Globe Latitudes And Longitudes - UPSC Geography Free MCQ Test with solutions

The Equator is an imaginary line around the middle of the Earth. It is halfway between the North and South Poles, and divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The Equator is the invisible line that runs around the center of the Earth at 0 degrees latitude.

This is why prime meridian is also known as the Greenwich Meridian. In a geographical coordinate system, the Greenwich Meridian (or prime meridian) is the 0^o line of longitude from which we measure 180^o to the west and 180^o to the east. Most coordinate systems define a zero line at the equator that runs east-west.

Angular distance of any place from the prime meridian(that is 0^o also known as Greenwich Line), on its East or West, is known as Longitude. The distance between two adjacent longitudes is maximum at Equator that is 111.32 km, which keeps on decreasing towards the poles because longitudes taper towards the poles.

The two end points on the axis of rotation are called the poles. To the north is the North Pole, and to the south is the South Pole.

The Arctic Circle is a region on Earth that is marked as one of the five major circles of latitude on maps of our planet. It is located between the Arctic to its north and the Northern Temperate Zone to its south. Its counterpart in the Southern Hemisphere is known as the Antarctic Circle.

Latitude measures the distance north or south of the equator. Lines of latitude, also called parallels, are imaginary lines that divide the Earth.

Latitude is based on an imaginary line that circles Earth halfway between the north and south poles. This line is called Equator and it divides Earth into northern and southern hemispheres. A hemisphere is one half of a sphere. is a distance in degrees north or south of the Equator, which is 0°.

The equator divides the earth into the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere is marks the location of 0 degrees latitude. The equator marks the locations on earth that are equidistance from the North and South Poles. The Equator crosses 78.7% water and 21.3% land and is about 24,901 miles (40,075 km) long.

• The regions known as Frigid Zones are positioned far from the equator.
• Here, the sun's rays strike the Earth at a slant, which means they spread out over a larger area and provide less warmth.
• These areas experience long periods of low sunlight, especially during winter, contributing to their cold climate.
• Though they may have snow and ice, the primary reason for the cold is the angle of the sun’s rays.

Latitude and longitude lines form an imaginary grid over the entire surface of Earth. Latitude is based on an imaginary line that circles Earth halfway between the north and south poles. This line is called the equator and it divides Earth into northern and southern hemispheres. Latitude is a distance in degrees north or south of the equator. Longitude is a distance in degrees east or west of the Prime Meridian.

The event known as Equinox, is eagerly awaited by space enthusiasts as it take place twice a year on 21st March and 23rd September. On the Equinox day, the sun move across the celestial equator, which lie directly above the Earth's equator.

Fig: Shape of the Earth

Vertical lines on the globe are Known as longitudes. But zero degree longitude is called as prime meridian. Prime meridian is also a longitude. Here, 0 degree prime meridian is shown only as an example. Prime meridian is also known as longitude but vice versa of it is not possible. For example, Prime meridian is always a longitude but every longitude is not prime meridian. In this picture all longitudes are shown.
So, the correct answer is Option C.

Indian Standard Time (IST) is the time observed throughout India, with a time offset of UTC+05:30. India does not observe daylight saving time (DST) or other seasonal adjustments. In military and aviation time IST is designated E* ("Echo-Star").

The Northern tip and the Southern tip of the axis are called the North Pole and the South Pole. The Earth rotates or spins on its axis. The axis is an imaginary straight line which passes through the North Pole, the centre of the Earth and the South Pole. The Earth's axial tilt is about 23.5 degrees.