous; it is treasured by a great nation; its very dust is shared as a relic.[11]
A 40-pound (18 kg) piece of the Rock is set on a pedestal in the cloister of historic Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims in Brooklyn Heights, New York. The church was formed by a merger of Plymouth Church and Church of the Pilgrims and was originally pastored by Henry Ward Beecher,[12] father of author Harriet Beecher Stowe.
20th century[edit]
Plymouth Rock now rests at sea level
Cole Porter makes a comic allusion to Plymouth Rock in the title song of the 1934 musical Anything Goes, imagining that, if Puritans were to object to "shocking" modern mores, instead "of landing on Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Rock would land on them." Malcolm X repeated the imagery in a speech on black nationalism: "We didn't land on Plymouth Rock. The rock was landed on us."[13]
Plymouth Rock has figured prominently in American Indian politics in the United States, particularly as a symbol of wars starting with King Philip's War (1675–78), known as the First Indian War. It has been ceremoniously buried twice by Indian rights activists, once in 1970 and again in 1995, as part of National Day of Mourning protests.[14]
Current status[edit]
Today, Plymouth Rock is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as part of Pilgrim Memorial State Park. From the end of May to Thanksgiving Day, Pilgrim Memorial is staffed by park interpreters who inform visitors of the history of Plymouth Rock and answer questions.
Panorama[edit]
The present (1920) superstructure designed by McKim, Mead, and White for the Tercentenary of Plymouth Rock with the replica Mayflower II (left, behind trees) and Cole's Hill (right) with the Statue of Massasoit
See also[edit]
National Register of Historic Places listings in Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Notes[edit]
Jump up ^ National Park Service (2007-01-23). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
Jump up ^ Russell, 1.
Jump up ^ Thacher, 30.
Jump up ^ Some believe that the rock was transported from the vicinity of Boston to the shore of Plymouth by a glacier about 20,000 years ago during the last Ice Age. (Nothrup, 189)
^ Jump up to: a b Pilgrim Hall Museum, "Plymouth Rock."
^ Jump up to: a b c Thacher, 29-30.
^ Jump up to: a b c d Seelye, 616-617.
Jump up ^ Bryson, 4.
Jump up ^ Seelye, 94.
Jump up ^ Monroe, James; Wicander, Reed (19 July 2011). The Changing Earth: Exploring Geology and Evolution. Cengage Learning. p. 100. ISBN 1-133-71551-6.
Jump up ^ Alexis De Tocqueville, Democracy in America: in relation to political institutions, (E. Walker, 1850) pg.31 [1]
Jump up ^ Bell, Charles W. (July 25, 1998). "Rock-Solid Church's 12M". New York Daily News.
Jump up ^ "OAAU Founding Rally – Malcolm X". Panafricanperspective.com. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
Jump up ^ "Native People bury racist rock". Hartford-hwp.com. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
References[edit]
Arner, Robert, “Plymouth Rock Revisited: The Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers”, Journal of American Culture 6, no. 4, Winter 1983, pp. 25–35.
Bill Bryson (1998). Made In America. Black Swan. ISBN 9780552998055.
Davis, Samuel, “Notes on Plymouth”, Massachusetts Historical Society Collections, vol. 3, 2nd ser., 1815.
McPhee, John, “Travels of the Rock”, The New Yorker, February 26, 1990, pp. 108–117.
Northrup, Dale (1996). Frommer's New England 1996. Macmillan USA. OCLC 34328103.
Francis Russell (October 1962). "The Pilgrims and The Rock". American Heritage. 13 (6).
Seelye, John (1998). Memory’s Nation: The Place of Plymouth Rock. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 9780807865934.
Thacher, James (1832). History of the town of Plymouth: from its first settlement in 1620 to the year 1832. Boston: Marsh, Capen & Lyon. OCLC 317695485.
U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Plymouth Rock
"Plymouth Rock". Pilgrim Hall Museum. 2005-05-18. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Plymouth Rock.
Pilgrim Memorial State Park
[hide]
v
t
e
Mayflower passengers and related topics
General
Mayflower
List of Mayflower passengers
Captain Christopher Jones
Mayflower passengers who died at sea November/December 1620
Mayflower passengers who died in the winter of 1620–21
The More family
Cole's Hill
Mayflower Compact
signatories
Pilgrims
Plymouth Colony
Of Plymouth Plantation
Mourt's Relation
Separatists
Priscilla (Mullins) Alden
Isaac Allerton
Mary Allerton
William Bradford
Dorothy Bradford
Love Brewster
William Brewster
Peter Browne
William Butten
John Carver (Plymouth Colony governor)
James Chilton
Mary Chilton
Francis Cooke
Humility Cooper
John Crackston
Edward Doty
Moses Fletcher
Edward Fuller
Samuel Fuller
John Howland
Degory Priest
Thomas Rogers
Henry Samson
George Soule
Edward Tilley
John Tilley
Thomas Tinker
John Turner
William White
Resolved White
Peregrine White
Edward Winslow
Other passengers
John Alden
John Billington
Francis Eaton
Constance Hopkins
Elizabeth Hopkins
Oceanus Hopkins
Stephen Hopkins
Christopher Martin
Elinor More
Jasper More
Mary More
Richard More
William Mullins
Myles Standish
Richard Warren
Native American associates
Squanto
Samoset
Hobbamock
Massasoit
Corbitant
Related
Speedwell
Fortune
passengers
The Anne and Little James
passengers
Plymouth Rock
The Mayflower Society
Mayflower House Museum
Pilgrim Hall Museum
Mayflower II
Harwich Mayflower Project
National Monument to the Forefathers
Pilgrim Monument
[show]
v
t
e
U.S. National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Topics
Contributing property
Keeper of the Register
Historic district
History of the National Register of Historic Places
National Park Service
Property types
Lists by county
Barnstable
Berkshire
Bristol
Dukes
Essex
Franklin
Hampden
Hampshire
Middlesex
Nantucket
Norfolk
Plymouth
Suffolk
Worcester (northern)
Lists by city
Barnstable County
Barnstable
Harwich
Bristol County
Fall River
New Bedford
Taunton
Essex County
Andover
Gloucester
Ipswich
Lawrence
Lynn
Methuen
Salem
Hampden County
Springfield
Middlesex County
Arlington
Cambridge
Concord
Framingham
Lexington
Lowell
Marlborough
Medford
Newton
Reading
Sherborn
Somerville
Stoneham
Wakefield
Waltham
Weston
Winchester
Norfolk County
Brookline
Milton
Quincy
Suffolk County
Boston
northern
southern
Worcester County
Southbridge
Uxbridge
Worcester
eastern
northwestern
southwestern
Other lists
Bridges
Cape Cod National Seashore
National Historic Landmarks
Boston
Category
NRHP portal
Massachusetts portal
[show]
v
t
e
Thanksgiving
History and
traditions
Canada
Samuel de Champlain
Martin Frobisher
Halifax
First Nations
United States
Pilgrims
Mayflower
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth, Massachusetts
Plymouth Rock
Native Americans
Samoset
Squanto
Wampanoag
Cornucopia
National Thanksgiving Proclamation
Franksgiving
National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation
William Penn
Sarah Josepha Hale
Blackout Wednesday
Abraham Lincoln
Mourt's Relation
Cuisine
Thanksgiving dinner
Turkey
Deep-fried
Tofurkey
Stuffing
Gravy
Butternut squash
Apple cider
Hazelnuts
Cranberry sauce
Carrots
Mashed potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Acorn squash
Yams
Corn
Green bean casserole
Apple pie
Pumpkin pie
Pecan pie
Sweet potato pie
Tamale
Songs
"Alice's Restaurant"
"Bless This House"
"Bringing In the Sheaves"
"Come, Ye Thankful People, Come"
"For the Beauty of the Earth"
"Jingle Bells"
"Let All Things Now Living"
"Now Thank We All Our God"
"Over the River and Through the Wood"
"Simple Gifts"
"The Thanksgiving Song"
"We Gather Together"
"We Plough the Fields and Scatter"
Associated
events
Cultural
Christmas and holiday season
Harvest festivals
Thanksgiving in film
Thanksgiving television specials
Winter festivals
Lighting of the Macy's Great Tree
World's Largest Disco
Black Friday
Parades
Novant Health (Charlotte)
McDonald's (Chicago)
America's (Detroit)
Oktoberfest (Kitchener-Waterloo)
Hollywood Christmas (Los Angeles)
Macy's (New York City)
6abc-Dunkin' Donuts (Philadelphia)
Celebrate the Season (Pittsburgh)
America's Hometown (Plymouth)
Protests
National Day of Mourning
Unthanksgiving Day
Buy Nothing Day
Sports
Football
NFL on Thanksgiving Day
CFL Thanksgiving Classic
English–Latin rivalry
Missouri Turkey Day Game
Turkey Day Classic
Basketball
AdvoCare Invitational
Battle 4 Atlantis
Wooden Legacy
Maui Invitational Tournament
Turkey Trots
Atlanta Marathon
Berwick Run for the Diamonds
Buffalo Turkey Trot
Dallas Turkey Trot
Feaster Five Road Race
Manchester Road Race
Others
National Dog Show
Pumpkin chucking
Turkey bowling
Turkey Night Grand Prix
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Plymouth_Rock&oldid=815079432"
Categories:
Glacial erratics of Massachusetts
Plymouth Colony
History of the Thirteen Colonies
History of Plymouth County, Massachusetts
National Register of Historic Places in Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Plymouth, Massachusetts
American folklore
Symbols of Massachusetts
Landforms of Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Tourist attractions in Plymouth County, Massachusetts
History of North America
Hidden categories:
Coordinates on Wikidata
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
In other projects
Wikimedia Commons
Languages
العربية
Deutsch
Français
한국어
Italiano
日本語
Norsk
Русский
Simple English
Svenska
Edit links
This page was last edited on 12 December 2017, at 17:08.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

