Latitude and Longitude

​What are hemispheres?

What is Latitude?

Latitude is a measure of how
far north or south a place is on
Earth. It's like imaginary lines
that run east to west around
the globe.

The Equator: Earth's Middle Line

The Equator is an imaginary line
that circles the Earth, dividing it
into the Northern and Southern
Hemispheres. It is at 0° latitude.

Understanding Longitude

Longitude tells us how far
east or west a location is on
Earth. These imaginary
lines run from the North
Pole to the South Pole.

The Prime Meridian: Earth's Starting Line

The Prime Meridian is the 0° line
of longitude. It runs from the
North Pole to the South Pole,
through Greenwich, England.

Using Latitude and Longitude Together

Latitude and longitude work
together to pinpoint exact locations
on Earth. For example, New York
City is at approximately 40.7°N,
74.0°W.