  We consider the following questions: given a hyperbolic plane domain and a
separation of its complement into two disjoint closed sets each of which
contains at least two points, what is the shortest closed hyperbolic geodesic
which separates these sets and is it a simple closed curve? We show that a
shortest curve always exists although in general it may not be simple. However,
one can also always find a shortest simple curve and we call such a geodesic a
\emph{meridian} of the domain. Meridians generalize to domains of higher
connectivity the notion of the equator of an annulus as the shortest geodesic
which separates the complement. We show that although they are not in general
uniquely defined, if one of the sets of the separation of the complement is
connected, then they are unique and are also the shortest possible closed
curves which separate the complement in this fashion.