key: html

type: local

value: div

attrs: id class

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

value: a

attrs: id class lang

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

value: i

attrs: href class title

values:
/wiki/Plymouth_Rock_(disambiguation)
mw-disambig
Plymouth Rock (disambiguation)

attrs: role class

values:
note
hatnote navigation-not-searchable

value: td

attrs: colspan style

value: tr

values: width:100%; font-size:105%; font-weight:bold; background: #A8EDEF; line-height:1.5

attrs: href title

values: width:100%; text-align:center; line-height:1.5; background: #A8EDEF;

value: img

attrs: alt src width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

values: Plymouth Rock, Plymouth, MA, jjron 03.05.2012.jpg

attrs: href class

values: Plymouth Rock is located in Massachusetts

attrs: alt src title width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

values:
/wiki/File:Usa_edcp_location_map.svg
image
Plymouth Rock is located in the US

values: display: none; width:250px;float:none;clear:both;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto width:250px;padding:0

values: Maps, aerial photos, and other data for this location

values: William Bradford (Plymouth Colony governor)

values:
/wiki/Pilgrim_(Plymouth_Colony)
mw-redirect
Pilgrim (Plymouth Colony)

values: Edit section: Early history and identification

attrs: alt src width height class srcset data-file-width data-file-height

values:
/wiki/Henry_A._Bacon
mw-redirect
Henry A. Bacon

values:
/wiki/Pennsylvania_Journal
mw-redirect
Pennsylvania Journal

values:
/wiki/Pilgrim_Hall
mw-redirect
Pilgrim Hall

values:
/wiki/Hammett_Billings
mw-redirect
Hammett Billings

values:
/wiki/Arthur_Shurcliff
mw-redirect
Arthur Shurcliff

values:
/wiki/McKim,_Mead_and_White
mw-redirect
McKim, Mead and White

values:
/wiki/Alexis_De_Tocqueville
mw-redirect
Alexis De Tocqueville

values: National Day of Mourning (United States protest)

values: Department of Conservation and Recreation

values:
/wiki/McKim,_Mead,_and_White
mw-redirect
McKim, Mead, and White

values: margin-left: auto; margin-right:auto; overflow:hidden; width:auto; max-width:1608px;

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

values:
nofollow
external text
//www.worldcat.org/oclc/34328103

values:
nofollow
external text
//www.worldcat.org/oclc/317695485

values: Template:Mayflower passengers and related topics

values: Template talk:Mayflower passengers and related topics

values: List of Mayflower passengers who died at sea November/December 1620

values: List of Mayflower passengers who died in the winter of 1620–21

values: Christopher Martin (Mayflower passenger)

values: Passengers of the Anne and Little James 1623

values: nowraplinks collapsible uncollapsed navbox-inner

values: Template:National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts

values: Template talk:National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Massachusetts

values: History of the National Register of Historic Places

values: National Register of Historic Places property types

values: Map of the United States with Massachusetts highlighted

values:
navbox-image
4
width:1px;padding:0px 0px 0px 2px

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Barnstable County, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Berkshire County, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Bristol County, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Dukes County, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Franklin County, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Hampden County, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Hampshire County, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Middlesex County, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Nantucket County, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Norfolk County, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Suffolk County, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Worcester County, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in northern Worcester County, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Barnstable, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Harwich, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Fall River, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in New Bedford, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Taunton, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Andover, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Gloucester, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Ipswich, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Lawrence, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Lynn, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Methuen, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Salem, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Springfield, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Arlington, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Cambridge, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Concord, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Framingham, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Lexington, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Lowell, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Marlborough, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Medford, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Newton, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Reading, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Sherborn, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Somerville, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Stoneham, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Wakefield, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Waltham, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Weston, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Winchester, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Brookline, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Milton, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Quincy, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Boston

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in northern Boston

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in southern Boston

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Southbridge, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Uxbridge, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Worcester, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in eastern Worcester, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in northwestern Worcester, Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in southwestern Worcester, Massachusetts

values: List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Cape Cod National Seashore

values: List of National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts

values: List of National Historic Landmarks in Boston

values: Category:National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts

values: Portal:National Register of Historic Places

values: nowraplinks hlist collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values:
/wiki/Halifax_(former_city)
mw-redirect
Halifax (former city)

values:
/wiki/Wampanoag_people
mw-redirect
Wampanoag people

values: National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation

values:
/wiki/Turkey_meat
mw-redirect
Turkey meat

values:
/wiki/Alice%27s_Restaurant
mw-redirect
Alice's Restaurant

values:
/wiki/Let_All_Things_Now_Living
mw-redirect
Let All Things Now Living

values: List of Thanksgiving television specials

values:
/wiki/List_of_winter_festivals
mw-redirect
List of winter festivals

values: List of Christmas and holiday season parades

values: 6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade

values:
/wiki/English%E2%80%93Latin_rivalry
mw-redirect
English–Latin rivalry

values:
/wiki/Turkey_Trot
mw-redirect
Turkey Trot

values:
/wiki/Berwick_Run_for_the_Diamonds
mw-redirect
Berwick Run for the Diamonds

values: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values: navigation navbox Thanksgiving padding:3px

values: Category:Glacial erratics of Massachusetts

values: Category:History of the Thirteen Colonies

values: Category:History of Plymouth County, Massachusetts

values: Category:National Register of Historic Places in Plymouth County, Massachusetts

values: Category:Landforms of Plymouth County, Massachusetts

values: Category:Tourist attractions in Plymouth County, Massachusetts

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/Plymouth_Rock
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: portal navigation p-wikibase-otherprojects p-wikibase-otherprojects-label

values:
uls-settings-trigger
Language settings
0
button
true

values: صخرة بليموث – Arabic

values: 플리머스 바위 – Korean

values: プリマス・ロック – Japanese

values: Плимутский камень – Russian

values: /static/images/wikimedia-button-1.5x.png 1.5x, /static/images/wikimedia-button-2x.png 2x

values: /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x

values:
suggestions
display: none; font-size: 13px;

