Geographic

grid:
Latitudes
and
Longitudes
The earth’s surface is so vast that unless a mathematical
method is used, it is impossible to locate a place on it.
For this reason, imaginary lines are drawn on the globe.
The lines running east to west, parallel to the equator,
are called lines of latitude. The lines running north to
south passing through the poles are called lines of
longitude. The intersection of latitudes and longitudes
pinpoint a place on the earth’s surface. These criss-
crossing lines frame work known as the Geographic grid.
Eratosthenes, the Greek philosopher who had for the
first time calculated the circumference of the earth, had
devised line of latitude and longitude to locate places on
the earth. This grid on the globe or the map serves the
same purpose as the system of coordinates on the x-axis
and y-axis on a graph paper. In this case the x-axis is
represented by lines of latitude (horizontal) and y-axis,
by lines of longitude (vertical).

Line of latitude
Lines of latitude are the imaginary lines joining all places
having the same latitude towards north or south of the
equator.
Latitude is the angular distance of a place north or south
of the equator.
Latitude is marked in degrees, with equator being 0
degrees.
Latitudes are calculated according to the angle a place
makes with the centre of the earth.
Since, the lines of latitude are parallel to the equator and
each other; they are called parallels of latitude.
Each parallel of latitude is a full circle however, only the
equator is a great circle.
The lines of latitude are not of equal length and become
smaller as we move towards the poles, At 60° latitude in
each hemisphere the length of the circle is half the
length of the equator. At the poles these lines are just
point or dots.

Main Latitudes
There are 181 parallels of latitude at 1° interval.
Equator: Equator is the longest line of latitudes. It
represents 0° latitudes.
The North Pole: (90°N) is located at an angular distance
of 90° north of the equator.
The South Pole: The South Pole is located at an angular
distance 90° of the equator.
The Tropic of Cancer: (231/2 ° N) is a line of latitude
located 231/2 ° N of the equator.
The Tropic of Capricorn: (231/2 ° S) is a line of latitude
located (231/2 ° S) south of the equator.
The Arctic Circle: represents 661/2 °N latitude. The Arctic
Circle marks the limit of the polar region surrounding the
North Pole.
The Antarctic Circle: represents 661/2 °S Latitude. The
Antarctic Circle marks the limit of the polar region
around the South Pole.

Northern and Southern Hemisphere

The equator that runs midway between the poles divides
the earth into two equal hemispheres known as the
Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.
The Poles–North Pole and South Pole—are opposite
To each other at the extreme ends of the sphere. They
are each located at 90 ° angular distances north or south
of the equator.
The length of the equator is equal to the circumference
of the earth or 40,075km. Since the circumference of the
circle is equal to 360°, the 1° angular distance is roughly
equal to 111km.

Uses of Latitudes
The lines of latitude form one of the coordinates of the
grid system. The lines of latitude have the following uses:
 To Find the Location of a place:
Latitude gives us the location of a place north or south of
the equator. Such a location is known as an absolute
location.
To Measure the Distance of a Place:
Distances are calculated with reference to the equator at
right angle to the place. We can therefore, measure the
distance of any place from the equator based on its
degree of latitude. For Example, the latitude of Mumbai
is 19°N and that of New Delhi is 30°N. We know the 1°
latitude 111km. We can say that Mumbai is 2109km
(111*19°) away from equator. Similarly, New Delhi is
3,330km (111*30°) away from equator.
Heat Zones: Besides helping us to locate place on maps
and charts, lines of latitude divide the earth into distinct
heat belts. The lines of latitude indicate the general
climate of the area by applying the principle of the heat
zones or thermal zones of the earth. Thus, latitudes
enable us to divide the earth into different climatic
zones.
The Torrid of Tropical Zone:
Te area laying between the tropic of cancer (231/2° N) and
tropic of Capricorn (231/2°S) mark the limits of the torrid
(meaning very hot) Zone. It is also called the Tropical
Zone. It is the hottest zone of the earth.
The temperate Zone:
Two other important lines of latitude based on
temperature are the Arctic Circle (661/2°N) and Antarctic
Circle (661/2°s). Between the Arctic Circle and the tropic of
cancer as well as between the Antarctic Circle and the
tropic of Capricorn lie the two Temperate Zones – The
north temperate (231/2°N to 661/2°N) and the south
temperate zones (231/2°S to 661/2°S). In this region, the
climate is moderate, i.e., neither to hot nor to cold.
The frigid zones:
Between the Arctic Circle and the North Pole and
between the Antarctic Circle and the South Pole are the
two Fridge Zone of the earth. These are the Polar Regions
and receive the sun’s slanting rays. In these two zones,
very low temperatures are recorded.
Lines of Longitude
A longitude is the angular distance of a place east or west
of the Prime Meridian.
The Prime Meridian is the line of longitude whose
angular distance is defined as 0°. It passes through
Greenwich near London.
The lines to the west of Greenwich are suffixed with °’W’
and that east of Greenwich are suffixed with °’E’. For
example 60°W and 60°E. In any segment, one will be in
the east and the other in the west. The sum total of two
lines will always be 180°, individually all lines of longitude
are semi-circles.
The two diametrically opposite lines make a full circle
also known as the great circle. The distance between two
lines of longitude is maximum at the equator (111km).
The distance decrease gradually as one move towards
the Poles.
Longitude and Time
The lines of longitude, as stated earlier are also known as
the ‘Meridians’. At a particular moment of the, if it is 12
Noon at a given Longitude, it must be 12 Noon at all
places on this Longitude.
The earth makes a complete circle on its axis – it covers
360° Longitude in 24 hours. That is to say, it covers every
15° Longitude in 1 hour or 1° Longitude every 4 minutes
thus, if it is 12 Noon at 0° Longitude, it must be 2 minutes
Past 12 Noon towards the east at the next 1°E Longitude
or at 15°E Longitude it must be 1 p.m. towards the west,
it will be 1 hour less because earth rotates from west to
east as the sun first rises in the east. The purpose of
memorizing, EGA-WLS formula is used. EGA stands for
East Gain-Add and WLS means West-Lose-Subtract. This
in other words means that for each 1° Longitude toward
the east, 4 minutes are to added and each 1° Longitude
towards the west, 4 minutes are to be subtracted.

