Many people wonder what Greenwich is. Periodically, you can hear this word when it comes to time zones. However, "greenwich" is a term associated not only with time. He has several meanings, which will be interesting to learn about. And yet, more often than not, people associate Greenwich with a time reference point. Now it’s worth moving on to considering all the meanings of this unusual word.
Greenwich is ... What does the word greenwich mean?
So, let's move on to a detailed study of this term. As mentioned above, one of the interpretations of the word "greenwich" is the place from which the counting of time zones across the planet begins. Greenwich Mean Time (or, as it is also called, Greenwich Mean Time) is the average value of the solar time of the meridian that passes through the place where the Royal Greenwich Observatory was previously located. It was located near London. Greenwich Mean Time is GMT, which means Greenwich Mean Time. Until 1972, GMT was taken as a reference point for other time zones.
Other meanings of the word greenwich
Thus, we examined the question of what Greenwich is. However, the interpretation associated with time zones is far from all the information about this place. There is also a historic suburb in London called Royal Borough Greenwich. It is worth talking in more detail about what it is. This place is rightfully considered the "sea gate" of the city and has a rather rich history, since it has been connected with the British fleet since ancient times. Now Greenwich has earned the title of one of the most prestigious areas of London. If we talk about the place where Greenwich is located, it is important to note that it is located in the historical district in southeast London, on the right bank of the River Thames. This place is famous not only for its rich history, but also for the fact that it is here that the reference point of longitude and, as mentioned above, time zones is located. Among the attractions in the area you can see the Royal Greenwich Observatory, the Royal Maritime Hospital, Greenwich Park and even the monument to Yuri Gagarin. Interestingly, the Greenwich Peninsula also belongs to this area, which is worth talking about separately.
Greenwich Peninsula
It turns out that Greenwich is not just a district of London, but even a whole peninsula. This peninsula belongs to the region of the same name in South London. Its dimensions are about 1,500 by 900 meters. The highest point above sea level is 17 meters. The peninsula appeared in the 16th century. It is especially interesting that it was created artificially by means of a drainage operation. It was produced by Dutch engineers. The goal of this transformation was to create a pasture field. In the middle of the XIX century, several factories for the production of guns, the manufacture of chemicals and steel smelting functioned here. Later, in the 20th century, a large gas station operated on the peninsula. For a long period of time, it was considered the largest in Europe. However, natural gas reserves were discovered in the North Sea, and the station was closed as unnecessary. As of 2014, it can be noted that the peninsula has been completely put in order, new roads have been laid here, as well as residential buildings and office buildings. The main attractions of the peninsula are the Greenwich Meridian, the famous sculpture "Quantum Cloud" and the Millennium Dome.
Royal Greenwich Observatory
It is worth talking about such an interesting object as the Royal Greenwich Observatory. When wondering what a greenwich is, people often recall this observatory as well. As you know, this is the main astronomical organization in the UK. It is funded by the government. The observatory was founded back in 1675, during the reign of King Charles II. It served mainly to clarify important coordinates for sailors.
The Royal Greenwich Observatory operated for many centuries, but in 1953, most of it was moved to the Herstmonceau Castle. Now in the buildings of the Greenwich Observatory a museum of navigation and astronomical instruments is open. Here you can see many interesting exhibits. Here you can also get acquainted in detail with the history of the development of various time measuring instruments that were used in astronomy and marine navigation. Summing up, we can conclude that Greenwich is not only the place from which the countdown begins, but also the area, the peninsula, which has great historical and scientific significance.