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Plymouth_Rock rootpage-Plymouth_Rock skin-vector action-view


text:
Equator
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Equator (disambiguation).
0°
Equator
Nations or territories that touch the Equator (red) or the IERS Reference Meridian (blue)
An equator is the intersection of the surface of a rotating spheroid (such as a planet) with the plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation and midway between its poles.
On Earth, the Equator is an imaginary line on the surface, equidistant from the North and South Poles, dividing the Earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres. It is about 40,075 kilometres (24,901 mi) long, of which 78.7% lies across water and 21.3% over land.
Contents
[hide]
1 Overview
2 Geodesy
2.1 Precise location
2.2 Exact length
3 Crossing-the-Equator ceremonies
4 Equatorial countries and territories
5 Equatorial seasons and climate
6 See also
7 References
8 Sources
Overview[edit]
Left: A monument marking the Equator near the town of Pontianak, Indonesia
Right: Road sign marking the Equator near Nanyuki, Kenya
The latitude of the Earth's equator is, by definition, 0° (zero degrees) of arc. The Equator is one of the five notable circles of latitude on Earth; the other four are the two Polar Circles (the Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle) and the two Tropical Circles (the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn). The Equator is the only line of latitude which is also a great circle — that is, one whose plane passes through the center of the globe. The plane of Earth's equator, when projected outwards to the celestial sphere, defines the celestial equator.
In the cycle of Earth's seasons, the plane of the equator passes through the Sun twice per year: at the March and September equinoxes. To an observer on the Earth, the Sun appears to travel North or South over the Equator (or the celestial equator) at these times. Light rays from the center of the Sun are perpendicular to the surface of the Earth at the point of solar noon on the Equator.
The Equator marked as it crosses Ilhéu das Rolas, in São Tomé and Príncipe
The Marco Zero monument marking the Equator in Macapá, Brazil.
Locations on the Equator experience the quickest sunrises and sunsets, because the sun moves nearly perpendicular to the horizon for most of the year. The length of daylight (sunrise to sunset) is almost constant throughout the year; it is about fourteen minutes longer than nighttime due to atmospheric refraction and the fact that sunrise is begun (or sunset is ended) as the upper edge, not the centre, of the Sun's disk crosses the horizon.
The Earth bulges slightly at the Equator; the "average" diameter of the Earth is 12,750 kilometres (7,922 mi), but the diameter at the Equator is about 43 kilometres (27 mi) greater than at the poles.[1]
Sites near the Equator, such as the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana, are good locations for spaceports as they have a faster rotational speed than other latitudes; the added velocity reduces the fuel needed to launch spacecraft. Because the Earth spins to the east, spacecraft must also launch to the east (or to the southeast or northeast) to take advantage of this Earth-boost of speed.[citation needed]
Geodesy[edit]
Further information: Earth ellipsoid and Reference ellipsoid
Precise location[edit]
The precise location of the Equator is not truly fixed; the true equatorial plane is perpendicular to the Earth's spin axis, which drifts about 9 metres (30 ft) during a year. This effect must be accounted for in detailed geophysical measurements.[citation needed]
Exact length[edit]
In two widely used geodetic standards, the Equator is modelled as a circle whose radius is a whole number of metres. In 1976 the IAU chose a radius of 6,378.140 kilometres (3,963.192 mi) (codified as the IAU-1976 value), later refined by the IUGG to 6,378.137 kilometres (3,963.191 mi) and adopted in WGS-84. Despite this change, the yet more recent IAU-2000 retained the old IAU-1976 value. If it were really circular, the length of the Equator would be exactly 2π times the radius, namely 40,075.036 kilometres (24,901.473 mi). However, due to the effect of tidal force on the Earth's surface the actual circumference at the equator is about 40,075.16 kilometres (24,901.55 mi).
The geographical mile is defined as one arc minute of the Equator, so it has different values depending on which radius is assumed. For example, by WSG-84, the distance is 1,855.3248 metres (6,087.024 ft), while by IAU-2000, it is 1,855.3257 metres (6,087.027 ft). This is a difference of less than one millimeter over the total distance (approximately 1.86 kilometres (1.16 mi)).
The earth is commonly modeled as a sphere flattened 0.336% along its axis. This makes the Equator 0.16% longer than a meridian (a great circle passing through the two poles). The IUGG standard meridian is, to the nearest millimetre, 40,007.862917 kilometres (24,859.733480 mi), one arc minute of which is 1,852.216 metres (6,076.82 ft), explaining the SI standardization of the nautical mile as 1,852 metres (6,076 ft), more than 3 metres (9.8 ft) less than the geographical mile.
The sea-level surface of the Earth (the geoid) is irregular, so the actual length of the Equator is not so easy to determine. Aviation Week and Space Technology on 9 October 1961 reported that measurements using the Transit IV-A satellite had shown the equatorial "diameter" from longitude 11° West to 169° East to be 1,000 feet (300 m) greater than its "diameter" ninety degrees away.[citation needed]
Crossing-the-Equator ceremonies[edit]
Main article: Line-crossing ceremony
Certain navies, such as the Royal Navy, Russian Navy, and US Navy, have a tradition of holding ceremonies aboard ships to mark sailors' first crossing of the Equator. These rites of initiation have in the past been notorious for their brutality.[citation needed] Milder line-crossing ceremonies, typically featuring King Neptune, are also held for passengers' entertainment on some civilian ocean liners and cruise ships.[citation needed]
Equatorial countries and territories[edit]
[show]Map all coordinates using OSM
Map all coordinates using Google
Export all coordinates as KML
Export all coordinates as GPX
Map all microformatted coordinates
Place data as RDF
The Equator traverses the land of 11 countries. Starting at the Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the Equator passes through:
Co-ordinates
Country, territory or sea
Notes
0°N 0°E / 0°N 0°E / 0; 0 (Prime Meridian)
Atlantic Ocean
Gulf of Guinea
0°0′N 6°31′E / 0.000°N 6.517°E / 0.000; 6.517 (São Tomé and Príncipe)
São Tomé and Príncipe
Ilhéu das Rolas
0°0′N 9°21′E / 0.000°N 9.350°E / 0.000; 9.350 (Gabon)
Gabon
passes 8.9 km (5.5 mi) south of Ayem, 10.6 km (6.6 mi) north of Mayene, Booue
0°0′N 13°56′E / 0.000°N 13.933°E / 0.000; 13.933 (Republic of the Congo)
Republic of the Congo
Passing through the town of Makoua.
0°0′N 17°46′E / 0.000°N 17.767°E / 0.000; 17.767 (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Passing 9 km (5.6 mi) south of central Butembo
0°0′N 29°43′E / 0.000°N 29.717°E / 0.000; 29.717 (Uganda)
Uganda
Passing 32 km (20 mi) south of central Kampala
0°0′N 32°22′E / 0.000°N 32.367°E / 0.000; 32.367 (Lake Victoria)
Lake Victoria
Passing through some islands of Uganda
0°0′N 34°0′E / 0.000°N 34.000°E / 0.000; 34.000 (Kenya)
Kenya
Passing 6 km (3.7 mi) north of central Kisumu
0°0′N 41°0′E / 0.000°N 41.000°E / 0.000; 41.000 (Somalia)
Somalia
0°0′N 42°53′E / 0.000°N 42.883°E / 0.000; 42.883 (Indian Ocean)
Indian Ocean
Passing between Huvadhu Atoll and Fuvahmulah of the Maldives
0°0′N 98°12′E / 0.000°N 98.200°E / 0.000; 98.200 (Indonesia)
Indonesia
The Batu Islands, Sumatra and the Lingga Islands
0°0′N 104°34′E / 0.000°N 104.567°E / 0.000; 104.567 (Karimata Strait)
Karimata Strait
0°0′N 109°9′E / 0.000°N 109.150°E / 0.000; 109.150 (Indonesia)
Indonesia
Borneo
0°0′N 117°30′E / 0.000°N 117.500°E / 0.000; 117.500 (Makassar Strait)
Makassar Strait
0°0′N 119°40′E / 0.000°N 119.667°E / 0.000; 119.667 (Indonesia)
Indonesia
Sulawesi (Celebes)
0°0′N 120°5′E / 0.000°N 120.083°E / 0.000; 120.083 (Gulf of Tomini)
Gulf of Tomini
0°0′N 124°0′E / 0.000°N 124.000°E / 0.000; 124.000 (Molucca Sea)
Molucca Sea
0°0′N 127°24′E / 0.000°N 127.400°E / 0.000; 127.400 (Indonesia)
Indonesia
Kayoa and Halmahera islands
0°0′N 127°53′E / 0.000°N 127.883°E / 0.000; 127.883 (Halmahera Sea)
Halmahera Sea
0°0′N 129°20′E / 0.000°N 129.333°E / 0.000; 129.333 (Indonesia)
Indonesia
Gebe and Kawe islands
0°0′N 129°21′E / 0.000°N 129.350°E / 0.000; 129.350 (Pacific Ocean)
Pacific Ocean
Passing between Aranuka and Nonouti atolls, Kiribati (at 0°0′N 173°40′E / 0.000°N 173.667°E / 0.000; 173.667)
0°0′N 80°6′W / 0.000°N 80.100°W / 0.000; -80.100 (Ecuador)
Ecuador
Passing 24 km (15 mi) north of central Quito, near Mitad del Mundo, and precisely at the location of Catequilla, a pre-Columbian ruin
Also, Isabela Island in the Galápagos Islands
0°0′N 75°32′W / 0.000°N 75.533°W / 0.000; -75.533 (Colombia)
Colombia
Passing 4.3 km (2.7 mi) north of the border with Peru
0°0′N 70°3′W / 0.000°N 70.050°W / 0.000; -70.050 (Brazil)
Brazil
Amazonas
Roraima
Pará
Amapá (passing slightly south of the city center of the state capital Macapá)
0°0′N 49°21′W / 0.000°N 49.350°W / 0.000; -49.350 (Atlantic Ocean)
Atlantic Ocean
At the Perigoso Canal on the mouth of the Amazon River
Despite its name, no part of Equatorial Guinea's territory lies on the Equator. However, its island of Annobón is 155 km (96 mi) south of the Equator, and the rest of the country lies to the north.
GPS reading taken on the Equator close to the Quitsato Sundial, at Mitad del Mundo, Ecuador.[2]
Equatorial seasons and climate[edit]
Main articles: Seasons, Tropics, and Effect of sun angle on climate

