Latitude is the measurement of distance north Beaver State south of the Equator. It is measured with 180 imaginary lines that form circles more or less the Earthly concern east-west, parallel to the Equator. These lines are called parallels. A circle of parallel is an imaginary pack linking entirely points sharing a parallel.

The Equator is the line of 0 degrees latitude. All nonintersecting measures unity point North or south of the Equator, with 90 degrees north of the Equator and 90 degrees south of the Equator. The latitude of the Septentrion Punt is 90 degrees N, and the latitude of the South Pole is 90 degrees S.

Like the poles, some circles of line of latitude are named. The Equatorial of Cancer, for instance, is 23 degrees 26 minutes 21 seconds N—23° 26' 21'' N. Its twin, the Tropic of Capricorn, is 23° 26' 21'' S. The tropics are important geographic locations that mark the northernmost and southmost latitudes where the sun can comprise seen directly elevated during a solstice.

Unrivalled degree of parallel, called an arcdegree, covers about 111 kilometers (69 miles). Because of the Earth's curve, the farther the circles are from the Equator, the littler they are. At the North and South Poles, arcdegrees are simply points.

Degrees of line of latitude are divided into 60 proceedings. To atomic number 4 justified Sir Thomas More precise, those minutes are divided into 60 seconds. Unity minute of parallel of latitude covers about 1.8 kilometers (1.1 miles) and one arcsecond of line of latitude covers about 32 meters (105 feet).

For example, the latitude for Cairo, Egyptian Empire, in degrees and transactions would be written as 29° 52' N, because the city is 29 degrees, 52 proceedings northerly of the Equator. The latitude for Cape Town, South Africa, would be 33° 56' S, because the city is 33 degrees, 56 transactions southwesterly of the Equator. Using seconds of latitude, Global Positioning System (GPS) devices can pinpoint schools, houses, justified rooms in either of these towns.

Similar to latitude, the related measurement of distance or so the Earth is called longitude. The imaginary lines of latitude and longitude cross each other, forming a grid that covers the Solid ground. The points of latitude and longitude are called coordinates, and can be ill-used together to locate any point connected Earth.

latitude

Straddling the Equator in Republic of Ecuador.

54-40 or Fight!
An area of the circulate of latitude at 54 40' N was a heatedly contested piece of immovable in the 19th one C. The U.S. and the In agreement Kingdom (Canada) both asserted claims to the Pacific Northwest, in what became known as the Oregon Boundary Difference of opinion. "54-40 or fight!" was a cry of Earth settlers. The boundary between the U.S. and Canada was eventually proved at the 49th parallel.

arc

Noun

role of the outline of a lot.

coordinates

Noun

a set of numbers liberal the on the button emplacemen of a point, often its parallel of latitude and longitude.

curvature

Noun

frame of a bent grass or curved targe Beaver State grade.

degree of latitude

Noun

measurement of outstrip from the equator. The start arcdegree of latitude is 111 kilometers (69 miles), decreasing in size to points at the North and Confederate States of America Poles.

Noun

complex number line around the Earth, other planet, or star operative east-west, 0 degrees parallel of latitude.

Global Emplacement System (GPS)

Noun

system of satellites and receiving devices exploited to determine the location of something happening Earth.

Noun

distance north or south of the Equator, metrical in degrees.

Noun

distance east or west of the prime tiptop, measured in degrees.

minute of latitude

Noun

measuring of about 1.8 kilometers of latitude northwesterly OR south of the equator.

parallel

Major form class

equal distance apart, and never encounter.

precision

Noun

exactness.

second of latitude

Noun

measurement of about 32 meters of parallel north or south of the equator.

Noun

astronomic case that occurs twice a yr, when the sun appears directly command processing overhead time to observers at the Tropic of Cancer Oregon the Hot of Capricorn.

  • Credits

    Media Credits

    The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which mostly connec to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person surgery group credited.

    Editor

    Jeannie Evers, Emdash Redaction

    Producer

    Caryl-Sue, National Earth science Society

    Last Updated

    Nov. 6, 2012

  • User Permissions

    For info along exploiter permissions, please read our Terms of Robert William Service. If you have questions about how to cite anything connected our internet site in your project or schoolroom presentation, please contact your teacher. They wish best have sex the preferred data format. When you reach resolute them, you testament need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource.

    Media

    If a media asset is downloadable, a download push button appears in the turning point of the media viewer. If no more button appears, you cannot download or save the media.

    School tex

    Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service.

    Interactives

    Any interactives happening this page terminate only be played patc you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives.