To learn more about latitude, longitude and other geographic concepts, pick up our Discovering Maps book. To buy this item online click here or browse our complete catalog.
| LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE |
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| To find a place exactly, you need crossing lines that create an intersection. This is a grid system. One grid system is used by mapmakers all over the world. It helps you locate any place on Earth. It is known as the latitude and longitude grid |
| Latitude |
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| Halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole is an imaginary line, the equator.
The equator goes around the middle of Earth like a belt. It divides our
planet into the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. The equator is a line of latitude. The other lines of latitude are north and south of the equator. They are parallel to the equator. Parallel lines run in the same direction and are an equal distance apart at all points. They never meet. Thus, lines of latitude are also called parallels. They run east-west around the globe. | Parallels measure distance north or south of the equator. This distance is measured in degrees. Earth, as a circle, is divided into 360 degrees (360o). We measure latitude starting at the equator. Its address is zero degrees latitude, or 0o latitude. The distance from the equator to the North Pole is 1/4 of the distance around the Earth. So the North Pole is at 90 degrees north latitude. The distance from the equator to the South Pole is also 1/4 of the distance around the Earth. What is the latitude of the South Pole? |
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| Longitude |
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| Another set of imaginary lines helps us measure distance east and west. These are lines of longitude. Each line of longitude runs from the North Pole to the South Pole. These lines are also called meridians. Each meridian travels halfway around the Earth. Along its imaginary journey it crosses each line of latitude once. These intersections mark an exact location for any point on Earth. Longitude lines are measured in degrees, just as latitude. However, there is no natural starting or stopping point for east and west. So mapmakers need a place to begin. They call that line of longitude the prime meridian. Its address is zero degrees longitude, or 0o longitude. From the prime meridian, you can travel west halfway around the Earth to the 180o east longitude line. At the 180o line, east meets west: 180o E and 180o W are the same line! |
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Look at the globe to the left. Notice that the lines of longitude
do not stay the same distance from each other. Meridians are the
farthest apart at the equator. They are closer together at the poles. In fact, one degree east-west is 69 miles at the equator. At the poles there is no distance between each degree line. They all meet at the same spot! |
To learn more about latitude, longitude and other geographic concepts, pick up our Discovering Maps book. To buy this item online click here or browse our complete catalog.
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