Latitude & Longitude Social Studies 6 th Grade 2009/10 Developed by Elin Richmond using illustrations from National Geographic’s Journey Through Time

Hemispheres The earth is divided into 4 hemispheres as shown (with grey shading) in the pictures below. The Equator at 0° degrees latitude (horizontal), divides the earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The Prime Meridian at 0° degrees longitude (vertical), and at 180° degrees, divides the earth into the Western and Eastern hemispheres.

Hemispheres Examples Phoenix, Arizona, USA, North America: North Western Hemisphere Galveston, Texas, USA, North America: North Western Hemisphere Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, North America: North Western Hemisphere Malmö, Sweden, Europe: North Eastern Hemisphere Ceylon, Sri Lanka, Asia: North Eastern Hemisphere Tokyo, Japan, Asia: North Eastern Hemisphere Cape Town, South Africa, Africa: South Eastern Hemisphere Sydney, Australia, Australia: South Eastern Hemisphere

Latitude & Longitude Latitude measure the distance from the Equator, and are horizontal lines. For example: To find 45°N, you’d start from the Equator (which is 0°) and go up (because North is up) until you find 45°N. Remember: North is up on a map, and South is down on a map. Latitude and longitude are the imaginary lines that tell us the distance from the Equator and the Prime Meridian. Both are measured in degrees. Latitude  

Latitude & Longitude Longitude measure the distance from the Prime Meridian and are vertical lines. For example: To find 30°W, you’d start from the Prime Meridian (which is 0°) and go left (because West is left) until you find 30°W. Remember: West is left on a map, and east is right on a map. Latitude and longitude are the imaginary lines that tell us the distance from the Equator and the Prime Meridian. Both are measured in degrees. Longitude  

Latitude & Longitude Examples Phoenix, Arizona, USA, North America: 33°N,112°W Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, North America: 35°N,111°W Galveston, Texas, USA, North America: 29°N, 94°W Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, North America: 21°N, 157°W Malmö, Sweden, Europe: 55°N, 13°E Tokyo, Japan, Asia: 35°N, 139°E Ceylon, Sri Lanka, Asia: 7°N, 81°E Sydney, Australia, Australia: 33°S, 151°E Cape Town, South Africa, Africa: 33°S, 18°E

Please see the Journey Across Time Geography Handbook for more details. Geography Handbook Geography Handbook