The Island Map

Although Rousseau’s compass isn’t drawn with geometric precision, we can still use it to create a more detailed compass rose for The Island. The variance marked on her map is very close to 23 degrees. This, of course, makes perfect sense in the LOST universe, given that 23 is one of the Numbers.

This compass rose also contains notations for two important bearings, 305 and 325, which have been mentioned several times in dialogue. We’ll discuss the significance of these bearings in the next post.

The Compass Variance

Using the sun’s rising and setting as an indicator for due east and west, Sayid observes that compasses on The Island don’t point due north. The variance would appear to be confirmed by Rousseau’s map. The compass rose she has drawn on her map has a line drawn through it, as well as a parallel line and arrow with a notation containing “var.” We can assume that Rousseau has also noticed this phenomenon, and that the “var” stands for “variance.”