What is Latitude?

Introduction

Latitudes are the imaginary lines drawn parallel to the equator. They are used to determine the distance of places at the North and South of the equator line. There are 180 imaginary lines drawn parallel to the equator that cover the earth’s surface from east to west.

The equator lies at 0°, and every latitude is measured at 1° North or South of the equator. Hence, the North Pole lies at 90° N, and the South Pole lies at 90° S of the equator.

Latitudes are horizontal lines distributed parallel to each other from the equator with 1° between each line. Latitudes are also known as ‘parallels’.

Important Latitudes

Measurement and Properties

Latitudes are measured in terms of degrees, minutes and seconds. Latitudes and longitudes are imaginary lines drawn over the earth’s surface, which allow us to navigate the directions and highlight specific locations.

The map of the latitudes and longitude intersection is commonly known as the Geographic Grid, Reference Grid or Graticule. This reference map helps the geographers and cartographers locate the different terrestrial bodies and locations across the earth’s surface.

Global Positioning System is the modern form of the geographical grid. The equator is often referred to as the great circle, and the parallels or latitudes are the small circles.

Properties of the Latitudes

• All the latitudes are small circles, whereas the equator is known as the great circle
• All latitudes are parallel and equidistant to each other
• All latitudes from the North to the South Pole are parallel to the line of the equator
• The latitudes are imaginary lines that extend from the east to the west of the globe and cover the earth
• Latitudes determine the climatic conditions of a region
• Latitudes are used for navigational purposes
• All latitudes are central to each other and differ by 1°
• In total, 180 latitudes cover the earth’s surface, of which the Equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Arctic Circle and Antarctic Circle are the most important ones

Important Latitudes

• The Equator

The equator is an imaginary line that divides the globe into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The equator is at 0°, and other latitudes lie parallel to the equator.

Since the Earth is geoid in shape, the line of the equator is the widest area of the earth with a circumference of 40,075 km. The earth’s diameter is longest at the equator (12,756 km). This condition is commonly referred to as the ‘equatorial bulge’.

• Tropic of Cancer

The Tropic of Cancer, also referred to as the Northern Tropic lies at 23.5° North of the equator. The sun lies directly above the Tropic of Cancer during the June solstice when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted towards the sun.

Tropic of Cancer is named after the sun’s positioning during the June solstice when the sun was positioned in the Cancer constellation.

• Tropic of Capricorn

The Tropic of Capricorn lies 23.5° south of the equator. This line is the southern equivalent of the Tropic of Cancer. During the June solstice, the Tropic of Capricorn reaches 90° below the horizon at solar midnight.

This line gradually moves northwards at the pace of 0.47 arcseconds or 15 metres per year. Less than 3% of the global population resides south of the Tropic of Capricorn.

• Arctic Circle

The Arctic Circle lies at 66° 33’ minutes north of the equator. This is the northernmost latitude which is of significance amongst the five important latitudes of the earth. The region to the south of the Arctic Circle is known as the Northern Temperate Zone.

• Antarctic Circle

The Antarctic Circle lies at 66° 33’ south of the line of the equator. This is the southernmost latitude of significance amongst the five important latitudes of the earth. The sun lies directly above the Antarctic Circle for 24 hours during the southern summer solstice.

Horse latitudes

The horse latitudes are those latitudes that lie exactly 30° to the north and south of the equator. This region generally experiences warm and pleasant weather with minimal quantities of rainfall.

These latitudes are also known as subtropical highs or ridges. This region lies at the divergence point of the trade winds and the westerlies. Monsoon in the Asiatic countries occurs when the subtropical ridge in the northwest Pacific region is more vital than usual.

Conclusion

Latitudes are imaginary lines drawn from east to west on the earth’s surface, which help in navigation and climatology studies. All the latitudes are parallel to the equator, the longest latitude.

The latitudes are known as the small circles, and the earth is divided into 180 latitudes, of which five are of utmost significance. All the latitudes are equidistant to each other by 1°.