Use Lines of Latitude and Longitude Lesson

Use Lines of Latitude and Longitude Lesson

This will be our lesson today on how to identify lines of latitude and longitude.

Multiple Choice

Which of these continents does the prime meridian intersect?

• North America

• South America

• Antarctica

The map.

Remember:

Lines of latitude and lines of longitude are imaginary lines drawn on some globes and maps. They can help you find places on globes and maps.

Map of lines of latitude.

Lines of latitude show how far north or south a place is. We use units called degrees to describe how far a place is from the equator. The equator is the line located at 0 degrees latitude. We start counting degrees from there.

Lines north of the equator are labeled N for north. Lines south of the equator are labeled S for south. Lines of latitude are also called parallels because each line is parallel to the equator.

Map for lines of longitude.

Lines of longitude are also called meridians. They show how far east or west a place is. We use degrees to help describe how far a place is from the prime meridian. The prime meridian is the line located at 0 degrees longitude. Lines west of the prime meridian are labeled W. Lines east of the prime meridian are labeled E. Meridians meet at the north and south poles.

The equator goes all the way around the earth, but the prime meridian is different. It only goes from the North Pole to the South Pole on one side of the earth. On the opposite side of the globe is another special meridian. It is labeled both 180 degrees E and 180 degrees W.

Together, lines of latitude and longitude form a grid. You can use this grid to find the exact location of a place.

Solve:

The prime meridian is the line at 0 degrees longitude. It intersects Africa. It does not intersect South America or North America.