Local Time
The Local Time of any place is obtained by the overhead
sun at noon. For each degree of Longitude, the Local
Time varies by 4 minutes. For example, the Longitude
Mumbai is 73°E and that of New Delhi is 77°E. If it is 12
noon at Mumbai (73°E) it must be 16 minutes past 12
noon at New Delhi at the same time (77°E-73°E = 4°
longitude difference. 1° latitude = 4 minutes 4° longitude
= 16 minutes which is to be added because Delhi lies to
the East of Mumbai). This means that there will be a
huge time difference between Gujarat in the west and
Assam in the East. Every place at different Longitude will
have its own Local Time.
Time Zones and Standard Time
Time Zones
To overcome the confusion while allowing the interplay
of natural forces to operate, the earth has been divided
into 24 Time Zones according to the number of hours in a
day. Each zone covers 15° longitude (360/24). The time
for the whole zone is determined on the basis of central
meridian of that place. While countries with smaller East-
West extent like India have only one Standard Time Zone,
countries like Russia, Canada, USA have more than one
Time Zones.

Standard Time
The uniform time based on a central meridian is known
as the Standard Time. Standard time must be divisible by
71/2°. This allows time to be reckoned by a unit of half-an-
hour and not smaller difference.
Greenwich Mean Time
Further, while fixing the time zones, the times at
Greenwich (0° longitude) has been selected as the mean
time. Thus, if it is 12 Noon at Greenwich, at 15°E
longitude, the time will be 1 pm and at 30°E longitude,
the time will be 2 pm. The time fixed with reference to
Greenwich is called the Greenwich Mean Time or GMT.
Indian Standard Time (IST)
In our country, 82°30’E is the central meridian. It passes
through Mirzapur near Allahabad (Prayagraj). It is known
as the standard meridian of India. While fixing the Indian
standard time with respect to the (Greenwich main time)
we have to, add 82°30’*40 minutes = 330 minutes or 51/2
hours. This means that India is 51/2 hours ahead of GMT.
Thus if it is 9 AM at London it must be 9+5.30 or 14.30
hrs. Or 2.30 PM in India.
Worked out Example for calculating the time at a Place
Example: It is 5.30 pm. in India when the Prime Minister’s
radio broadcast made from Montreal in Canada was
heard. What must have been the time at Montreal?
Solution 1: After consulting the atlas we find Montreal
lies 74°W.
Time in India = 17:30 hrs. (5:30 pm)
India is ahead GMT = 5 hrs. 30 mins.
Time at Greenwich = 12:00 hrs. (Noon)
Montreal time difference with respect to GMT

∵ = 4 hours 56 minutes
=296 minutes. (74*4 minutes)

∵ = 12 hours – 4 hours 56 minutes.

Montreal is to the west of GMT, its time

∵ =7:04 am.
Solution 2: Standard Meridian of India = 821/2 °E
Standard Meridian of Montreal = 74°W
Total Meridians = 1561/2°
Meridian = 4 minutes
156 1/2° Meridian = 626 minutes (1561/2°*4) = 10 hours 26
minutes
Montreal is to the best of Delhi, Therefore, time
difference will be deducted = 17:30 hours – 10:26 hours =
7:04 am in Montreal. The Prime Minister made his
broadcast at 7:04 am from Montreal which was received
at 5:30 pm in India.