40o48”N 96o40”W Lincoln’s Coordinates

Most well known grid system is latitude and longitude Lat/long was developed by ptolemy--the father of geography-- based on the assumption that the earth was round and could be oriented along 4 cardinal directions (N,S,E&W) ******The ancient Greeks used globes to locate places on the earth. The divided up the earth into 360 parts or segments called degrees. A degree of latitude is approximately 69 miles, and a minute of latitude is approximately 1.15 miles. A second of latitude is approximately 0.02 miles, or just over 100 feet. A degree of longitude varies in size. At the equator, it is approximately 69 miles, the same size as a degree of latitude. The size gradually decreases to zero as the meridians converge at the poles. At a latitude of 45 degrees, a degree of longitude is approximately 49 miles. Because a degree of longitude varies in size, minutes and seconds of longitude also vary, decreasing in size towards the poles.

1. Distance North or South 2. Always parallel 3. Also called Parallels Latitude Basics 1. Distance North or South 2. Always parallel 3. Also called Parallels 4. Total of 90 degrees 1. Lines of latitude are calculated based on their position north or south of the equatorial plane 2. The measurement of any point on the earth in latitude is based on its distance from the equator in angular degrees 3. Lines of latitude are always parallel--they do NOT converge or intersect 4. The are 90 degrees of latitude north and south of the equator

Major Lines of Latitude Latitude has been used to create broad zones based on the amount of energy they receive from the sun (this will covered in more length later): Tropic of Cancer, Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic

Lines of longitude + prime meridian East & West of the prime meridian Longitude Basics Lines of longitude + prime meridian East & West of the prime meridian 4. Physical distance 5. 180 degrees Longitude Basics 1. Lines of longitude (also called great circles or meridians) are measured from a baseline or prime meridian which goes through the royal observatory at Greenwich, England. 2. They are measured in degrees E & W of the prime meridian. 3. Meridians converge at the poles 4. The physical(not angular) distance between lines of latitudes is not constant 5. There are a total of 180 degrees of longitude E & W

Laser projected from the Royal Observatory in Greenwich marking the Prime Meridian

How to Read Latitude and Longitude All lines are divided up into degrees, minutes, and seconds. One line of Lat/long One line of Long or Lat is then divided into 60 minutes Each minute is divided into 60 seconds 10o 11o

How to read Lat and Long Lat is always first and Long is second. You always use lat first and use the direction NESW to indicate which direction to go.