Same Social studies › Maps and geography › Latitude and longitude
How do latitude and longitude work?
Latitude lines run east–west and measure how far north or south of the equator a place is, from 0° to 90°. Longitude lines run north–south and measure how far east or west of the prime meridian, from 0° to 180°. A location is written latitude first: 20°N, 20°E.
- Latitude: north or south of the equator.
- Longitude: east or west of the prime meridian.
- Write latitude first, with N/S and E/W.
Why schools teach it
It's the address system for the whole planet
Students use maps and other representations to explain where places are (C3 D2.Geo.1.3-5, D2.Geo.2.6-8). Latitude and longitude give an exact location anywhere, which is how GPS and phone maps work.
A memory trick: latitude lines are like rungs on a “ladder” (lat-itude, ladder), stacked from south to north.
At the kitchen table
What to say, and what to skip
Say this
Find the equator first. Is the point north or south of it?
LatitudeNow find the prime meridian. East or west?
LongitudeWhich number goes first?
LatitudeDid you include N, S, E or W?
Skip this
- Writing longitude first.The convention is latitude, then longitude.
- Leaving off N/S or E/W.20° alone could be in four different places.
- Mixing up which lines are which.Latitude lines are flat, like ladder rungs.
See it in action
Finding a point on the grid
Latitude
The point is two lines above the equator, at 20° → 20°NLongitude
It's one line east of the prime meridian, at 20° → 20°EWrite it
20°N, 20°E
Real coordinates use minutes and seconds too, like 40°42′N.
Free practice sheet
Make a latitude and longitude sheet
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Parents also ask
Which lines are parallels?
Latitude lines. They never meet. Longitude lines, called meridians, meet at the poles.
Where is 0° latitude?
The equator.
Where is 0° longitude?
The prime meridian, which runs through Greenwich, England.
Why is longitude up to 180° but latitude only to 90°?
Latitude goes from the equator to a pole (a quarter turn). Longitude goes halfway around the globe east or west.