Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Imagine the earth as a sphere, with the north pole as the very top and the south pole as the very bottom. Draw a horizontal line around the middle of the sphere. This line represents the equator.
Choose a point on the earth's surface. Measure the angle from the equator to the point chosen. This angle represents the latitude. Latitude lines are parallel to the equator and represent the angle measurement from the equator to the point on the earth's surface.
Imagine the parallel lines equally spaced above and below the equator. Northern latitudes will go from 0 degrees at the equator to 90 degrees at the north pole. Southern latitudes will go from 0 degrees at the equator to 90 degrees at the south pole. When north and south designations are omitted, latitudes north of the equator are positive and southern latitudes are negative.
Divide the angles into smaller and more precise points by dividing each section of latitude into minutes and the minutes into seconds. Each degree of angle can be divided into 60 minutes of arc. Each minute can be divided into 60 seconds of arc. By subdividing each angle in this way, an exact point above the equator can be identified.
Imagine the earth as a sphere again, but this time look down on it from the north pole.
Imagine lines coming out from the north pole and circling the globe before returning to the north pole. These lines, called meridians, are equally spaced around the sphere and run perpendicular to the lines of latitude. The lines represent the angle from the prime meridian to each additional meridian.
Identify the prime meridian. Since there is no obvious line to label as the prime meridian and designate as zero degrees, the prime meridian has been determined by international agreement. The meridian running through Greenwich, England has been designated as the prime meridian. The meridians are given degree values up to 180 degrees to the west or east of the prime meridian. Imagining the prime meridian as a circle around the globe that starts at the north pole, runs through Greenwich, England, continues to the south pole and then comes back up to the north pole. The half of the circle from the north pole to the south pole is 0 degrees. The second half of the circle from the south pole up to the north pole, on the opposite side of the globe from Greenwich, England, is designated 180 degrees.
Draw in the remaining meridians at the angles from 0 to 180 degrees east and west of the prime meridian. Divide each angle into 60 minutes of arc and each minute into 60 seconds of arc. When east and west designations are omitted, values west of the prime meridian are given negative values.
Choose a point on the surface of the earth.
Determine the latitude of the point chosen be determining the angle from the equator in terms of degrees, minutes and seconds.
Determine the longitude of the point chosen by determining the angle east or west of the prime meridian in terms to degrees, minutes and seconds.
Congratulate yourself on understanding latitude and longitude.