Ammon – There are 180 imaginary circles of latitude that surround the globe horizontally from east to west. At the center of these circles is a circle of zero latitude, also known as the equator. The Earth is divided into two halves, a northern and a southern half, each containing 90 degrees latitude.
There are 360 imaginary lines of longitude that circle the globe vertically from north to south. The Greenwich Line, also known as the starting line or the zero line, is the most important. It divides the globe into two parts, an eastern and a western one, each containing 180 longitudes.
There are five main latitudes:
Arctic Circle: It is located at a latitude of 66.5 degrees north of the equator. It marks the beginning of the northern region known as the Arctic and is characterized by extreme cold and continuous darkness in the winter and continuous daytime in the summer.
Tropic of Cancer: It is located at a latitude of 23.5 degrees north of the equator. It forms the northernmost limit of the tropics and relates to the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere.
Equator: It is located at 0° latitude and is the largest latitude. It divides the earth into two equal halves, and the sun is perpendicular to it twice a year.
Tropic of Capricorn: It is located at a latitude of 23.5 degrees south of the equator. It forms the southern extremity of the tropics and is associated with the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Antarctic Circle: It is located at a latitude of 66.5 degrees south of the equator and marks the beginning of the southern region known as the Antarctic.
Latitudes intersect with longitudes at right angles (90 degrees) and contribute to determining the climate and geographical location of regions. The degrees of latitude change slightly due to the inclination of the earth’s axis, and this affects the climate and lighting conditions in those areas.
