Locating Position by Latitude and Longitude

On Earth, we specify one’s position using two coordinates: latitude and longitude. These two essentially create a grid over earth from which we can determine the position of anything on earth.

Latitude lines, or parallels, run horizontally and parallel to the equator. Latitude tells us how far North (values 0° to 90° N) or South (values 0° to 90° degrees S) we are from the equator.

Longitude lines, or meridians, run vertically from the North Pole to the South Pole so that they cross the Equator at a 90° angle.  Longitude is measured relative to the Prime Meridian that runs through the Greenwich Observatory. It signifies how far west or east something is from the prime meridian (West (values 0° to 180° W) and East (values 0° to 180° E).

Every point on Earth lies on the intersection of a specific parallel and meridian

Scroll to Top