On a map or globe, there are horizontal and vertical lines are called latitude and longitude lines. The lines of latitude are numbered from 0 to 90 and are either north or south, depending if they are north or south of the equator. The lines of longitude are numbered 0 to 180 and are either east or west, depending how far they are from the prime meridian.

Latitude

Latitude is the measure of how far north or south a location is from the equator. Latitude is measure in degrees. Each half of the earth or hemisphere is 180 degrees. The equator is at 0 degrees latitude and is stretches the diameter of the earth. Latitude lines are imaginary lines that go around the earth from side to side. The latitude of an area is one factor in the kind of climate the area might have. If an area is located close to the equator, the climate will be very hot, or tropical. As one gets above the Tropic of Cancer or Capricorn, the climate becomes milder, with hot summers and cold winters This is called a temperate climate. At the points furthest away from the equator, the climate is cold and is called polar.

Longitude

Longitude is a measure of how far east or west a place is from the Prime Meridian. The Prime Meridian is in Greenwich England and is an arbitrary place (that means that scientists just said "let's go from here, lads!") from which longitude is measured. The longitude lines (or meridians as they are sometimes called) are imaginary lines every 20 degrees east or west of the Prime Meridian. While the latitude of a particular location affects its climate, the longitude can determine the time zone a particular location is in. When latitude and longitude lines are overlaid on each other, they form a grid. If one knows the latitude and longitude of a place, it is possible to locate that place on a globe or map.

Here a tourist stands at the Prime Meridian in Greenwich, England, with his left foot in the Eastern Hemisphere, and his right foot in the Western Hemisphere. The reason Greenwich was chosen was because scientists and astronomers worked from here to measure the world, get accurate navigation tools, and accurate clocks. Have you ever heard of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time?) If you ever go to England, go and visit Greenwich.

Now that you are an expert on latitude and longitude, test yourself on this quiz!