Frank J. Gallucci
The location of a region is the determinate factor in establishing the climate of that region. The proximity to either the equator or the poles can determine whether the region will be warm or cold.
The world has a system, a grid system of imaginary lines running north and south, and east and west. The North Pole is the farthest point north, and the South Pole is the farthest point south, with the equator being the imaginary line halfway between the poles. The equator is the point from which we measure distance north or south. The equator itself is at zero degrees latitude. The N stands for north with the North Pole being 90° N. The S stands for south with the South Pole being 90° S. Latitude lines run from the equator north and from the equator south. Therefore, latitude is the distance north or south of the equator.
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Sometimes a place may fall between the latitude lines drawn. Even if there was a line drawn for every degree, there would be places that fall between the latitude lines. Therefore, for more exacting locations, degrees must be further divided. One degree equals 60 minutes. The symbol for minutes is ('). To be more exact, the minute can be further broken into seconds ("). Degrees, minutes and seconds are used for exactness.
Latitude or parallel lines are used to help us locate places north and south of the equator. To determine east and west locations another system of lines is used. These lines are called longitude lines. While latitude lines run parallel and never meet, longitude lines run north and south and meet at the poles. Another name for longitude line is meridian. Just as the equator is at 0° latitude, there is a meridian of 0° longitude, it is called the prime meridian. The prime meridian passes through Greenwich, England. All longitude lines running east of Greenwich are labeled E and all lines running west of Greenwich are labeled W.
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Just as we measure latitude in degrees, minutes and seconds, we measure longitude lines in the same way.
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