Diagram of the seasons, depicting the situation at the December solstice. Regardless of the time of day (i.e. the Earth’s rotation on its axis), the North Pole will be dark, and the South Pole will be illuminated; see also arctic winter. In addition to the density of incident light, the dissipation of light in the atmosphere is greater when it falls at a shallow angle.
Seasons result from the yearly revolution of the Earth around the Sun and the tilt of the Earth's axis relative to the plane of revolution. During the year the northern and southern hemispheres are inclined toward or away from the sun according to Earth's position in its orbit. The hemisphere inclined toward the sun receives more sunlight and is in summer, while the other hemisphere receives less sun and is in winter (see solstice).
At the equinoxes, the Earth's axis is not tilted toward the sun, instead it is perpendicular to the sun meaning that the day is about 12 hours long, as is the night, across the whole of the Earth.
The Equator lies mostly on the three largest oceans: the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean. Near the Equator there is little temperature fluctuation throughout the year, though there may be dramatic differences in rainfall and humidity. The terms summer, autumn, winter and spring do not generally apply. Lowlands around the Equator generally have a tropical rainforest climate, also known as an equatorial climate, though cold currents cause some regions to have tropical monsoon climates with a dry season in the middle of the year, and the Somali Current generated by the Asian monsoon due to continental heating via the high Tibetan Plateau causes Greater Somalia to have an arid climate despite its equatorial location.
Average annual temperatures in equatorial lowlands are around 31 °C (88 °F) during the afternoon and 23 °C (73 °F) around sunrise. Rainfall is away from cold current upwelling zones very high, from 2,500 to 3,500 mm (98 to 138 in) per year. Average rainy days are around 200 per year and average annual sunshine hours around 2,000. Despite high year-round sea level temperatures, some higher altitudes such as the Andes and Mount Kilimanjaro sustain glaciers. The highest point on the Equator is at the elevation of 4,690 metres (15,387 ft), at 0°0′0″N 77°59′31″W / 0.00000°N 77.99194°W / 0.00000; -77.99194 (highest point on the Equator), found on the southern slopes of Volcán Cayambe [summit 5,790 metres (18,996 ft)] in Ecuador. This is slightly above the snow line and is the only place on the Equator where snow lies on the ground. At the Equator the snow line is around 1,000 metres (3,280 ft) lower than on Mount Everest and as much as 2,000 metres (6,560 ft) lower than the highest snow line in the world, near the Tropic of Capricorn on Llullaillaco.
[hide]Climate data for Macapá, Brazil in South America
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year
Average high °C (°F)
29.7
(85.5) 29.2
(84.6) 29.3
(84.7) 29.5
(85.1) 30.0
(86) 30.3
(86.5) 30.6
(87.1) 31.5
(88.7) 32.1
(89.8) 32.6
(90.7) 32.3
(90.1) 31.4
(88.5) 30.71
(87.28)
Daily mean °C (°F)
26.4
(79.5) 26.2
(79.2) 26.3
(79.3) 26.5
(79.7) 26.8
(80.2) 26.8
(80.2) 26.8
(80.2) 27.4
(81.3) 27.8
(82) 28.1
(82.6) 27.9
(82.2) 27.4
(81.3) 27.03
(80.65)
Average low °C (°F)
23.0
(73.4) 23.1
(73.6) 23.2
(73.8) 23.5
(74.3) 23.5
(74.3) 23.2
(73.8) 22.9
(73.2) 23.3
(73.9) 23.4
(74.1) 23.5
(74.3) 23.5
(74.3) 23.4
(74.1) 23.29
(73.92)
Average rainfall mm (inches)
299.6
(11.795) 347.0
(13.661) 407.2
(16.031) 384.3
(15.13) 351.5
(13.839) 220.1
(8.665) 184.8
(7.276) 98.00
(3.8583) 42.60
(1.6772) 35.50
(1.3976) 58.40
(2.2992) 142.5
(5.61) 2,571.5
(101.2393)
Average rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm)
23 22 24 24 25 22 19 13 6 5 6 14 203
Mean monthly sunshine hours
148.8 113.1 108.5 114.0 151.9 189.0 226.3 272.8 273.0 282.1 252.0 204.6 2,336.1
Source: World Meteorological Organization (UN),[3] Hong Kong Observatory[4]
[hide]Climate data for Pontianak, Indonesia in Asia
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year
Average high °C (°F)
32.4
(90.3) 32.7
(90.9) 32.9
(91.2) 33.2
(91.8) 33.0
(91.4) 33.2
(91.8) 32.9
(91.2) 33.4
(92.1) 32.6
(90.7) 32.6
(90.7) 32.2
(90) 32.0
(89.6) 32.7
(90.9)
Daily mean °C (°F)
27.6
(81.7) 27.7
(81.9) 28.0
(82.4) 28.2
(82.8) 28.2
(82.8) 28.2
(82.8) 27.7
(81.9) 27.9
(82.2) 27.6
(81.7) 27.7
(81.9) 27.4
(81.3) 27.2
(81) 27.7
(81.9)
Average low °C (°F)
22.7
(72.9) 22.6
(72.7) 23.0
(73.4) 23.2
(73.8) 23.4
(74.1) 23.1
(73.6) 22.5
(72.5) 22.3
(72.1) 22.6
(72.7) 22.8
(73) 22.6
(72.7) 22.4
(72.3) 22.7
(72.9)
Average rainfall mm (inches)
260
(10.24) 215
(8.46) 254
(10) 292
(11.5) 256
(10.08) 212
(8.35) 201
(7.91) 180
(7.09) 295
(11.61) 329
(12.95) 400
(15.75) 302
(11.89) 3,196
(125.83)
Average rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm)
15 13 21 22 20 18 16 25 14 27 25 22 238
Source: World Meteorological Organization (UN)[5]
[hide]Climate data for Libreville, Gabon in Africa
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year
Average high °C (°F)
29.5
(85.1) 30.0
(86) 30.2
(86.4) 30.1
(86.2) 29.4
(84.9) 27.6
(81.7) 26.4
(79.5) 26.8
(80.2) 27.5
(81.5) 28.0
(82.4) 28.4
(83.1) 29.0
(84.2) 28.58
(83.44)
Daily mean °C (°F)
26.8
(80.2) 27.0
(80.6) 27.1
(80.8) 26.6
(79.9) 26.7
(80.1) 25.4
(77.7) 24.3
(75.7) 24.3
(75.7) 25.4
(77.7) 25.7
(78.3) 25.9
(78.6) 26.2
(79.2) 25.95
(78.71)
Average low °C (°F)
24.1
(75.4) 24.0
(75.2) 23.9
(75) 23.1
(73.6) 24.0
(75.2) 23.2
(73.8) 22.1
(71.8) 21.8
(71.2) 23.2
(73.8) 23.4
(74.1) 23.4
(74.1) 23.4
(74.1) 23.30
(73.94)
Average rainfall mm (inches)
250.3
(9.854) 243.1
(9.571) 363.2
(14.299) 339.0
(13.346) 247.3
(9.736) 54.10
(2.1299) 6.600
(0.25984) 13.70
(0.5394) 104.0
(4.094) 427.2
(16.819) 490.0
(19.291) 303.2
(11.937) 2,841.7
(111.87614)
Average rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm)
17.9 14.8 19.5 19.2 16.0 3.70 1.70 4.90 14.5 25.0 22.6 17.6 177.4
Mean monthly sunshine hours
176.7 182.7 176.7 177.0 158.1 132.0 117.8 89.90 96.00 111.6 135.0 167.4 1,720.9
Source: World Meteorological Organization (UN),[6] Hong Kong Observatory[7]
See also[edit]
Geography portal
1st parallel north
1st parallel south
Antarctic Circle
Arctic Circle
Coriolis effect
Intertropical Convergence Zone
Prime Meridian
Thermal equator
Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Capricorn
References[edit]
Jump up ^ "Equator". National Geographic - Education. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
Jump up ^ Instituto Geográfico Militar de Ecuador (24 January 2005). "Memoria Técnica de la Determinación de la Latitud Cero" (in Spanish).
Jump up ^ "Weather Information for Macapa".
Jump up ^ Climatological Information for Macapa, Brazil - Hong Kong Observatory
Jump up ^ "Weather Information for Pontianak".
Jump up ^ "Weather Information for Libreville".
Jump up ^ Climatological Information for Libreville, Gabon - Hong Kong Observatory
Sources[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Equator.
Moritz, H (September 1980). "Geodetic Reference System 1980". Bulletin Géodésique. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. 54 (3): 395–405. Bibcode:1980BGeod..54..395M. doi:10.1007/BF02521480. (IUGG/WGS-84 data)
Taff, Laurence G (1981). Computational Spherical Astronomy. New York: Wiley. ISBN 0-471-06257-X. OCLC 6532537. (IAU data)
[show]
v
t
e
Circles of latitude / Meridians
Equator
Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Capricorn
Arctic Circle
Antarctic Circle
Equator
Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Capricorn
Arctic Circle
Antarctic Circle
Equator
Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Capricorn
Arctic Circle
Antarctic Circle
W 0° E
30°
60°
90°
120°
150°
180°
30°
60°
90°
120°
150°
180°
5°
15°
25°
35°
45°
55°
65°
75°
85°
95°
105°
115°
125°
135°
145°
155°
165°
175°
5°
15°
25°
35°
45°
55°
65°
75°
85°
95°
105°
115°
125°
135°
145°
155°
165°
175°
10°
20°
40°
50°
70°
80°
100°
110°
130°
140°
160°
170°
10°
20°
40°
50°
70°
80°
100°
110°
130°
140°
160°
170°
0°
10°
20°
30°
40°
50°
60°
70°
80°
90°
10°
20°
30°
40°
50°
60°
70°
80°
90°
5° N
15°
25°
35°
45°
55°
65°
75°
85°
5° S
15°
25°
35°
45°
55°
65°
75°
85°
45x90
45x90
45x90
45x90
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Equator&oldid=815711389"
Categories:
Celestial coordinate system
Lines of latitude
Geodesy
Tropics
Hidden categories:
CS1 Spanish-language sources (es)
Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages
All articles with unsourced statements
Articles with unsourced statements from April 2017
Articles with unsourced statements from March 2012
Articles with unsourced statements from January 2015
Lists of coordinates
Geographic coordinate lists
Articles with Geo
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
In other projects
Wikimedia Commons
Languages
Afrikaans
Alemannisch
العربية
Aragonés
অসমীয়া
Asturianu
Azərbaycanca
تۆرکجه
বাংলা
Bân-lâm-gú
Basa Banyumasan
Башҡортса
Беларуская
Беларуская (тарашкевіца)
भोजपुरी
Български
Bosanski
Brezhoneg
Català
Чӑвашла
Cebuano
Čeština
ChiShona
Cymraeg
Dansk
Davvisámegiella
Deutsch
Dolnoserbski
Eesti
Ελληνικά
Español
Esperanto
Euskara
فارسی
Føroyskt
Français
Frysk
Furlan
Gaeilge
Galego
한국어
Հայերեն
हिन्दी
Hornjoserbsce
Hrvatski
Ido
Ilokano
Bahasa Indonesia
Íslenska
Italiano
עברית
Basa Jawa
ಕನ್ನಡ
ქართული
Қазақша
Kiswahili
Kreyòl ayisyen
Kurdî
Кыргызча
ລາວ
Latina
Latviešu
Lëtzebuergesch
Lietuvių
Limburgs
Lingála
Lumbaart
Magyar
Македонски
Malagasy
മലയാളം
मराठी
მარგალური
Bahasa Melayu
Mìng-dĕ̤ng-ngṳ̄
Монгол
မြန်မာဘာသာ
Nederlands
नेपाली
日本語
Nordfriisk
Norsk
Norsk nynorsk
Occitan
Oʻzbekcha/ўзбекча
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ
پنجابی
ភាសាខ្មែរ
Plattdüütsch
Polski
Português
Română
Runa Simi
Русский
Саха тыла
Sardu
Scots
Shqip
Sicilianu
සිංහල
Simple English
Slovenčina
Slovenščina
Ślůnski
Soomaaliga
کوردی
Српски / srpski
Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски
Basa Sunda
Suomi
Svenska
Tagalog
தமிழ்
Татарча/tatarça
తెలుగు
ไทย
Türkçe
Українська
اردو
Vèneto
Tiếng Việt
West-Vlams
Winaray
Wolof
吴语
ייִדיש
粵語
Žemaitėška
中文
Edit links
This page was last edited on 16 December 2017, at 16:25.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

