Latitudes and longitudes Flashcards
What are latitudes?
The latitude of a place is the angular distance of that place north or south of the equator, as measured from the center of the Earth.
What is the earth’s grid?
A complete network of parallels of latitudes and meridians of longitudes drawn on the map or the globe of the earth is known as the earth’s grid. It helps us determine the exact location of a place.
What is the equator?
It is an imaginary circle circumscribing the earth through the center and is equidistant from the poles. It is the largest latitude.
What is the latitude at the equator?
0 degrees
What is the latitude at the poles?
90 degree N and S respectively
How many parallels of latitude are there?
There are total 180 latitudes each at an angular distance of 1 degree.
What is the distance between the latitudes and the longitudes? why?
111km. Earth is 360 degrees and its circumference is approx. 40000km. 40,000/360 = 111km
What is the distance of the equator from the poles?
10000 km
what are the 5 main parallels of the latitude?
The five main parallels include :
- Equator
- Tropic of cancer
- Tropic of Capricorn
- Arctic circle
- The Antarctic circle
What are the characteristics of the Equator?
- It receives direct rays of the sun
- It is the longest latitude and also known as the great circle
- Its latitude is 0 degrees
- All other lines of latitudes are parallel to the equator.
- It divides the earth into two equal halves
Why are the tropics of cancer and Capricorn important?
The tropic of cancer is located at 23.5 degrees N. The sun is directly overhead this tropic on June 21st and that marks the longest day in the northern hemisphere. The tropic of capricorn is located at 23.5 degrees S. The sun is directly overhead it on December 22 which marks the longest day in the southern hemisphere.
What are the features of the Arctic and the Antartcic circle?
The arctic circle located at 66.5 degrees north receives oblique rays of sun. So does the south. Due to the inclination of the axis, they experience 6 months of day and six months of night.
Why are latitudes important?
- they help us derive the exact location of a place.
- The 5 main parallels divide the Earth into 5 climate zones. According to the climatic conditions, the vegetations differ.
- Great circle routes are drawn between two points in terms of their latitude and their longitude. These routes help sailors and aircrafts to save fuel, time and reach their destination much faster.
What are the climatic zones of the world?
- Torrid or tropical zones
- Temperate zones
- Frigid zones
What is the torrid zone?
*Between the tropic of cancer and the tropic of capricorn
*Northern and southern torrid zones
* Low pressure area because the equator receives direct rays of sunlight
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