Detailed Notes on Latitude and Longitude

  • Sense of Direction

    • Understanding directions is fundamental for navigation.

    • Four cardinal directions:

      • North (N)

      • East (E)

      • West (W)

      • South (S)

  • Intermediate Directions

    • NorthEast (NE)

    • NorthWest (NW)

    • SouthEast (SE)

    • SouthWest (SW)

Latitude

  • Definition

    • Imaginary lines that run horizontally around the Earth.

    • They do not meet and form smaller circles at the poles.

    • Starting point is the equator.

  • Measurement

    • Lines numbered from 0° at the equator to 90° N at the North Pole, and 90° S at the South Pole.

    • North Pole = 90° N

    • Equator = 0°

    • South Pole = 90° S

    • Examples:

      • 45° N - halfway to the North Pole

      • 45° S - halfway to the South Pole

Longitude

  • Definition

    • Imaginary lines that run vertically from the North Pole to the South Pole.

    • Lines meet at the poles and extend from pole to pole, maintaining the same length.

    • Starting point is the Prime Meridian.

  • Measurement

    • Lines begin at the Prime Meridian (0°).

    • Examples:

      • 60° W - 60° west of the Prime Meridian.

      • 60° E - 60° east of the Prime Meridian.

Prime Meridian

  • Function

    • Splits the Earth into Western Hemisphere (W) and Eastern Hemisphere (E).

    • Locations east of the Prime Meridian are given East (E) longitude; west are given West (W) longitude.

Combined Coordinates

  • Finding Locations

    • Any location can be pinpointed by combining latitude and longitude.

    • Format: [ \text{Latitude}, \text{Longitude} ]

Absolute Location of the Philippines

  • Coordinates

    • Exact geographical location of the Philippines is between 5° to 21° N latitude and 114° to 127° E longitude.

    • Coordinate system illustrated by a globe, which has latitude and longitude lines forming a grid.

Important Lines of Latitude

  • Parallels of Latitude

    • Lines of latitude are parallel to the equator.

    • Key lines of latitude include:

      • Arctic Circle (66.5° N)

      • Tropic of Cancer (23.5° N)

      • Equator (0°)

      • Tropic of Capricorn (23.5° S)

      • Antarctic Circle (66.5° S)

  • Climate Zones

    • The Tropics (between Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn) experience a tropical climate (avg. temp > 18°C).

    • Northern Temperate Zone (between Tropic of Cancer and Arctic Circle) and Southern Temperate Zone (between Tropic of Capricorn and Antarctic Circle) experience four seasons: winter, spring, summer, autumn.

    • Polar Regions (inside Arctic and Antarctic Circles) experience very cold temperatures, rarely exceeding 10°C.

Climate and Latitude

  • General Relationship

    • Closer to equator: warmer climate.

    • Closer to poles: colder climate.

    • Importance of understanding this relationship for geography.

Activity & Examples

  • True or False Quiz

    • LATITUDE of the Equator is 0º.

    • LONGITUDE of the Prime Meridian is 0º, not 90º.

  • Identifying Coordinates:

    • Examples of coordinates for specific locations:

      • Location A: 60° N, 30° W

      • Location B: 15° S, 105° W

      • Location C: 75° S, 75° E

    • Location in the middle of a box requires average coordinates based on the grid.

  • Writing Coordinates

    • Always write latitude first (N/S) and longitude next (E/W).

Conclusion

  • Understanding latitude and longitude is essential for locating any place on Earth accurately.

  • This knowledge has practical applications in geography, navigation, and climate understanding.