Latitude and Longitude | Definition & Important Latitudes

Latitude and longitude are imaginary horizontal and vertical lines drawn on a globe. It helps us to determine the location or position of any place or point on the Earth’s surface.

Globe

Kids often ask – is latitude horizontal or vertical? This post will answer most of your similar queries about latitude and longitude. To begin with, please note latitudes are horizontal lines and longitudes are vertical lines.

The globe is a small model of the earth which helps us to locate places. The globe rotates on its axis. The axis of rotation of the globe is the same as that of the earth and is tilted at  23.5 degrees. The axis of rotation of the globe has two endpoints called the poles. The top point is the North Pole and the point at the bottom is the South Pole.

We can locate a place on the globe by drawing vertical and horizontal lines. These lines are imaginary. The horizontal line is called Latitude and the vertical line is called Longitude.

Imaginary horizontal and vertical lines marked on a globe are called latitude and longitude

Topics Covered:

• Latitude
  • Definition of Latitude
  • Equator
  • Numbering Latitude
  • Important Latitudes
  • Important facts about Latitudes
• Longitude
  • Definition of Longitude
  • Prime Meridian or Greenwich Meridian
  • Numbering Longitude
  • Important facts about Longitude
• Units of Latitude and Longitude
• Difference between Latitude and Longitude
• How to locate a place using Latitude and Longitude

LATITUDE

Definition of Latitude

Latitude is an imaginary circles running horizontally from east to west on a globe.

These imaginary circles are parallel to each other, so they are also called Parallels of Latitude. We measure latitudes in the unit degree (^o).

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Equator

Equator is an imaginary line which is midway between the North Pole and the South Pole, running from east to west.

The equator is the longest latitude. It divides the earth into two halves called the Hemispheres. The part of the earth from the equator to the North Pole is called the Northern Hemisphere, and the other part, from the equator to the South Pole is called the Southern Hemisphere.

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Numbering Latitude

We measure latitude in the unit degree (^o) from the equator to the poles. The Equator is the 0^o latitude. We draw other parallels of latitudes at an interval of 1^o. The north pole is 90^oN and the south pole is 90^oS. We mark latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere as 5^oN, 10^oN, 25^oN, 60^oN and so on. In Southern Hemisphere, we mark them as 5^oS, 10^oS, 25^oS, 60^oS and so on.

There are 181 latitudes in total – 90 latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, 90 latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere and the Equator is the 0^o latitude.

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Important Latitudes

The most important latitude is the equator, marked at 0^o. There are other six important latitudes, which are as follows:

• The North Pole marked at 90^oN
• The South Pole marked at 90^oS
• Tropic of Cancer at 23.5^o N
• Tropic of Capricorn at 23.5^o S
• Arctic Circle at 66.5^o N
• Antarctic Circle at 66.5^o S

For the exact measurement of important latitudes, click here.

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Important Facts about Latitudes

• Latitude runs from east to west at an equal distance from each other.
• As we move from the equator to the poles the length of latitudes decreases.
• All the latitudes are complete circles, except the North Pole and the South Pole. They are just two points.

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LONGITUDE

Definition of Longitude

Longitude is an imaginary circle running vertically from the North Pole to the South Pole.

They specify the east-west position of a point on the earth’s surface. Longitude is also called Meridian.  It is from this word ‘meridian’ that we use the words anti-meridian (a.m.) which means ‘before noon‘ and post meridian (p.m.) which means ‘afternoon‘.

We measure longitude in the unit degree (^o). 

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Prime Meridian / Greenwich Meridian

Prime Meridian or Greenwich Meridian is the 0^o longitude which passes through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, near London.

Numbering Longitude

There are 360 meridians or degrees of longitude. Prime Meridian or Greenwich Meridian is the 0^o longitude. we draw other meridians or longitudes at an interval of 1^o. There are 180 degrees of longitudes to the east of the Prime Meridian (marked as 1^oE to 179^oE). Similarly, there are 180 degrees of longitude to the west of the Prime Meridian (marked as 1^oW to 179^oW). The 180^oE and 180^oW longitudes meet and form a single line called the International dateline. It passes through the islands of the pacific oceans. When we cross the international dateline, a new date begins.

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Important Facts about Longitudes

• Longitudes are of the same length, meeting at the poles.
• They cut latitude at right angles (90^o).
• They are the farthest from each other at the equator and come closer as we move away from the equator and go towards the poles. Finally, they meet at North and South Poles.

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UNITS OF LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE

The primary unit in which we measure longitude and latitude is degrees (°). There are 360 longitudes (180° E to 180° W) and 180 latitudes (90° N to 90° S). Thus, for measuring a more precise location, we divide each degree into 60 minutes (’) and in turn each minute into 60 seconds (”). For finer accuracy, fractions of seconds given by a decimal point are used.

1° = 60’ = 3600”

Thus, the exact measurement of important latitudes comes out to be:

• Tropic of Cancer at 23° 26′ 12.1″ N
• Tropic of Capricorn at 23° 26′ 12.1″ S
• Arctic Circle at 66° 33′ 47.9″ N
• Antarctic Circle at 66° 33′ 47.9″ S

Here, it is important to understand that due to the oblate shape of the earth distance varies among latitudes and longitudes.

Important Latitudes with Exact Measurement in degrees, minutes and seconds

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DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE

1. Latitude is horizontal whereas longitude is a vertical line.
2. Latitude runs from east to west whereas longitude runs from the North to the South Pole.
3. The length of latitude varies for its distance from the equator whereas it remains the same for longitude. At the North Pole and the South Pole length of latitudes becomes zero.
4. Latitudes are parallel to each other whereas distance among longitudes varies. Longitudes are the farthest from each other at the equator and come closer as we move away from the equator.

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HOW TO LOCATE A PLACE USING LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE

To locate a place using latitude and longitude we require a grid.

A Grid is a network of lines, which forms when latitudes and longitudes cross each other.

This grid helps us to locate a place. For example, if we know the latitude and longitude of a place, the point at which they intersect is the location of that place.

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