Latitude and Longitude	Worksheet Objective: To provide students with information on how to use latitude and latitude to find locations on a map.

Latitude and Longitude

The lines on the globe are called lines of latitude and longitude, and they are used to pinpoint locations on Earth.   Lines that run parallel around the globe are called lines of latitude.  They go from east to west.  The equator is in the middle.  Latitude is measured north and south of the equator, which is the 0° line.  The North Pole is 90° north, while the South Pole is 90° south.

Lines of longitude circle the globe from the North Pole to the South Pole.  The 0° line of longitude is called the prime meridian.  It runs through Greenwich, England.  Locations east and west of the prime meridian are measured by degrees between 0° and 180° east and west. 

The lines of latitude and longitude divide Earth into four hemispheres: Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western.  The United States lies in both the Northern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere.  That’s because it lies west of the prime meridian, or 0° of longitude, and north of the equator, or 0° of latitude.

Let’s review some of the key words in geography:

• Equator - the imaginary line that circles the earth, dividing it into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres
• Hemisphere - half of the earth, east or west, north or south
• Latitude - a system of imaginary lines measuring distance north or south of the equator
• Longitude - a system of imaginary lines measuring distance east or west of the prime meridian
• Prime meridian - the imaginary line that divides the world into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres
• Grid - the pattern on a globe or map formed by the intersecting lines of latitude and longitude

 

Let’s practice:
Fill in the blank with the correct word.

1. The line marking 0° of latitude is called the .
   
   
2. The line marking 0° of longitude is called the .
   
   
3. The lines of latitude and longitude divide Earth into four .
   
   
4. What place would you find at 90° north latitude? .
   
   
5. The United States lies in both the Northern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere because it lies north of the  and west of the  .

Answers: 1. equator 2. prime meridian 3. hemisphere 4. North Pole 5. equator; prime meridian

Why learn Latitude and Longitude?

The interception of the latitude and longitude measurement is the global address of a location. Whenever you look up an address on your phone, GPS, or MapQuest, the system uses the global address to find the location.   When writing the global address of a location, the latitude value is listed first and the longitude value is listed second.  For instance, using the map below we can see that the global location for Reno is approximately 40° N, 120° W.  Reno is north of the equator 40 degrees and west of the prime meridian 120 degrees.

6. Which global location closely matches the city of New Orleans?
   a. 30° N, 90° W
   b. 90° N, 30° W
   c. 50° N, 90° W
   d. 30° N, 105° W
   
   
7. Which states does the latitude 110° run through?
   a. California, Oregon, Washington
   b. New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana
   c. Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Montana
   d. Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota
   
   
8. Which global location closely matches the city of Memphis?
   a. 90° N, 35° W
   b. 35° N, 90° W
   c. 30° N, 90° W
   d. 30° N, 105° W
   
   Answers: 6. a. 30° N, 90° W 7. c. Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Montana 8. b. 35° N, 90° W