1. Latitude and Longitude

2. LATITUDE THE ANGULAR DISTANCE NORTH OR SOUTH OF THE EQUATOR
•PARALLELS OF LATITUDE CONSISTS OF ALL POINTS HAVING THE SAME LATITUDE LIEING ON A CIRCLE WHICH IS PARALLEL TO THE EQUATOR
•LATITUDE INCREASES TO A MAXIMUM OF 90º NORTH AND 90º SOUTH OF THE EQUATOR

3. WHEN WRITING A LOCATION’S LATITUDE YOU MUST INCLUDE AN “N” OR AN “S”
EQUATOR- MARKS THE MIDDLE LOCATION ON EARTH’S SURFACE, HALFWAY BETWEEN THE GEOGRAPHIC NORTH AND SOUTH POLES
TROPICS – TROPIC OF CANCER 23.5º N
TROPIC OF CAPRICORN 23.5º S
ARCTIC CIRCLE 66.5º N
ANTARCTIC CIRCLE 66.5º S

4. THE ALTITUDE OF POLARIS EQUALS THE DEGREE OF LATITUDE IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
ZENITH – THE POINT DIRECTLY OVERHEAD
ALTITUDE OF POLARIS AT THE
EQUATOR=
NORTH POLE= 0º
90º

5. LONGITUDE
IS AN ANGULAR DISTANCE EAST OR WEST OF THE PRIME MERIDIAN

6. MERIDIAN OF LONGITUDE- A SEMI-CIRCLE ON THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH CONNECTING THE NORTH AND SOUTH POLES
 LONGITUDE INCREASES EAST OR WEST OF THE PRIME MERIDIAN TO 180º
PRIME MERIDIAN- THE MERIDIAN OF ZERO LONGITUDE WHICH PASSES THROUGH GREENWICH, ENGLAND

7. WHEN RECORDING A LOCATION’S LONGITUDE YOU MUST INCLUDE EITHER “E” OR “W”
LONGITUDE CAN BE CALCULATED USING THE TIME DIFFERENCE FROM YOUR LOCATION TO GREENWICH, ENGLAND.
15º = 1 HOUR
YOUR TIME IS AHEAD OF GREENWICH TO THE EAST, AND BEHIND GREENWICH TO THE WEST
THE INTERNATIONAL DATE LINE IS LOCATED 180º FROM THE PRIME MERIDIAN

8. LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE ARE MEASURED IN DEGREES AND MINUTES
1 DEGREE = 60 MINUTES
FOR EXAMPLE
42º30”N, 75º15”W
YOU MUST BE ABLE TO ACCURATELY READ OR PLOT ANY LOCATION USING THIS COORDINATE SYSTEM!