Do you remember the starting point for latitude? The Equator is zero (0) degrees. You measure latitude in degrees north and south from the equator. There are 90 of latitude north and 90 of latitude south.
North latitude ends at the North Pole. South latitude ends at the South Pole. The North Pole is 90 north latitude. The South Pole is 90 south latitude.
Find the equator on your globe. Mark 0 on this line. Find the North Pole and mark 90 on or near this location. Write 90 on or near the South Pole.
Letter symbols indicate directions. N stands for north, and S stands for south. Find the 180th meridian on your globe It is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. You will see that lines of latitude are numbered every 10 north and south from the equator.
Using Latitude
1. The symbol 30N is located near what island? (Midway Island)
2. The symbol 40S is located near what island nation? (New Zealand)
Use the latitude markings around the globe to answer the following questions.
3. Put a mark in the space if the latitude line 40N passes through any of these places.
____Spain
____Africa
____Colorado
____China
4. Which of these places are between 20N and 30N? Mark the correct answer(s).
____Guatemala
____Australia
____Miami, FL
____Japan
Lesson 5 - Latitude (continued)
Every line of latitude is not shown. If you wish to find 35N, you should look halfway between 30N and 40N. In the south latitudes, you would look for 55S between 50S and 60S.
Locate and mark the following latitudes with an X along the 180th meridian: 15N, 25S.
Mark these cities in North America with their approximate latitude.
5. Houston, Texas
_____ 51N
6. Mexico City, Mexico
_____ 30N
7. Calgary, Alberta
_____ 19N
8. Chicago, Illinois
_____ 42N
Use the following clues and latitudes to identify certain cities on the continent of Africa.
Mark on the globe each city with the number of the corresponding question.
9.
34S - This city is named after the Cape of Good Hope. _____________________________
10.
36N - This city is just west of the Prime Meridian on the Mediterranean Sea.
It has four letters in its name. _____________________________
11.
7S - This city has three words in its name and is on the Indian Ocean.
_____________________________
12.
16N - This city is located where the White Nile River and the Blue Nile River meet.
_____________________________