Learning about Latitude and Longitude Where am I in the world? Learning about Latitude and Longitude

In the Middle Ages the system of Latitude and Longitude was developed. Throughout history geographers have tried to come up with ways of being able to locate particular places in the world. In the Middle Ages the system of Latitude and Longitude was developed. It is this system that is still used today to plot places on the Earth’s globe.

Imagine the world is covered with an imaginary grid Imagine the world is covered with an imaginary grid. Lines running vertically (Up and down) and horizontally (across) divide the map of the earth into rows and columns, just like in the map here. This is how the system of latitude and longitude works. It places an imaginary grid over the entire world.

Degrees Before we look at the lines on the grid you need to know what degrees are. The system of latitude and longitude is written in degrees. The symbol used for a degree is ° Each degree on the Earth is approximately 69 miles or 111 kilometers apart. Don’t worry if you are feeling a little confused. It will all make sense very soon.

LATITUDE Latitude lines are the lines that run horizontally. These are the lines that divide the world into rows. They begin at the equator (which is the center line on the Earth) and run North (above) and South ( below) of the equator. The Equator is zero degrees. The North pole is 90 degrees (90°) north and The South Pole is 90 degrees (90°) south. All other places are within 0 and 90 degrees north or south. Look at the diagram to help understand the lines of latitude

Longitude Longitude lines are the ones going up and down, or vertical. Zero degrees longitude is located at Greenwich in England. The degrees continue around the world up to 180 degrees East and 180 degrees west, where the lines meet at what is known as The International Date line. Look at the map to see how the Longitude lines work.

See how both latitude and longitude lines together create a grid over the whole earth.

How to locate places Now you know how the Earth’s grid is made up you now need to learn how to use these lines to help you find places in the world. Everywhere on the Earth has an exact latitude and longitude reading. You need to remember to always say and write the latitude reading first, then the longitude. For latitude you say how many degrees somewhere is either North or South of zero. For longitude you then say how many degrees somewhere is East or West of zero.

A marked on the map would be written like this – 60°N 120° W Lets have a go – Look at this map. A marked on the map would be written like this – 60°N 120° W B marked on the map would be written like this – 30°S 150° E

Precise Location The world is a very large place so there is a way to even find more precise locations than degrees. Remember one degree is about 69 miles or 111 kms. What if the place you wanted was say 20 miles after the last degree? There needs to be some more precise measurements. Degrees are therefore divided even more into minutes and seconds. 1 degree = 60 minutes 1 minute = 60 seconds. They have symbols too: Remember the degree symbol ° The minute symbol is ’ The second symbol is “

For example the US Capital is 38°53’23”N and 77°00’27”W Or 38 degrees, 53 minutes and 23 seconds North of the equator and 77 degrees, zero minutes and 27 seconds west of Meridian. See how exact it can be!

TEST your skills Now you will be given a small quiz to test your understanding of the rules of latitude and longitude. If you pass the test you will be assigned a secret mission, to locate hidden treasure in the world using your new skills. The first in your class to find the treasure will be a billionaire! Good luck.