Question

What are parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude?

Answer 1

All parallel circles from the equator to the poles are known as parallels of latitudes.

The lines of reference running from the North Pole to the South Pole are known as meridians of longitude.

Parallels of latitude

• Parallels of latitudes can be referred to as the parallel circles from the equator up to the poles.
• They are usually measured in degrees.
• The equator depicts the zero degrees latitude. Its distance from the equator to either of the poles is almost one-fourth of a circle round the earth, it will measure ¼th of 360 degrees, that is 90°. Thus, 90 degrees towards north latitude marks the North Pole and 90 degrees towards south latitude marks the South Pole.

Some vital Parallels of Latitudes with reference to earth are listed below

• Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere measuring around 23½° N
• Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere measuring around 23½° S.
• Arctic Circle which is at 66½° north of the equator.
• Antarctic Circle which is at 66½° south of the equator.

Meridians of longitude

• The lines of reference running from the North Pole to the South Pole are known as meridians of longitude.
• The meridian which passes through Greenwich, where the British Royal Observatory is located. This meridian is regarded as the Prime Meridian.
• The value of this meridians is 0° longitude and from it we count 180° eastward as well as 180° westward.
• The Prime Meridian and 180° meridian divides the earth into two equal halves which is known as the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere.