Latitude and Longitude

Latitude lines run east/west but they measure

north or south of the equator (0°) splitting the earth
into the Northern Hemisphere and Southern
Hemisphere.
 Latitude
North Pole
90 80
Lines of

[
70
60
latitude are 50
40
numbered 30
from 0° at 20
Lines of

]
10
the equator latitude are
10
to 90° N.L. 20 numbered
at the North 30
40
from 0° at
Pole. 50 the equator
60 to 90° S.L.
70
80 at the
90 South Pole.
South Pole
 Latitude
The North Pole
is at 90° N

The equator 40° N is the 40°

is at 0° line of latitude
latitude. It north of the
is neither equator.
north nor
south. It is
at the center
40° S is the 40°
between
The South Pole
line of latitude
north and
is at 90° S south of the
south.
equator.
 Longitude
Lines of longitude begin
at the Prime Meridian.

60° W is the 60° E is the

60° line of 60° line of
longitude west longitude
of the Prime east of the
W E Prime
Meridian.
Meridian.

The Prime Meridian is located at 0°. It is

neither east or west
 180°
N
Longitude
West Longitude

East Longitude
North Pole
W E

PRIME MERIDIAN S
Lines of longitude are numbered east from the
Prime Meridian to the 180° line and west from
the Prime Meridian to the 180° line.
 Prime Meridian
The Prime Meridian (0°) and the 180° line split the
earth into the Western Hemisphere and Eastern
Hemisphere.
Prime Meridian

Western Eastern
Hemisphere Hemisphere

Places located east of the Prime Meridian have an east

longitude (E) address. Places located west of the Prime
Meridian have a west longitude (W) address.
 INTERNATIONAL DATE LINE
180°
• SEPARATES 2 CALENDAR DAYS.

America to Asia – gain a day

Asia to America – lose a day
 By combining latitude and
longitude, any location can be
pinpointed
 A location’s coordinates
(____° N or S, ____ ° E or W)
 Application
N

W E

S
North America is in the Northern Hemisphere because it is
north of the Equator. North America is in the Western
Hemisphere because it is west of the Prime Meridian.
 Fractions of a Degree
• 1 degree = 60 minutes or 1 minute is 1/60th of a degree
• Use minutes if location is not directly on the latitude/longitude line
• Written ----- Degree/minute = XX° xx’ compass direction

30’ is half-way
between degrees
 LONGITUDE AND TIME
• The world rotates (spins) 360° in 24 hours.
360° / 24 hours = 15° per hour
• The world has 24 time zones, each l5°
apart.
THERE IS A 1 HOUR TIME
DIFFERENCE FOR EVERY 15° OF
LONGITUDE
 Greenwich, England is the logical
starting point for time zones
• The world rotates west to east
(counterclockwise), time zones to the east
are ahead of the those time zones to the
west
ANOTHER CHEESY SAYING

• EAST INCREASE
Time is forward to all places to the east

• WEST LESS
Time is backward to all places to the
west
 East Increase – West Less
(1 hr per l5°)

If it 9 p.m. at Position D, what time is it at position C?

Position B?
If it is 1 p.m. at Position X, at which location is the time 5
 Earth rotates west to east
Solar time is based on the position
of the sun
NIGHT IS FALLING ON EARTH

Look at the East Coast of the United

States. The lights are already lit.
California the sun is still visible.
 This pictures shows
AMERICAN CITIES at
night.
 Saguenay
Sept-Iles
Thunder Bay Toronto St.John
Ottawa

It’s still daylight

in California Québec

Montréal

Those light are Boston, New

Detroit York, Philadelphia and
Washington.
Dallas

Puerto Rico
Houston Miami

Mexico
City Havana
Port-au-Prince
 NIGHT IS FALLING ON EARTH.

Look at Paris and Barcelona, the lights are

already lit, meanwhile in London, Lisbon and
Madrid the sun is still visible.

Looking south, we can see the islands in the

middle of the ocean.

We have a perfect view of the British Islands,

Iceland and Canada.
 Iceland England

Atlantic
France
Ocean
Spain

Italy

AFRICA