Landscapes & Landforms: Latitude & Longitude

Latitude is the measurement of distance north or south of the Equator It is measured with 180 imaginary lines that form circles around the Earth east-west, parallel to the Equator. These lines are known as parallels. A circle of latitude is an imaginary ring linking all points sharing a parallel. Read through this article to learn more.

Longitude is the measurement east or west of the prime meridian. Longitude is measured by imaginary lines that run around the Earth vertically (up and down) and meet at the North and South Poles. These lines are known as meridians. Each meridian measures one arc degree of longitude. The distance around the Earth measures 360 degrees. Read through this article to learn more.

Using Lat/Long is different from using a street address. Instead of having a specific street address, Lat/Long works with a numbered grid system, like what you see when you look at graph paper. It has horizontal lines and vertical lines that intersect. A location can be mapped or found on a grid system simply by giving two numbers which are the location's horizontal and vertical coordinates; or, to say it another way, the "intersection" where the place is located). Read through this website to learn how.