Latitude and Longitude

Latitude

The North Pole is at 90° North

The South Pole is at 90° South

The equator is at 0° latitude. It is neither north nor south. It is at the center between north and south.

40° North is the 40° line of latitude north of the equator.

40° South is the 40° line of latitude south of the equator.

Latitude

North Pole

South Pole

Lines of latitude are numbered from 0° at the equator to 90° N.L. at the North Pole.

Lines of latitude are numbered from 0° at the equator to 90° S.L. at the South Pole.

][

90 8070

6050

40

2030

10

9080

70605040

2010

30

N

S

EquatorThe equator (0°) splits the earth into the

Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere.

Northern Hemisphere

Equator

Southern Hemisphere

Places located north of the equator have a north latitude address. Places located south of the equator have a south latitude address.

Longitude Lines of longitude begin

at the Prime Meridian.

60° West is the 60° line of longitude west of the Prime Meridian.

60° East is the 60° line of longitude east of the Prime Meridian.

W E

The Prime Meridian is located at 0°. It is neither east nor west. It is between east and west.

Longitude

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

West L

ongitu

de

East L

ongitu

de

180° N

EW

S

North Pole

Prime MeridianThe Prime Meridian (0°) and the 180° line split the earth into the Western Hemisphere and Eastern

Hemisphere.

Prime Meridian

Western Hemisphere

Eastern Hemisphere

Places located east of the Prime Meridian have an east longitude address. Places located west of the Prime Meridian have a west longitude address.

Finding Latitude/Longitude

• Use the numbers on the sides of the map• Do latitude first

– Latitude lines go from left to right– The number will be a north (N) or south (S)

number

• Do longitude second– Longitude lines go from top to bottom– The number will be an east (E) or west (W)

number

N

S

W E