Chapter Notes: Latitudes and Longitudes

Earth's Shape and Rotation

• The Earth is spherical and rotates on an imaginary line called the axis.
• The axis is tilted at 23.5 degrees, making the globe slightly tilted.

Imaginary Lines on the Globe

• To locate places on Earth, we use imaginary lines.
• Parallels (Latitudes) are horizontal lines running from east to west.
• Meridians (Longitudes) are semi-circular lines running from north to south.

Parallels or Latitudes

• Latitudes are horizontal circles on the globe.
• Equator, at 0° latitude, divides the Earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
• Other important latitudes include Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Arctic Circle, and Antarctic Circle.
• Latitudes are widest at the Equator and get shorter as we move towards the Poles.
• There are 181 latitudes, but only the Equator forms a complete circle.

Meridians or Longitudes

• Meridians are semi-circular lines running from the North Pole to the South Pole.
• Prime Meridian (0°) passes through Greenwich, dividing the Earth into Eastern and Western Hemispheres.
• The International Date Line is at 180° East and West.
• There are 360 meridians, all of the same length.

Differences Between Parallels and Meridians

• Parallels are horizontal circles, while meridians are vertical and semi-circular.
• Parallels are parallel to each other and never touch, while meridians meet at the Poles.
• Length of latitudes decreases towards the Poles, but all longitudes are of the same length.

Locating Places on the Globe

• Parallels and meridians form a grid.
• Places are located where latitude and longitude lines intersect.