Cardinal directions or cardinal points are the four main directions or points of the compass : north , east , south and west . The four cardinal directions or cardinal points are the directions of north , south , east , and west , commonly denoted by their initials : N , S , E , W. East and west are at right angles to north and south , with east being in the direction of rotation and west being directly opposite . Intermediate points between the four cardinal directions form the points of the compass .