THE EARTH: THE GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATES

María Jesús Camposlearningfromgeography.wikispaces.com

The Geographic Coordinates Imaginary lines have been created to help us:

Calculating the distance between two points on the Earth’s surface.

Determining the exact position of a person, a place or a thing on the Earth’s surface.

This lines are the parallels and the meridians. They cross each other to form an imaginary grid or network on the Earth’s surface.

Meridians Parallels

Parallels Imaginary lines

parallel to the Equator that circle the Earth.

The Equator is at 0º (zero degrees). It circles the Earth on its widest part.

The Equator divides the Earth in two equal halves or hemispheres: Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere.

Meridians Imaginary lines that

run from the North Pole to the South Pole.

The Prime Meridian or Greenwich Meridian is at 0º (zero degrees).

The Greenwich Meridian divides the Earth in two halves or hemispheres: Western Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere.

Locating any point on the Earth’s surface

To locate a point on the surface of the Earth we need to establish its latitude (parallel) and its longitude (meridian).

Latitude: it is the distance between a point on the Earth’s surface and the Equator or parallel 0º. Latitud can be North (N) or South (S).

Longitude: it is the distance between a point on the Earth’s surface and the Prime Meridian or Greenwich Meridian. It can be East (E) or West (W).

Latitude

The Earth’s circumference is 360º.

So, we have 90º between the Equator an each Pole.

Each latitude degree corresponds to a parallel. From the Equator we have 90 parallels N and 90 parallels S.

Longitude

The Earth’s circumference is 360º.

So, from the Greenwich Meridian or Meridian 0º we have 180 meridians E and 180 meridians W.

Each longitude degree corresponds to a meridian.

Geographic Coordinates

Establishing a location.Go to the Equator and determine wich direction you must go (North or South). Determine the distance in degrees you must go. You have got the Latitude.

Go to the Prime Meridian. Determine which direction you must go (East or West). Determine the distance in degrees you must go. You have got the Longitude.

Find the intersection of both latitude and longitude and you have found the absolute or exact location of a particular place on the Earth’s surface.

The exact position where a parallel and a meridian meet gives us the exact position of a given point on Earth.

Developed by María Jesús CamposChusteacherWikiteacher