values:
/wiki/Equator_(disambiguation)
mw-disambig
Equator (disambiguation)

values:
note
hatnote navigation-not-searchable

values:
/wiki/File:Earthmap1000x500compac.jpg
image
Line across the Earth

values: position:absolute;z-index:3;border-top: 1px solid red;height:1px;left:0;right:0

value: span

values: position: absolute; z-index: 4; top: -1.5em; left: 25%; width: 50%; text-align: center

value: b

attrs: class style

values:
/wiki/Plane_(mathematics)
mw-redirect
Plane (mathematics)

values:
/wiki/Polar_Circle
mw-redirect
Polar Circle

values: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (April 2017)

values:
noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact
white-space:nowrap;

values: International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics

values: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (March 2012)

values: Edit section: Crossing-the-Equator ceremonies

values:
/wiki/Neptune_(god)
mw-redirect
Neptune (god)

values: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (January 2015)

values: Edit section: Equatorial countries and territories

values:
/wiki/GPS_eXchange_Format
mw-redirect
GPS eXchange Format

values: width: 23em; font-size: 88%; line-height: 1.5em

values:
/wiki/Prime_Meridian
mw-redirect
Prime Meridian

values: Maps, aerial photos, and other data for this location

values:
/wiki/Isabela_Island_(Ecuador)
mw-redirect
Isabela Island (Ecuador)

values:
/wiki/Annob%C3%B3n_Province
mw-redirect
Annobón Province

values: Edit section: Equatorial seasons and climate

values:
/wiki/Effect_of_sun_angle_on_climate
mw-redirect
Effect of sun angle on climate

attrs: alt src width height class data-file-width data-file-height

values:
/wiki/Arctic_winter
mw-redirect
Arctic winter

values:
/wiki/Earth%27s_atmosphere
mw-redirect
Earth's atmosphere

values:
/wiki/Volc%C3%A1n_Cayambe
mw-redirect
Volcán Cayambe

values: background: #FFBB33; color:#000000; border-left-width:medium

values: background: #FFCC33; color:#000000; border-left-width:medium

values: background: #FFFFAA; color:#000000; border-left-width:medium

values: background: #00B800; color:#FFFFFF; border-left-width:medium

values: background: #2A2AFF; color:#FFFFFF; border-left-width:medium

values: background: #D7D700; color:#000000; border-left-width:medium

values: width:90%; text-align:center; font-size:90%; line-height: 1.2em; margin:auto;

