How can you find an exact location of a

place?

Longitude and Latitude

Longitude and Latitude

• Imaginary lines that are drawn around Earth to help geographers study location of places.

• Latitude: Horizontal lines that run EAST to WEST. Latitude is the distance north or south of the Equator, measured in units called degrees.

• Longitude: Vertical lines that run NORTH to SOUTH. Longitude is the distance east or west of the Prime Meridian, measured in degrees.

• Philadelphia is located at about 39°N and 75° W on Earth.

Equator and Prime Meridian

• The Equator marks 0 latitude. Think of it as Earth’s belt. It runs directly around Earth’s middle.

• The Prime Meridian marks 0 longitude. It runs from top to bottom of Earth.

• Each half of Earth is called a hemisphere.