* * 0 Latitude and Longitude

* * 0 ■ Lines of Latitude and Longitude are imaginary lines that encircle the Earth in either an East- West direction or in a North-South direction ■ Together they form a grid which can be used to identify locations on the Earth’s surface

* * 0 Latitude and Longitude ■ When using these lines to find a location the coordinates are always given latitude first and then longitude

* * 0 Latitude

* * 0 ■ Latitude is the name for a group of imaginary lines that run parallel to the Equator ■ The Equator is the 0 degree line and splits the earth into two equal halves –northern and southern hemispheres ■ Each hemisphere is divided into 90 degrees, from the Equator to the Pole

* * 0 Latitude ■ When finding a point in the Northern hemisphere the latitude is given as (x) degrees N ■ For a point in the Southern hemisphere the coordinates would be (x) degrees S

* * 0 Latitude ■ Lines of latitude get smaller as they get further north because the distance around the Earth decreases ■ At the Poles the latitude is 90 degrees and the circular distance is 0km, each Pole being just a single point

* * 0 Latitude ■ Lines of latitude get smaller as they get further north because the distance around the Earth decreases ■ At the Poles the latitude is 90 degrees and the circular distance is 0km, each Pole being just a single point

* * 0 Latitude ■ There are several major lines of Latitude other than the Equator and the Poles ■ They are the Tropic of Cancer, the Tropic of Capricorn, the Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle

* * 0 Longitude

* * 0 ■ Lines of longitude run north-south around the planet ■ They begin at the Prime Meridian and split the Earth into East and West hemispheres ■ There are 180 degrees in each hemisphere

* * 0 Longitude ■ When locating a point in the Eastern hemisphere the longitude is given as (x) degrees E ■ For a point in the Western hemisphere the longitude would be (x) degrees W

* * 0 Longitude ■ All lines of longitude are the same length ■ There is only one important line of Longitude other than the Prime Meridian – the International Date Line ■ This is the 180 degree line in both directions

* * 0 Latitude and Longitude Finding Locations Finding Locations ■ To use latitude and longitude to find a location you simply follow the lines until they meet at the point you are looking for

* * 0 Latitude and Longitude Finding Locations Finding Locations ■ The latitude is always the first coordinate given ■ It will be a number between 0 and 90 degrees and will be followed by either an N or an S, depending on which hemisphere the location is in ■ Longitude is always the second number and will be between 0 and 180 degrees, followed by either an E or a W

* * 0 Latitude and Longitude Finding Locations Finding Locations ■ Not all points are located neatly at the points where the lines intersect ■ To find locations between the points each degree is split into 60 smaller sections called minutes ■ For example, the coordinates for Orono are 43 59N 78 36W

* * 0 Latitude and Longitude Finding Locations Finding Locations ■ The coordinates for Orono mean that the village is located 43 degrees and 59 minutes north of the Equator and 78 degrees and 36 minutes west of the Prime Meridian ■ If you are using a GPS device there will be an additional set of numbers for each coordinate, called seconds ■ Seconds subdivide the minutes into even smaller sections and provide additional accuracy