Identify the lines that run horizontally from the extreme left to the extreme right on a map or globe as lines of latitude. The Equator is the most recognizable line of latitude, dividing the northern and southern hemispheres.
Identify the lines that run vertically from the North Pole to the South Pole as lines of longitude. The most recognizable line of longitude is the Prime Meridian, also known as the International Date Line, which divides the eastern and western hemispheres.
Observe that the intersecting lines of latitude and longitude create a numbered grid on the map or globe, 15 degrees apart each. Note that the western and eastern hemisphere will each contain 180 degrees across the map from the Prime Meridian. The northern and southern hemispheres will each contain 90 degrees.
Find a given location using a set of two number values written in degrees. These values will also include the letters N,S,E or W, which represent north, south, east and west, respectively. Using the set of values, begin at the point where the Prime Meridian and the Equator intersect. Next, move north (up) or south (down) the indicated number of degrees. From the resulting point on the Prime Meridian, move east (right) or west (left) to locate the second value. For example, to identify the location of 35 degrees N/ 27 degrees E, begin by moving up the Prime Meridian by 35 degrees from the Equator. Since the lines of latitude are separated by 15 degrees each, this will require an estimated guess, somewhere between the lines of latitude at 30 degrees N and 45 degrees N. Move 27 degrees to the right of the Prime Meridian from the original point of 35 degrees N to arrive at the exact location, which will fall on the grid between 15 and 30 degrees longitude.
