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| The
intersecting lines are
parallels of latitude and meridians of
longitude.
Each line has a particular purpose : |
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parallels of
latitude measure distance north or south of the Equator, and |
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meridians of
longitude measure distance east or west of the Prime Meridian, however, |
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parallels of
latitude measure distance north or south of the equator but run west -
east |
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meridians of
longitude measure distance west or east but run north - south |
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| When we put these intersecting lines together, we get a
grid that will allow us to locate any point on the surface of the planet by using coordinates. |
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| The ‘equator’ is an imaginary line that divides the planet, or sphere, in two hemispheres. A hemisphere means ‘half’ a sphere. Since parallels of latitude measure distance north - south, the equator is the boundary of the northern and southern hemispheres. |
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| The ‘prime meridian’ is also an imaginary line that divides the sphere into the western and eastern hemispheres. |
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| Parallels of
Latitude : |
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the
equator is latitude 0° |
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parallels run parallel to the equator and never meet or touch |
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parallels measure distance from the equator |
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points north of the equator are latitude north |
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points south of the equator are latitude south |
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parallels get shorter as they get closer to the poles |
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| Meridians of
Longitude : |
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the
prime meridian is 0° |
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meridians are drawn from North Pole to the South Pole |
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meridians meet at the poles (they touch) |
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they are not parallel |
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meridians are semicircles (0 - 180) |
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meridians have the widest distance apart at the equator which is approximately 111 kilometres |
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points west of the prime meridian are longitude west |
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points east of the prime meridian are longitude east |
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the prime meridian, 0°, runs from the north pole to the south pole and is now
180° - making a complete circle around the sphere |
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| Locating a place using intersecting lines
: |
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| When we combine parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude on a globe or
map, we get a grid that helps us pinpoint a location. |
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| Coordinates give
latitude first and longitude
second. It is also important to state whether the latitude is north or south, and the same for longitude, east or west. For example, the coordinates for Montreal are 45°N 73°W. |
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| If you would like to review this material, please take the
tutorial and go through each step as needed. |
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| Before you try to find a location on a globe or map, I would suggest that you try a little quiz to see if you understand the grid system. If you decide to take the quiz, just follow the instructions and click the ‘forward’ arrow to continue. | ||||
