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What is latitude and longitude?

We use imaginary lines to help locate where a place is in the world.

  • We use lines of latitude to find out how far north or south a place is. These lines run parallel to the Equator.
  • There are five major lines of latitude:
    • the Arctic Circle (the North Pole)
    • the Antarctic Circle (the South Pole)
    • the Tropic of Cancer
    • the Tropic of Capricorn
    • and the Equator.
Graphic showing the 5 key lines of latitude
Image caption,
The globe above shows the five key lines of latitude.
  • We use lines of longitude to find out how far east or west a place is. These lines run from the top of the Earth to the bottom.
A globe with lines of longitude running from the top of the globe to the bottom.
Image caption,
The globe above shows lines of longitude.
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Watch: Latitude and longitude explained

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What are hemispheres?

A globe showing the two hemispheres, north and south.
Image caption,
The globe above shows the Northern and Southern Hemispheres divided by the Equator.

The Equator is at the centre of the lines of latitude and is at 0掳 latitude.

Anything lying south of the Equator is in the Southern Hemisphere and is labelled 掳S. Anything lying north of the Equator is in the Northern Hemisphere and is labelled 掳N. The North Pole is 90掳N and the South Pole is 90掳S.

A globe showing the two hemispheres, north and south.
Image caption,
The globe above shows the Northern and Southern Hemispheres divided by the Equator.

The Arctic Circle surrounds the North Pole at 66.5掳N and the Antarctic Circle surrounds the South Pole at 66.5掳S.

The Tropic of Cancer is approximately 23.5掳N of the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn is approximately 23.5掳S of the Equator.

A globe showing latitude lines and the degrees of North and South.
Image caption,
The globe shows the lines of latitude and the degrees of north and south.

The line labelled 0掳 longitude is called the Prime Meridian or the Greenwich Meridian and runs through London. Anything lying east of the Greenwich Meridian is in the Eastern Hemisphere and is labelled 掳E. Anything lying west of the Greenwich Meridian is in the Western Hemisphere and is labelled 掳W.

A globe showing Greenwich meridian and longitude on globe.
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Activity: Quiz 鈥 Latitude and longitude

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