values: background: #006900; color:#FFFFFF; border-left-width:medium

values: background: #0505FF; color:#FFFFFF; border-left-width:medium

values: background: #FFFF88; color:#000000; border-left-width:medium

values: background: #009600; color:#FFFFFF; border-left-width:medium

values: background: #4545FF; color:#FFFFFF; border-left-width:medium

values: background: #C2C218; color:#000000; border-left-width:medium

values: display:table-cell;padding:0.2em 0.2em 0.2em 0.3em;vertical-align:middle

values: margin:0.5em 0 0.5em 1em;border:solid #aaa 1px

values:
/wiki/Coriolis_effect
mw-redirect
Coriolis effect

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

values:
nofollow
external text
//doi.org/10.1007%2FBF02521480

values:
nofollow
external text
//www.worldcat.org/oclc/6532537

attrs: alt src width height data-file-width data-file-height

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:350.4px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:415.2px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:476.4px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:534px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:591.6px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:652.8px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:714px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:296.4px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:235.2px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:174px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:112.8px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:53.4px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-6px; top:-13.04px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:368.4px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:386.4px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:408px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:426px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:444px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:465.6px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:487.2px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:505.2px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:526.8px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:544.8px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:562.8px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:584.4px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:602.4px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:624px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:642px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:663.6px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:681.6px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:703.2px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:346.8px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:325.2px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:307.2px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:285.6px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:264px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:246px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:224.4px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:206.4px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:184.8px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:166.8px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:145.2px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:123.6px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:102px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:84px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:62.4px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:44.4px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:22.8px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:4.8px; top:-22.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:375.6px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:397.2px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:433.2px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:454.8px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:494.4px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:516px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:552px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:573.6px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:613.2px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:634.8px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:674.4px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:692.4px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:336px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:318px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:274.8px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:253.2px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:217.2px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:195.6px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:152.4px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:134.4px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:94.8px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:73.2px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:33.6px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:12px; top:-11.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-13.2px; top:175.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-13.2px; top:154px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-13.2px; top:136px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-13.2px; top:114.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-13.2px; top:96.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-13.2px; top:74.8px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-13.2px; top:56.8px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-13.2px; top:35.2px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-13.2px; top:13.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-13.2px; top:-4.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-13.2px; top:197.2px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-13.2px; top:215.2px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-13.2px; top:236.8px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-13.2px; top:254.8px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-13.2px; top:276.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-13.2px; top:294.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-13.2px; top:316px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-13.2px; top:337.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-13.2px; top:355.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-27.6px; top:164.08px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-27.6px; top:146.8px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-27.6px; top:125.2px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-27.6px; top:103.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-27.6px; top:85.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-27.6px; top:65.8px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-27.6px; top:44.2px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-27.6px; top:24.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-27.6px; top:4.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-27.6px; top:186.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-27.6px; top:204.4px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-27.6px; top:226px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-27.6px; top:244px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-27.6px; top:265.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-27.6px; top:283.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-27.6px; top:305.2px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-27.6px; top:326.8px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:-27.6px; top:344.8px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:170.4px; top:85.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:530.4px; top:85.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:170.4px; top:265.6px

values: position:absolute; font-size:85%; left:530.4px; top:265.6px

values: padding:0em 0.25em padding: 2.5em 9em 0em 3em; font-size:80%; margin:0 auto; text-align:left; width:720px; width: 720px; line-height: 1; text-align: center; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; max-width: 100%; overflow-x: auto;

values: nowraplinks collapsible collapsed navbox-inner

values: Category:CS1 Spanish-language sources (es)

values: Category:Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages

values: Category:All articles with unsourced statements

values: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from April 2017

values: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from March 2012

values: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from January 2015

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/Equator
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values:
/w/index.php?title=Equator&action=edit
Edit this page [ctrl-alt-e]
e

values: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

values: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

values: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

values: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

values: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

values: Permanent link to this revision of the page

values: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

values: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

values:
https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ewenaar
Ewenaar – Afrikaans
af
af
interlanguage-link-target

values: خط الاستواء – Arabic

values:
https://an.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equador
Equador – Aragonese
an
an
interlanguage-link-target

values: বিষুৱ ৰেখা – Assamese

values:
https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekvator
Ekvator – Azerbaijani
az
az
interlanguage-link-target

values: নিরক্ষরেখা – Bangla

values: Экватор – Bashkir

values: Роўнік – Belarusian (Taraškievica orthography)

values: बिसुवत रेखा – Bhojpuri

values:
https://bs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekvator
Ekvator – Bosnian
bs
bs
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://br.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keheder
Keheder – Breton
br
br
interlanguage-link-target

values: Экватор – Chuvash

values:
https://ceb.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekwador
Ekwador – Cebuano
ceb
ceb
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://cy.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyhydedd
Cyhydedd – Welsh
cy
cy
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://dsb.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekwator
Ekwator – Lower Sorbian
dsb
dsb
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekvaator
Ekvaator – Estonian
et
et
interlanguage-link-target

values: Ισημερινός – Greek

values:
https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekvatoro
Ekvatoro – Esperanto
eo
eo
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekuatore
Ekuatore – Basque
eu
eu
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://fy.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evener
Evener – Western Frisian
fy
fy
interlanguage-link-target

values: Հասարակած – Armenian

values: भूमध्य रेखा – Hindi

values:
https://hsb.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekwator
Ekwator – Upper Sorbian
hsb
hsb
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekvator
Ekvator – Croatian
hr
hr
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://io.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equatoro
Equatoro – Ido
io
io
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://ilo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekuador
Ekuador – Iloko
ilo
ilo
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equatore
Equatore – Italian
it
it
interlanguage-link-target

values: קו המשווה – Hebrew

values: ವಿಷುವದ್ರೇಖೆ – Kannada

values: ეკვატორი – Georgian

values: Экватор – Kazakh

values:
https://sw.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikweta
Ikweta – Swahili
sw
sw
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://ku.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekvator
Ekvator – Kurdish
ku
ku
interlanguage-link-target

values: Экватор – Kyrgyz

values: ເສັ້ນສູນສູດ – Lao

values:
https://lv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekvators
Ekvators – Latvian
lv
lv
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://lb.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equator
Equator – Luxembourgish
lb
lb
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pusiaujas
Pusiaujas – Lithuanian
lt
lt
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://li.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aevener
Aevener – Limburgish
li
li
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://lmo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equatur
Equatur – Lombard
lmo
lmo
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://mg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fehibe
Fehibe – Malagasy
mg
mg
interlanguage-link-target

values: ഭൂമദ്ധ്യരേഖ – Malayalam

values: विषुववृत्त – Marathi

values: အီကွေတာ – Burmese

values:
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evenaar
Evenaar – Dutch
nl
nl
interlanguage-link-target

values: भूमध्य रेखा (भूगोल) – Nepali

values:
https://frr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekwaator
Ekwaator – Northern Frisian
frr
frr
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekvator
Ekvator – Norwegian
no
no
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://nn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekvator
Ekvator – Norwegian Nynorsk
nn
nn
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://uz.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekvator
Ekvator – Uzbek
uz
uz
interlanguage-link-target

values: ਭੂ-ਮੱਧ ਰੇਖਾ – Punjabi

values: ខ្សែអេក្វាទ័រ – Khmer

values:
https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecuator
Ecuator – Romanian
ro
ro
interlanguage-link-target

values: Экватор – Russian

values: Экватор – Sakha

values:
https://sc.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecuadore
Ecuadore – Sardinian
sc
sc
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://sco.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equator
Equator – Scots
sco
sco
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://sq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekuatori
Ekuatori – Albanian
sq
sq
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekvator
Ekvator – Slovenian
sl
sl
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://so.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhulbare
Dhulbare – Somali
so
so
interlanguage-link-target

values: Екватор – Serbian

values:
https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekvator
Ekvator – Serbo-Croatian
sh
sh
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekvator
Ekvator – Swedish
sv
sv
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://tl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekwador
Ekwador – Tagalog
tl
tl
interlanguage-link-target

values: நிலநடுக் கோடு – Tamil

values:
https://tt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekvator
Ekvator – Tatar
tt
tt
interlanguage-link-target

values: భూమధ్య రేఖ – Telugu

values: เส้นศูนย์สูตร – Thai

values:
https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekvator
Ekvator – Turkish
tr
tr
interlanguage-link-target

values: خط استوا – Urdu

values:
https://vec.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equatore
Equatore – Venetian
vec
vec
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://vls.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eevnoare
Eevnoare – West Flemish
vls
vls
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://war.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekwador
Ekwador – Waray
war
war
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://wo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamoo
Yamoo – Wolof
wo
wo
interlanguage-link-target

values: עקוואטאר – Yiddish

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Equator rootpage-Equator skin-vector action-view


