Longitudes are vertical lines that run from the North to South Pole. They are used along with latitude to give the exact position of places on Earth. Latitudes are horizontal lines parallel to the equator, with 0° at the equator. Latitudes are not all the same length, getting shorter closer to the poles. Together, latitude and longitude allow any location on Earth to be precisely identified.

3.  What are longitudes and latitudes?
 They are imaginary vertical and
horizontal lines around the Earth.
 We measure them in degrees and use this
to give the exact position of place in the
world.

4.  What are longitudes?
 Lines of longitude are the vertical lines in
the world imaginary grid.
 They go from the North Pole to the South
Pole and they are the same length.

5.  What are latitudes?
 Lines of latitude are the horizontal lines in
the world’s imaginary grid.
 Lines of latitude are not all the same length.

6. 180o E and 180o W are
West East
the largest longitude.
Australia
The vertical lines are called longitude.
The 0o is called the Prime Meridian which passes through Greenwich
Observatory near London, England.

7. Greenwich Observatory

8.  To describe position more accurately, we
divide each degree of latitude and longitude
into smaller parts call minutes.
 There are 60 minutes in a degree.
 The symbol for minutes is ’

9. Australia
Seven Continents :
Four Oceans) :

10. 90o N (North Pole)
66 1/2o N (Arctic Circle)
23 1/2o N (Tropic of Cancer)
0o (Equator)
Australasia 23 1/2o S (Tropic of Capricon)
66 1/2oS (Antarctic circle)
90oS (South Pole)
The horizontal lines are called latitude . The 0o Equator is the longest
latitude. It divides the Earth into Northern Hemisphere and Southern
Hemisphere. The closer to the Poles, the shorter lines of latitude are.

11. Arctic Ocean
Pacific
Ocean
Atlantic
Ocean
India
n
Ocea
n

12. Europe
North
America Asia
Australasia
Africa
South
America Antarctica

13. Positioning on the Earth’s Surface
East is the direction of Latitude: (90oN to 90oS)
rotation of the Earth North Pole
Prime Meridian Longitude: (180oE to 180oW)
0o Longitude
Tropic of Cancer Latitude 23½o North
21st June 90
60
60ooEo
30 W
30
9090
66½o o
23½
22nd Sept
Equator Latitude 0o
20th March 900 23½o
22nd December
Tropic of Capricorn Latitude 23½o South
Longitude 90o West
Longitude 90oEast
Longitude 60o West Longitude 60o East
Longitude 30o West Longitude 30o East
South Pole
Latitude and Longitude together enable the fixing of position on the Earth’s surface.