MERIDIAN AND PARALLEL

• A meridian is an imaginary line of longitude drawn

along the surface of the earth from the North Pole to
the South Pole. Geographers today measure these
lines from what they call the Prime Meridian. It is the
line of longitude that goes through the Royal
Greenwich Observatory in Greenwich, England.
LATITUDE AND PARELLEL

 Latitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the

north–south position of a point on the Earth's surface.
Latitude is an angle which ranges from 0° at the
Equator to 90° (North or South) at the poles. Lines of
constant latitude, or parallels, run east–west as circles
parallel to the equator. Latitude is used together with
longitude to specify the precise location of features on
the surface of the Earth.
 Longitude is the measurement east or west of the prime
meridian. Longitude is measured by imaginary lines
that run around the Earth vertically (up and down) and
meet at the North and South Poles. These lines are
known as meridians. Each meridian measures one
arcdegree of longitude. The distance around the Earth
measures 360 degrees.
 Parallels are another name for lines of
latitude. Meridians are another name for
lines of longitude. Parallels don't intersect.
All meridians intersect at two places, the
North Pole and the South Pole. The
first parallel is the equator.
 TROPIC OF CANCER

 Also known as the Northern Tropic, the Tropic of Cancer is

the parallel latitude that lies 23 degrees and 26′ north of the
Equator. This is the exact location where the Sun is overhead
on June 21st known as the June solstice. The location has
been shifting and will keep changing over the years by a few
minutes.

 It is the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere

and the beginning of winters in the Southern hemisphere.
North of the Tropic of Cancer is the subtropics and the
Northern Temperate Zones. South of the Tropic of Cancer
are the Tropics. This area does not experience distinctly
changing seasons because the sun is always high in the sky.
 TROPIC OF CAPRICORN

 Also known as the Southern Tropic, the Tropic of Capricorn

lies 23 degrees 5′ south of the Equator. It is the farthest
southern latitude at which the sun can reach or appear
directly overhead. North of this latitude are the Tropics and
below the Tropic of Capricorn are the Southern Temperate
Zones. The sun appears directly over this latitude during the
winter solstice, when the sun was entering the zodiac sign of
Capricorn. December 21st is the day of winter solstice in the
Northern Hemisphere and summer solstice in the Southern
Hemisphere.
 EQUATOR
 An equator is an imaginary line around the middle of a planet
or other celestial body. It is halfway between the North Pole
and the South Pole, at 0 degrees latitude. An equator divides
the planet into a Northern Hemisphere and a Southern
Hemisphere. The Earth is widest at its Equator.