What Is Latitude

By Author: Rob Thomas
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The earth is basically round (a perfectly round three-dimensional object in space). To find locations on the surface of the earth, we use numerical coordinates that are measured in degrees and representing angular distances from the center of the Earth. These coordinates that were developed during the Middle Ages are called as latitude and longitude.

What is Latitude?

The earth rotates on an axis, which is a vertical line through the top and bottom of the sphere at the North and South Pole respectively. Midway between the north and south poles, there is an imaginary horizontal line known as the equator. The equator represents the starting point for finding latitude and is itself latitude line with a value of 0 degrees. Latitude lines run horizontally simply represent the angular distance between the equator and areas north or south of it on the earth's surface.

All latitude lines (also referred to as parallels as they are parallel to the equator) are between 0 and 90 degrees north or south of the equator. The North Pole is therefore located at 90 degrees N while the South Pole is found at 90 degrees S.

What ...
... is Longitude?

Lines of longitude (also called meridians) are located perpendicular to lines of latitude, and run through the North and South poles. The line of longitude that runs through Greenwich, England, and represents the value of 0 degrees of longitude and is known as the Prime Meridian. Longitude values represent the angular distance between the Prime Meridian and points east or west of it on the earth's surface.

Latitude and Longitude:

Used together, Latitude and Longitude answer the important question of where exactly places and landmarks are located. This is achieved by further dividing latitude and longitude into minutes and seconds. There are therefore 60 minutes or (') and degree and 60 seconds (") per minute. The addition of minutes and seconds changes simple degree measurements into accurate coordinates representing exact points on the globe. A coordinate can be written in four different ways. For example: 60celcius 32' 15" (60 degrees, 32 minutes and 15 seconds) can also be written as:

60.53. 75- as decimals
60celcius 32.25' - degrees and decimal minutes
60celcius 32' 15.275 - degrees, minutes, and decimal seconds

For example, the location of the White House in Washington, DC in Decimal Degrees is found at Lat: 38.898648N Lon: 77.037692W or in Deg:Min:Sec: 38celcius 53' 55.133" N 77celcius 02' 15.691" W
One degree of latitude is approximately 69 miles, while one minute of latitude is approximately 1.15 miles. Once second of latitude is about 0.02 miles (just over 100 feet).
There are variations in size when it comes to a degree of longitude. At and near the equator, it is approximately 69 miles (equal to latitude). The size slowly reduce until it reached to zero as the meridians meet. Minutes and seconds of longitude also vary, decreasing in size towards the poles.

Remember:

Latitude is always written before longitude (49celcius N 100celcius E).
Latitudes are parallel, where as longitudes are not.
Degrees West and South are sometimes referred to as negative degrees (-12celcius -23celcius is the same as 12 S 23 W)
A place's latitude or distance from the equator affects its climate, but its longitude does not.
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