Differences between Latitude and Longitude
Latitude vs. Longitude[edit]
Latitude and longitude are the two coordinates of a geographic coordinate system that specify the position of a point on the Earth's surface.[1] Both are angular measurements, expressed in degrees, that are used together to locate any place.[2] Latitude specifies a point's north-south position, while longitude specifies its east-west position.[3]
Comparison table[edit]
| Feature | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|
| Name of Lines | Parallels[4] | Meridians |
| Direction | Lines run east-west, but measure north-south distance.[4] | Lines run north-south, but measure east-west distance. |
| Reference Line | Equator (0°) | Prime Meridian (0°) |
| Measurement Range | 0° to 90° North and 90° South | 0[3]° to 180° East and 180° West |
| Parallelism | Lines are parallel to one another and never intersect. | Lines[4] are not parallel; they converge at the North and South Poles. |
| Length[5] of Lines | Unequal; the Equator is the longest, and lines shorten toward the poles. | Equal;[5] all meridians are the same length, passing from pole to pole. |
| Primary Use | Helps determine climate zones. | Helps determine time zones. |
Latitude[edit]
Lines of latitude, also called parallels, are imaginary circles that run east and west, parallel to the Equator. Latitude[1] is the measurement of distance north or south of the Equator, which is the starting line at 0° latitude. This measurement[4] is an angle ranging from 0° at the Equator to 90° North at the North Pole and 90° South at the South Pole. Because parallels[3] are always equidistant from each other, the distance between each degree of latitude remains relatively constant, at approximately 111 kilometers (69 miles).
Longitude[2][edit]
Lines of longitude, also called meridians, are imaginary semi-circles that run from the North Pole to the South Pole. Longitude is the measurement of distance east or west of the Prime Meridian, an arbitrary line that is set at 0° longitude. The Prime Meridian runs through Greenwich, London, in the United Kingdom. Measurements of longitude range from 0° to 180° east and 180° west of the Prime Meridian. Unlike parallels of latitude, meridians of longitude are not parallel to each other. They are farthest apart at the Equator and converge until they meet at the poles. Because the Earth[2] rotates 360 degrees in a 24-hour period, longitude is closely linked to the measurement of time, with a difference of 15 degrees of longitude corresponding to a one-hour difference in local time.
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "britannica.com". Retrieved December 21, 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "thoughtco.com". Retrieved December 21, 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "wikipedia.org". Retrieved December 21, 2025.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "wikipedia.org". Retrieved December 21, 2025.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "noaa.gov". Retrieved December 21, 2025.
