Latitudes and longitudes | Globe | Class 6 | Chapter 2 |

Imaginary Reference Lines on Earth

Imaginary reference lines help identify locations on Earth. Because Earth is spherical, ordinary directions alone can make it difficult to describe where places are.

Globe, Axis, and Poles

A globe is a spherical model of Earth.

Earth rotates around an imaginary, tilted line called its axis. The axis’s endpoints are the North Pole and South Pole. The end pointing toward the Pole Star is the North Pole.

Equator and Hemispheres

The Equator is an imaginary circle halfway between the poles. It divides Earth into two equal halves:

• The Northern Hemisphere, toward the North Pole
• The Southern Hemisphere, toward the South Pole

Latitudes

Imaginary circles drawn parallel to the Equator are called parallels of latitude. Latitude is measured in degrees:

• The Equator is 0°.
• The North Pole is 90° north (90° N).
• The South Pole is 90° south (90° S).

Places north of the Equator are described using north latitude, while places south of it use south latitude. The letters N and S indicate the direction.

Latitude distinguishes places that have similar degree values but are in different hemispheres. For example, Chandrapur in Maharashtra is about 20° N, while Belo Horizonte in Brazil is about 20° S.

Characteristics of Parallels

1. The Equator is the largest circle of latitude. Other parallels become smaller toward the poles.
2. Parallels are complete circles, except at 90° N and 90° S, where they reduce to the poles.
3. The distance between two parallels one degree apart is about 111 kilometres.

The video focuses on latitudes and notes that longitudes will be covered in a later lesson.

Speakers and Source

• Speaker: One narrator or instructor; no other speakers are identified.
• Source: The video’s instructional narration.