text:
Olive Garden
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Olive Garden
Type
Wholly owned subsidiary
Industry
Restaurant
Genre
Casual dining
Founded
December 13, 1982; 35 years ago (1982-12-13)
Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Founder
Bill Darden
Headquarters
1000 Darden Center Drive
Orlando, Florida, U.S. 32837
Number of locations
844 (worldwide)
Key people
Dave George
(President of Olive Garden)
Dan Kiernan
(Executive Vice President of Operations, Olive Garden)
Products
Italian cuisine
(pasta • salads • chicken • seafood • breadsticks)
Parent
General Mills (1982–1995)
Darden Restaurants
(1995–present)
Website
olivegarden.com
Logo used until July 9, 2014
Olive Garden is an American casual dining restaurant chain specializing in Italian-American cuisine. It is a subsidiary of Darden Restaurants, Inc., which is headquartered in unincorporated Orange County, Florida, in Orlando.[1] As of January 11, 2016, Olive Garden operates 844 locations globally and accounts for $3.8 billion of the $6.9 billion revenue of parent Darden.[2]
The Olive Garden restaurant in Times Square, New York City
Contents
[hide]
1 History
2 Advertising and marketing
3 Locations
4 Cuisine
5 Criticism
5.1 Tuscan Institute
5.2 Activist investor critique
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
History[edit]
Olive Garden started as a unit of General Mills Inc. The first Olive Garden was opened on December 13, 1982, in Orlando. By 1989, there were 145 Olive Garden restaurants, making it the fastest-growing units in the General Mills restaurant division. Olive Garden restaurants were uniformly popular, and the chain's per-store sales soon matched former sister company Red Lobster. The company eventually became the largest chain of Italian-themed full-service restaurants in the United States.
General Mills spun off its restaurant holdings as Darden Restaurants (named for Red Lobster founder Bill Darden), a stand-alone company, in 1995. Olive Garden is Darden's most value-oriented chain with an average 2009 check per person of $15.00 (USD) versus over $90 (USD) at its sibling Capital Grille.[3]
Brad Blum, a former president of Olive Garden, said that sales in existing restaurants sharply decreased, with a 12% decline occurring at one point, even though the company was quickly establishing new restaurants.[4] Sandra Pedicini of the Orlando Sentinel said that "Darden reinvented the Olive Garden in the 1990s, from a floundering chain into an industry star."[4]
As part of a February 2011, Darden analyst conference, the parent group announced it intended to add more than 200 Olive Garden locations in the following few years.[5] The announcement came after a previous announcement that the company would be expanding into potential new international markets for the chain, including the Middle East and Asia, due to the maturity of the North American market. The company also announced it would begin licensing franchising partnerships, a new direction for the chain and its parent which had traditionally relied on expansion via company-owned locations exclusively.[6]
Parent company Darden also announced it was going to begin co-locating Olive Garden and sibling chain Red Lobster locations. The new format stores are designed for smaller market locations and will have separate entrances and dining areas but operate a single kitchen and support areas. The dining areas of the new format will be half the standard area found in more traditional Darden chains, but the actual building will be larger than stand-alone operations of the chain. Menus will also remain separate, with customers only able to order from the location they are seated in.[7] In 2014, Darden Restaurants announced intentions to sell Red Lobster, therefore closing two Olive Garden and Red Lobster co-locations in Georgia and South Carolina, and converting the remaining four co-locations into stand-alone Olive Garden restaurants.
In 2010, Olive Garden generated $3.3 billion in sales. Its closest competitor, Carrabba's Italian Grill, had generated $650.5 million in sales during the same year. By 2012, sales had decreased at Olive Garden. At the final quarter of 2011, sales at established Olive Garden locations had decreased by 2.5%. Chris Muller, the dean of the hospitality school of Boston University and a former restaurant professor at the University of Florida, said "What does Olive Garden stand for now? I don't know what it stands for."[4] The Darden president and chief operating officer, said that Olive Garden at that point was "a beloved, but somewhat expected brand."[4] The company unveiled a three course meal for $12.95 offer in an effort to try to stop the decline.[8]
In 2011, Olive Garden implemented a mandatory tip-out program which enabled them to cut more employees' hourly wage to $2.13 an hour.[9] In October 2012, Olive Garden became one of the first national restaurant chains to test converting most of its staff to part-time, aiming to limit the cost of paying for health care benefits for full-time employees.[9]
On July 9, 2014, Olive Garden launched a new logo and restaurant design. This included the addition of online ordering and smaller lunch portions.[10]
Advertising and marketing[edit]
Olive Garden's original slogan was "Good Times, Great Salad, Olive Garden". This was used while their main advertising focus was unlimited salad. When soup and bread sticks were added onto the unlimited menu item, the slogan was changed to "When you're here, you're family". The new company slogan started in early 2013 is "We're all family here".
In the fall of 2013, Olive Garden started a promotion for the "Never Ending Pasta Bowl", where customers can eat all the pasta they want for $9.99. During the event, the restaurant served over 13 million bowls of pasta. In 2014, the restaurant continued the promotion but added the "Never Ending Pasta Pass", where customers can eat all the pasta they wanted during a seven-week period for $99. This promotion was limited to the first 1000 people to purchase the pass online.[11] The Pasta Pass promotion was again offered in fall 2015, 2016, and 2017.
Locations[edit]
As of March 22, 2013, the company operates 818 restaurants globally.[12] There are six locations in Canada, which are Winnipeg, Manitoba (two); Calgary, Alberta; Edmonton, Alberta (two); and Langley, British Columbia near Vancouver.[citation needed] In the 1990s, there had been at various times between 10 and 15 locations in Ontario, but they were all closed in the early 2000s.
Newer restaurants are styled after a farmhouse in the town of Castellina in Chianti, Tuscany, on the grounds of the Rocca delle Macie winery.[13] The farmhouse is home to the Riserva di Fizzano restaurant adjoining the company's Culinary Institute of Tuscany which was founded in 1999.[3][13][14]
In late 2012, two restaurants were opened in Mexico City: Interlomas and Reforma Ave. Currently, there are four restaurants in Mexico City, two in Monterrey, Nuevo León, and one in León, Guanajuato.
In 2013, Olive Garden opened in Kuwait. It is located in The Avenues. In 2014, Olive Garden opened in Lima, Peru under the name Olive Italian Restaurant but with the same menu of the original name restaurants, and it is also located in a main avenue.
In 2014, Brazil received its first restaurant, which opened in terminal 3 of the Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo.[15][16]
In May 2015, Olive Garden opened its first restaurant at Mid Valley Megamall in Malaysia.
As of May 2016, an Olive Garden restaurant is being built in Ecuador's biggest shopping mall, El Dorado, located in Guayaquil.[17]
Cuisine[edit]
Olive Garden serves several types of Italian-American cuisine including pasta dishes, steaks, and salads. The company advertises its breadstick product and centers its lunch menu around it. Additionally, the company advertises that its soups are made fresh in each location daily instead of importing them from a commissary or outside vendor.[14]
In June 2010, Olive Garden began to import parts of menu formats from its sibling chain, Seasons 52; it began selling smaller desserts portions which it called "dolcini". These new products were modeled after Season-52's "mini-indulgences" product line.[18]
Criticism[edit]
Tuscan Institute[edit]
Despite Olive Garden's advertising that it has a cooking institute in Tuscany, news outlets have reported that, in fact, there is no institute or school. Olive Garden does send a number of managers, trainers, and cooks to Tuscany each year, but they stay in a rented hotel and spend only a few hours at a local restaurant in its off-season.[19][20][21][22]
Activist investor critique[edit]
In September 2014, Starboard Value, an activist hedge fund that had acquired a significant portion of Darden's stock and was challenging Darden's management, released a 294-slide presentation assembled by its founder Jeff Smith, that focused on ways the company was wasting money and failing to satisfy customers. Chief among them was the shortcomings of Olive Garden, which earned considerable media attention. Starboard claimed they justified replacing Darden's directors in an upcoming election with a slate sponsored by the hedge fund.[23]
It cited details such as the unlimited breadsticks the chain offered diners, of which too many went to waste since they tended to go stale, Smith claimed, and paying extra for custom-length straws. The chain's menu was too complex, with some of its 96 items[23] making no sense, such as vegetable lasagna topped with chicken ("if you wanted meat on your lasagna, you would order the meat lasagna" the slide read). The chain also had stopped the common practice of adding salt to the water in which it cooked its pasta in order to secure longer warranties on the pots, which had Smith incredulous. "Pasta is Olive Garden's core dish and must be cooked properly." He included photos of poorly executed dishes purchased at Olive Gardens compared with the photos on the chain's website, along with quotes from online reviews posted by disappointed customers.[24]
Darden's management responded with a much shorter presentation two days later. Without going into specifics, it conceded most of Starboard's critique was valid and that the company was already responding to those issues. It defended the unlimited breadsticks policy as "convey[ing] Italian hospitality" and rebutted another claim the hedge fund had made: packaging for take-out food which the hedge fund had claimed was dishwasher-safe and thus needlessly expensive was in fact, merely microwave-safe.[25] Nevertheless, a month later shareholders voted to replace the company's entire board of directors with Starboard's slate, an outcome described as an "epic fail" that happened very rarely.[26]
See also[edit]
List of Italian restaurants
References[edit]
Jump up ^ Darden Restaurants, Inc. (May 29, 2011). "FY 2011 10-K". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Retrieved April 12, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Darden FY16 Second Quarter Investor Presentation" (PDF). Darden Restaurants, Inc. 11 January 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
^ Jump up to: a b Wong, Elaine (6 October 2009). "Why 'Deep Discounting' Is Not Always the Winning Recipe". Brandweek. p. 1. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
^ Jump up to: a b c d Pedicini, Sandra. "Olive Garden tries to woo back customers after falling into a rut." McClatchy-Tribune Newspapers at Chicago Tribune. January 23, 2012. Retrieved on January 24, 2012. Archived January 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
Jump up ^ Jennings, Lisa (2 February 2011). "Analyst targets possible Darden acquisitions". Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
Jump up ^ Ruggless, Ron (20 October 2010). "Darden aims for growth abroad". Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
Jump up ^ Pedicini, Sandra (24 January 2011). "Darden Restaurants tests combo Olive Garden/Red Lobster for smaller markets". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
Jump up ^ Pedicini, Sandra (23 January 2012). "Olive Garden unveils $12.95 three-course meal". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
^ Jump up to: a b Choi, Candice; Alonso-Zaldivar, Ricardo (12 September 2012). "Darden Restaurants Tests Hiring Of More Part-Time Employees To Avoid Obamacare Costs". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
Jump up ^ Lanks, Belinda. "Olive Garden's Redesign Bids Farewell to Fake Old-World Charm". Bloomberg Newsweek. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
Jump up ^ Bajekal, Naina (8 September 2014). "Olive Garden Introduces the 'Never Ending Pasta Pass'". Time. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
Jump up ^ "Darden Third Quarter Report FY13" (Press release). Darden. 22 March 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
^ Jump up to: a b Prewitt, Milford (1 November 1999). "Olive Garden plants roots in Tuscany, opens culinary school". Nation's Restaurant News. p. 1. Retrieved 4 March 2011. [dead link]
^ Jump up to: a b Dickerman, Sara (6 September 2002). "Battle of the Middlebrow Chains". Slate. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
Jump up ^ Lorençato, Arnaldo (15 March 2014). "Olive Garden é novidade no Aeroporto de Guarulhos". p. 1. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
Jump up ^ "Olive Garden Brasil". Retrieved 13 August 2014.
Jump up ^ UNIVERSO, EL. "Se abrió un nuevo Riocentro en La Aurora". El Universo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2016-05-10.
Jump up ^ Pedicini, Sandra (29 June 2010). "Olive Garden menu changes include Seasons 52-style mini-desserts". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
Jump up ^ Travierso, Michele (15 April 2011). "What Actually Goes On at Olive Garden's 'Culinary Institute' in Tuscany?". Time. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
Jump up ^ Best, Jason (2011-04-14). "The Truth Behind Olive Garden's "Tuscan" Cooking School". Slashfood. Archived from the original on May 29, 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-08.
Jump up ^ "Petty controversy: Olive Garden's 'outrageous' cooking school sham". The Week. 21 April 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
Jump up ^ Abramovitch, Seth (20 April 2011). "Olive Garden's Culinary Institute is a Sham". Gawker.com. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
^ Jump up to: a b Wiesenthal, Joe (September 13, 2014). "We've Just Witnessed The First True Masterpiece Of The Modern Hedge Fund Era". Business Insider. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
Jump up ^ Wiesenthal, Joe (September 13, 2014). "Hedge Fund Manager Publishes Dizzying 294-Slide Presentation Exposing How Olive Garden Wastes Money And Fails Customers". Business Insider. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
Jump up ^ Udland, Myles (September 15, 2014). "Olive Garden Issues A Response To A Devastating Presentation". Business Insider. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
Jump up ^ Patton, Leslie (October 10, 2014). "Starboard Wins All Seats on Darden's Board". Bloomberg News. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
External links[edit]
Official website
[hide]
v
t
e
Darden Restaurants
Holdings
The Capital Grille
Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen
Bahama Breeze
Eddie V's Prime Seafood
LongHorn Steakhouse
Olive Garden
Seasons 52
Yard House
Divested
Smokey Bones
York Steak House
Red Lobster
Defunct
China Coast
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Olive_Garden&oldid=810740421"
Categories:
Companies based in Orlando, Florida
Restaurants established in 1982
Darden Restaurants brands
Restaurant chains in the United States
Italian restaurants
1982 establishments in Florida
Hidden categories:
Webarchive template wayback links
All articles with dead external links
Articles with dead external links from September 2014
CS1 Spanish-language sources (es)
Pages using deprecated image syntax
All articles with unsourced statements
Articles with unsourced statements from January 2012
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
Deutsch
Español
Français
한국어
Italiano
मराठी
Nederlands
Português
Русский
Simple English
Suomi
Svenska
Edit links
This page was last edited on 17 November 2017, at 03:53.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

