Important Lines of Latitude A line of latitude is a imaginary line of longitude that stretches across the Earth, connecting points of the same latitude. The...
Important Lines of Latitude
A line of latitude is a imaginary line of longitude that stretches across the Earth, connecting points of the same latitude. The parallels, or lines extending from the North Pole to the South Pole, are called the North and South Poles. The equator, running roughly along the Prime Meridian, is the line of greatest latitude.
The lines of latitude are equatorial, parallel, and uniform in a way that they are equally spaced in both directions. They are also perpendicular to the lines of longitude, which are also equally spaced in both directions.
The latitude lines are equally divided into 60 equal degrees, which are measured from the North Pole to the South Pole. The degree lines are numbered in order starting from 0 degrees at the North Pole and increasing by 1 degree eastward and 1 degree westward.
Examples:
The equator lies between the North Pole and the South Pole, and parallels the Prime Meridian.
The lines of latitude run from the North Pole to the South Pole and are equally spaced.
The latitude lines are parallel to the meridians of longitude.
The lines of latitude are used to determine the latitude of a point on the Earth