lesson 2 The Earth
latitudes and longitudes
LESSON 3 and 4: LATITUDES
- DEFINITION: Latitudes are imaginary lines running from west to east on the earth surface.
- Latitudes are numbered in degree (°) North and South of the equator.
- The latitude 0° is the longest latitude and divides the earth into two equal halves called HEMISPHERE the north hemisphere and the southern hemisphere
- There are 90 latitudes in each hemisphere
- Latitude 90° north is the north pole and latitude 90° south is the south pole
CHARACTERISTICS OF LATITUDES
- They are parallel lines that do not meet
- They run from west to east
- The highest latitudes is 0°
- They get shorter moving from the equator to the poles
- Only the equator is a great circle
- Each latitude is separated from the other by an equal distance of 111km
LESSON 4: LONGITUDES
Definition: Longitudes are imaginary lines running across the surface of the earth from North Pole to South Pole. They are also called MERIDIANS
IDENTIFICATION
- The first meridian is the 0° is known as the GREEN WHICH MERIDIAN or the PRIME MERIDIAN
- All longitudes are numbered to the west and the east of the green which meridian
Characteristics
- They meet at the poles
- They run from north to south pole
- They are of equal length
- The highest longitude is 180°
- All longitudes are great circles
lesson 5 Great Circles
diagram of longitude and latitude 