value: caption

attrs: colspan class style

values: 2 logo text-align:center

value: th

attrs: scope style

values:
/wiki/Wholly_owned_subsidiary
mw-redirect
Wholly owned subsidiary

values:
/wiki/Casual_dining
mw-redirect
Casual dining

values:
/wiki/Chicken_(food)
mw-redirect
Chicken (food)

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.olivegarden.com

values:
/wiki/Restaurant_chain
mw-redirect
Restaurant chain

values:
/wiki/Darden_Restaurants,_Inc.
mw-redirect
Darden Restaurants, Inc.

values:
/wiki/Red_Lobster_(restaurant)
mw-redirect
Red Lobster (restaurant)

values:
/wiki/United_States_Dollar
mw-redirect
United States Dollar

values:
/wiki/Capital_Grille
mw-redirect
Capital Grille

values:
/wiki/Calgary,_Alberta
mw-redirect
Calgary, Alberta

values:
/wiki/Edmonton,_Alberta
mw-redirect
Edmonton, Alberta

values: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (January 2012)

values:
noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact
white-space:nowrap;

values:
/wiki/Guarulhos_International_Airport
mw-redirect
Guarulhos International Airport

values: Edit section: Activist investor critique

values:
/wiki/Corporate_director
mw-redirect
Corporate director

values:
nofollow
http://www.slate.com/id/2070456/
external text

values:
nofollow
https://www.facebook.com/olivegardenbr/
external text

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

values:
nofollow
http://www.olivegarden.com/
external text

values:
/wiki/Smokey_Bones
mw-redirect
Smokey Bones

values: nowraplinks hlist collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values: Category:Companies based in Orlando, Florida

values: Category:Restaurants established in 1982

values: Category:Restaurant chains in the United States

values: Category:Webarchive template wayback links

values: Category:All articles with dead external links

values: Category:Articles with dead external links from September 2014

values: Category:CS1 Spanish-language sources (es)

values: Category:Pages using deprecated image syntax

values: Category:All articles with unsourced statements

values: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from January 2012

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/Olive_Garden
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

values: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

values: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

values: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

values: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

values: Permanent link to this revision of the page

values: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

values: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

values:
uls-settings-trigger
Language settings
0
button
true

values: 올리브 가든 – Korean

values: ऑलिव्ह गार्डन – Marathi

values: Olive Garden (сеть ресторанов) – Russian

values: /static/images/wikimedia-button-1.5x.png 1.5x, /static/images/wikimedia-button-2x.png 2x

values: /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x

values:
suggestions
display: none; font-size: 13px;

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Olive_Garden rootpage-Olive_Garden skin-vector action-view