Interactive map shows where you'd pop up if you dug straight through the Earth

Have you ever wondered where you'd end up if you dug a tunnel straight through the Earth from your backyard? Now you can find out.

Since the Earth is round, if you dug a hole right through it, you'll end up in a completely different location.

For people in the USA, they think it's China, the UK think it's Australia and Australians think it's somewhere in Europe.

But our childhood ideas of what would happen if we dug through planet Earth with a jackhammer are about to get squashed as an interactive map reveals the truth.

The map on antipodesmap.com allows users to pick any point in the world and see what lies directly downwards.

You simply click a point on the map on the left hand side of your screen and you see a guy's head pop out on the exact opposite location on the other side of the world on the right-hand map.

A much more convenient way of discovering what's on the opposite side of the Earth than digging through it if you ask me.

And depending on where you are, the location changes.

AntipodesMap.com

People in the UK embarking on the epic journey Down Under would, in fact, be greeted with a watery welcome off the coast of New Zealand.

For those starting in Australia, they too would be met by endless ocean, completely stranded in the heart of the North Atlantic.

Start tunnelling through Manhattan's subways and you'll also find yourself surrounded by ocean, not too far off the coast of Perth.

An antipode of any location is the spot on Earth directly beneath it on the globe - with longtitude and latitude coordinates combined to specify the position on Earth.

And, along with the handy interactive map, the creator has provided a list of cities that are antipodes of other major cities.

AntipodesMap.com

Mainland UK has no exact antipode cities, no matter from where you bore down, but New Zealand's largest city Christchurch is an exact antipode of A Coruna in Spain.

Digging down from Spain's capital of Madrid would lead you to Weber in New Zealand as the two cities are exact antipodes.

Go further afield from the UK's shores to Adamstown, an island in the UK-controlled Pitcairns, and that's the only exact antipode you'll find with a purple passport - you'll arrive somewhere near Doha, Qatar.

Spot of Formula 1, anyone?

Below you can find a shortened list of some of the major cities which are exact antipodes on the globe.

• Wellington (New Zealand) -- Alaejos (Spain)
• Hong Kong (China) -- La Quiaca (Argentina)
• Nelson (New Zealand) -- Mogadouro (Portugal)
• Whangarei (New Zealand) -- Tangier (Morocco)

So, before you start digging in your back garden like a character from The Simpsons, double check to see where you'd find yourself.

You'll want to pack the appropriate clothing for your final destination.