Lines of Latitude & Longitude
Name:__________
Lines of latitude and longitude are imaginary lines on the earth that form a grid pattern. We can use latitude and longitude to pin point exact locations on the earth’s surface. Many people rely on latitude and longitude coordinates as part of their job – sailors, pilots, land surveyors, meteorologists and more.
Latitude Lines of latitude are called parallels. They run east to west and circle the earth. Parallels measure how many degrees north or south of the equator a location is. The equator is considered 0 °. Parallels run all the way to 90 ° north and 90 ° south and unlike lines of longitude, lines Equator of latitude never meet.
Is your community north or south of the equator? _________ How many degrees north or south? ____________________
Longitude
Prime Meridian
Lines of longitude are called meridians. They run north to south and measure how many degrees east or west a location is. The starting point or 0° is the Prime Meridian. The Prime Meridian runs through Northern Europe, England and West Africa. All locations to the west of the Prime Meridian are labelled as West and all locations east of the Prime Meridian are labelled as East. There are 180 ° west and 180 ° east and all of the lines meet at the north and south poles. The opposite meridian to the Prime Meridian is the International Date Line.
Is your community east or west of the Prime Meridian? _________ How many degrees east or west? ____________________ © A. Williams 2014
Lines of Latitude
Name:__________
There are several important lines of latitude on the earth that are based on the angle and position of the sun at different times of the year.
The Equator
• The equator circles the earth at its half way point and divides it into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. • The equator marks the point where the sun is directly overhead on the equinoxes (March 21st and September 21st)
Name three countries the Equator crosses: • ___________________________ • ___________________________ • ___________________________
Tropic of Cancer & Tropic of Capricorn
• The Tropic of Cancer is located at 23.5° N and marks the point on the earth’s surface where the sun is directly overhead on the summer solstice. (June 21 st)
Name three countries the Tropic of Cancer crosses: • ___________________________ • ___________________________ • ___________________________ • The Tropic of Capricorn is located at 23.5° S and marks the point on the earth’s surface where the sun is directly overhead on the winter solstice (December 21 st)
Name three countries the Tropic of Capricorn crosses: • ___________________________ • ___________________________ • ___________________________
The Arctic & Antarctic Circle
• The Arctic Circle is located at 66.5 N° and the Antarctic Circle is located at 66.5° S. • On the summer solstice (June 21st) the area north of the Arctic Circle receives 24 hours of sunlight. The areas south of the Antarctic Circle receive 0 hours of sunlight. The opposite happens on the winter solstice. (December 21st) © A. Williams 2014
Important Lines of Latitude and Longitude
Name:______________
Draw in the major line of LONGITUDE (Prime Meridian). Also draw in the major lines of LATITUDE (Equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Arctic Circle, Antarctic Circle). Use an atlas to help you find the location and a ruler to ensure your lines are neatly drawn. LABEL all o f the lines.
© A. Williams 2014
Earth’s Hemispheres
Name:__________
Learning about Earth’s hemispheres will help you when you are using latitude and longitude to pin point a location on the Earth’s surface. The Equator divides the Earth into a Northern and Southern Hemisphere. The Prime Meridian divides the Earth into a Western and Eastern Hemisphere. • What hemisphere do you live in? ____________________________ • Which hemisphere do you think has the greatest population? _______________________ • Which hemisphere is Australia located in? ________________________________ • Which hemisphere is India located in? ______________________________ • Name a country that is in more than one hemisphere. ________________________________ • Have you been to a hemisphere different from the one you live in? Where? _____________________
N
North West
W
North East
Equator
E
South West © A. Williams 2014
Prime Meridian
S
South East
Using Latitude & Longitude
Name:__________
The lines of latitude and longitude are laid out in a grid on the earth’s surface. When you know the latitude and longitude you can easily locate an exact spot. For example, if I asked you where Los Angeles is located you might answer “In the United States”. However, the United States is a very large country and your answer does not give me an exact location. If you gave me the coordinates, 34° N 118° W, I would be able to pin point its exact location. First off, I would know it’s in the North West hemisphere and secondly, I would know it’s 34° N of the Equator and 118° W of the Prime Meridian. To find Los Angeles, start at the Equator and move your finger north 34 ° (you will have to estimate this as it is impossible to include all of the lines on the map). Then starting at the Prime Meridian move your finger west 118 °. Where the two lines meet and intersect is where Los Angeles is located – it’s marked on the map below with a .
60° 40° 20°
0° 20° 40° 60° 160°
120°
80°
40°
0°
40°
80°
120°
160°
Draw a circle on the following locations: a) 30° S, 118° E © A. Williams 2014
b) 50° S, 60° W
c) 50° N, 50° W
Using Latitude & Longitude
Name:__________
Use an atlas to help you answer the following questions: 1.
In which country is 65° N, 110° E?
__________________________
2.
In what ocean is 5° S, 150° W?
__________________________
3.
In which bay is 60° N, 82° W?
__________________________
4.
In what sea is 38° S, 162° E?
__________________________
5.
On which island is 65° N, 18° W?
__________________________
6.
In which country is 15° S, 45° W?
__________________________
7.
In which country is 32° S, 25° E?
__________________________
8.
In which country is 25° N, 85° E?
__________________________
60° 40° 20°
0° 20° 40° 60°
160° © A. Williams 2014
120°
80°
40°
0°
40°
80°
120°
160°
Finding Latitude & Longitude
Name:__________
Using the map below, write down the latitude and longitude for the letters B-H on the map. A.
25° N, 145° W
B.
__________________________
C.
__________________________
D.
__________________________
E.
__________________________
F.
__________________________
G.
__________________________
H.
__________________________
D
60° B
.
A
F
.
0° C
20°
.
H
.
.
40° 20°
G
.
. .
E
40° 60°
160° © A. Williams 2014
120°
80°
40°
0°
40°
80°
120°
160°
Latitude & Longitude Review
Name:__________
A. Using an atlas to help, write down the latitude and longitude for the following major world cities. 1.
Sydney, Australia
__________________________
2.
New York, United States
__________________________
3.
Cape Town, South Africa
__________________________
4.
Santiago, Chile
__________________________
5.
Rome, Italy
__________________________
6.
Beijing, China
__________________________
7.
New Delhi, India
_________________________
8.
Paris, France
__________________________
9.
Ottawa, Canada
__________________________
10.
Mexico City, Mexico
__________________________
B. Using an atlas to help, locate the following major world cities using the coordinates given. 1.
27° S, 153° E
_________________________
2.
33° N, 97° W
_________________________
3.
62° N, 150° W
_________________________
4.
32° S, 116° E
_________________________
5.
36° N, 140° E
_________________________
6.
12° S, 77° W
_________________________
7.
39 ° N, 9° W
_________________________
8.
1° S, 37° E
_________________________
9.
6° S, 107° E
_________________________
10.
35° S, 58° W
_________________________
Without geography, you are nowhere.
Unknown
© A. Williams 2014
