1. Latitude and Longitude Learn to understand the latitude and longitude lines running across your maps and globes

2. Where On Earth Are We?
The ancient Babylonians originally divided any circle or sphere into 360 degrees.
There are 180 degrees between any two sides of a circle or sphere.
The north and south poles are 180 degrees apart from one another, and both are 90 degrees from the equator.
The equator is the imaginary line that is as far from the North Pole as it is from the South Pole.

3. Latitude
The horizontal lines that circle the globe are called Lines of Latitude.
The major line of latitude is the equator at 0°.

4. Longitude
The lines that run between the North and the South Poles are called Lines of Longitude, or meridians.
The major line of longitude is the Prime Meridian at 0°.

6. The Prime Meridian

7. Prime Meridian
The line at zero degrees longitude is called the Prime Meridian. The prime meridian runs through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England. Meridians are counted east and west from the prime meridian, which is numbered zero degrees longitude.
Prime Meridian
0 degrees longitude

8. Label the equator & Prime Meridian

9. So, where is (0,0)
The origin point (0,0) is where the equator intersects the Prime Meridian.
(0,0) is off the western coast of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean.

10. Hemispheres
Everything north of the equator is in the Northern Hemisphere, while everything south of the equator is in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Western Hemisphere is west of the Prime Meridian, while the Eastern Hemisphere is east of the Prime Meridian.

11. Label the hemispheres northern, southern, eastern and western.

12. Label the four hemispheres north eastern, north western, south eastern, and south western.
The E tells us that we’re east of the Prime Meridian. The W tells us that we’re west of the Prime Meridian.
The N tells us we’re north of the Equator. The S tells us we’re south of the Equator.

13. Latitude Equator To get to the next line of10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 15 45 75
105
120
135
150
165
180 E F G H
Latitude
Equator
To get to the next line of
latitude, you must move in which of two directions?

14. 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 15 45 75
105
120
135
150
165
180 E F G H
North
South

15. Longitude Prime Meridian To get to the next line of10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 15 45 75
105
120
135
150
165
180 E F G H
To get to the next line of
longitude you must move in which of two directions?
Prime Meridian

16. 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 15 45 75
105
120
135
150
165
180 E F G H
West
East

17. Directions 1. Label the equator & Prime Meridian.
2. Color latitude lines red. 
3. Color longitude lines blue.
4. Plot 40°N, 73°W and label it Baldwin, NY

19. Where Are We?
The United States is in the Northern and Western Hemispheres.
Baldwin is 73° west of the Prime Meridian and 40° north of the equator.
This is commonly expressed as 40°N, 73°W

20. Label the Latitude and Longitude
90º N 90º S
180º W
0º Latitude
45º N 45º S 135º W 90º W 45º W 90º E 135º E 180º E

21. Answer Key: How did you do?

22. 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 15 45 75
105
120
135
150
165
180 A B
A: 250N, 1000W B: 300S, 1000E

23. More on Latitude & Longitude

24. BASED ON THE ____________
LATITUDE
ALTITUDE
BASED ON THE ____________
OF _______________
POLARIS

25. POLARIS CAN ONLY BE
SEEN IN THE
HEMISPHERE
NORTHERN

26. LONGITUDE
BASED ON EARTH’S
ROTATION

27. LONGITUDE
EACH HOUR,
EARTH ROTATES
15°
(360°/24hrs)

28. HOW MANY TIME ZONES?

29. HOW MANY TIME ZONES?
24 TIME ZONES,
15° APART

30. People on the same line of longitude have the same Local Time
For example, New York & Florida

31. Time is forward to all places to the east WEST LESS
ANOTHER CHEESY SAYING
EAST INCREASE
Time is forward to all places to the east
WEST LESS
Time is backward to all places to the west

32. East Increase – West Less (1 hr per l5°)
If it 9 p.m. at Position D, what time is it at position C? Position B?
If it is 1 p.m. at Position X, at which location is the time 5 p.m.