United States History Student Edition

Everything west of the Prime Meridian is in the Western Hemisphere. Finding Places on Earth The Equator and Prime Meridian are two of the lines on maps and globes that help you find places on Earth. The two sets of lines are called latitude and longitude. Lines of latitude (LA•tuh•tood) circle Earth parallel to the Equator. They measure distance north or south of the Equator in degrees. The Equator is at 0° (zero degrees) latitude, while the North Pole is at latitude 90°N (90 degrees north). Lines of longitude (LAHN•juh•tood) circle Earth from Pole to Pole. These lines measure distances east or west of the Prime Meridian, which is at 0° longitude. The grid system formed by lines of latitude and longitude makes it possible to find the absolute location of a place. This is the exact spot where a line of latitude crosses a line of longitude. An absolute location is written in special symbols called degrees (°) and minutes (') (points between degrees). For example, the Empire State Building in New York City is located at latitude 40°44' north and longitude 73°59' west. From Globes to Maps When the curves of a globe become straight lines on a map, the size, shape, distance, or area can change. Mapmakers figured out ways to overcome this problem in showing Earth’s surface on a map. Using mathematics, they

Latitude and Longitude Finding the point where a line of latitude meets a line of longitude allows geographers to pinpoint the absolute location of a place.

90°N (North Pole) 75°N 60°N

45°N

30°N

15°N

0° (Equator)

15°S 30°S

45°W

30°W

45°E

15°W

30°E

0° (Prime Meridian)

15°E

is in the Northern Hemisphere. Everything south of the Equator is in the Southern Hemisphere. Another imaginary line runs from north to south. It divides Earth into eastern and western hemispheres. This line is called the Prime Meridian. Generally, the area east of the Prime Meridian is in the Eastern Hemisphere.

latitude imaginary lines that circle Earth parallel to the Equator longitude imaginary lines that circle Earth from the North Pole to the South Pole, measuring distance east or west of the Prime Meridian

GOODE’S INTERRUPTED EQUAL AREA PROJECTION

ROBINSON PROJECTION

ARCTIC CIRCLE

ARCTIC CIRCLE

N

TROPIC OF CANCER

M E R I D I A

TROPIC OF CANCER

EQUATOR

EQUATOR

TROPIC OF CAPRICORN

TROPIC OF CAPRICORN

P R I M E

ANTARCTIC

CIRCLE

PRIME MERIDIAN

ANTARCTIC CIRCLE

Goode’s Interrupted Equal-Area projection has the least distortion in both size of land and water areas and direction. The Robinson projection shows a fairly accurate picture of land size and shape, but there is a great deal of distortion at the North and South Poles.

HT30