Question.
What are the parallels between latitude and meridians of longitude?
( Chapter 2: Globe: Latitudes and Longitudes, Class 6- The Earth: Our Habitat ( GEOGRAPHY), SOCIAL SCIENCE)
Answer.
Parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude are both used to specify locations on the Earth's surface, but they have different characteristics:
The parallel of latitude:
The parallel of latitudes runs east-west and is parallel to the equator.
They are used to measure the distance north or south of the equator and are expressed in degrees of latitude.
The parallel of latitude is a circular line that imaginary circumstances earth and lies parallel to the equator.
The Equator is zero degrees latitude. The equator divides Earth into two halves-northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere. From the equator to the pole, there are 90 total parallel latitudes, so in total there are 180 parallel latitudes on the Earth.
All the parallel latitude that lies north of the equator are called North latitudes. Similarly, all parallel latitudes that lie south of the equator are called south latitudes.
The length of the parallel of latitude decreases from the equator to the pole. The Equator is the largest latitude in length. However, the distance between the two parallels of latitude remains the same.
The following are some prominent parallels of latitudes;
- Equator (zero degrees latitude)
- Tropic of Cancer (23.5 degrees north latitude)
- Tropic of Capricorn (23.5 degrees south latitude)
- Antarctic circle ( 66.5 degrees south latitude)
- Arctic Circle ( 66.5 degrees north latitude)
- North Pole ( 90 degrees north latitude)
- South pole ( 90 degrees south latitude)
Meridians of longitudes:
The Meridians of longitudes run north-south and converge at the poles.
The meridian of longitude which passes through Greenwich where the British Royal Observatory is located is called the prime meridian. Prime Meridian is zero degrees longitude.
They are used to measure the distance east or west of the Prime Meridian (which is at 0 degrees longitude). Distance between the meridian of longitude is measured in degrees. Each degree is further divided into minutes and minutes into seconds.
Meridians of longitude are not equidistant from each other; their spacing narrows as they approach the poles. Distance between the meridian of longitude decrease from the equator to the poles. Distance between meridians is zero at the poles and all meridian meets at poles.
The Meridian of Longitudes is a semi-circle.
Meridians of longitudes are equal in length and there are a total of 360 meridians of longitude.
The Meridian of Longitude helps to measure the time and date for countries.
In summary, parallels of latitude help determine how far north or south a location is from the equator, while meridians of longitude indicate how far east or west a location is from the Prime Meridian. Together, they form a grid system that helps for knowing the precise global location.
You may like also:
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon