THE EARTH AND ITS IMAGINARY LINES
Lines of latitude or parallels are horizontal lines dividing the
Earth's surface. The line of latitude in the centre of the sphere
is called the Equator. The Equator divides the globe into two
hemispheres. Anything above the Equator is in the northern
hemisphere and anything below is in the southern hemisphere.
Coordinates specify a north-south position on the Earth's
surface, ranging from 0 degrees on the equator to 90 degrees
at the poles. The North Pole is at 90 degrees north, and the
South Pole is at 90 degrees south.
The Tropic of Cancer and The Tropic of Capricorn are two other
important parallels. The Tropic of Cancer is above the Equator
at 23.5 degrees north and the Tropic of Capricorn is below
the Equator at 23.5 degrees south. These two lines of latitude
mark the northern and southern limits of what is known as the
tropics.
Lines of longitude or meridians are the vertical lines dividing
the Earth's surface. The line of longitude passing through the
Royal Observatory at Greenwich, near London, is the Prime
Meridian. It's the international zero-longitude reference line.
Places to the east of the Prime Meridian are in the eastern
hemisphere, and places to the west are in the western
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