Latitude and Longitude

The Earth is a very large surface, and at times it is very hard to explain exactly where you are. There are two types of directions that can be used. The first type is absolute direction. Absolute direction is when you are given a specific address of a location, such as a street address. The other type of direction is relative. Relative direction uses imaginary lines called latitude and longitude lines to explain location. These imaginary lines run from north to south and east to west across the Earth.

Latitude lines run east to west. These lines are used to tell you how far north or south you are from the equator. The equator is the imaginary line that runs horizontally along the center of the Earth. It is the exact midpoint between the North and South Poles.

Latitude lines are also called parallels because they go around the Earth without ever crossing or intersecting. They are numbered from 0 to 90 degrees. Zero degrees is found at the equator. The North Pole is 90 degrees north and the South Pole is 90 degrees south.

There are other imaginary lines that run north to south. These imaginary lines are called longitudinal lines. The very center line that runs through the North and South poles is called the prime meridian. The prime meridian divides the globe into two half-circles called the Eastern and Western hemispheres.

Lines of longitude are also called meridian lines. Lines of latitude and longitude can help you find your location and place on this earth.