Lines of Longitude are referred to as Meridians of Longitude. These lines are not parallel to each other. They come closer and closer to each other as they approach the north and south poles, where they all meet. Zero degrees longitude is referred to as the Prime Meridian, and it passes through Greenwich England.
Why meridians are not parallel to each other?
The lines of longitudes are not parallel to each other because they come closer to each other as they approach the North and the South pole. At the poles, the meridians of longitudes meet each other.
What is meant by parallel of meridian?
The latitude of a place on the earth’s surface is its distance north or south of the equator, measured along the meridian of that place as an angle from the centre of the earth. Lines joining places with the same latitudes are called parallels.
How many meridian and parallel are there?
Explanation: There are 181 parallels and 360 meridians on the Earth.
Is longitude meridian or parallel?
In geography and geodesy, a meridian is the locus connecting points of equal longitude, which is the angle (in degrees or other units) east or west of a given prime meridian (currently, the IERS Reference Meridian). In other words, it is a line of longitude.
Why longitudes are called meridian?
Longitudes are known as meridians because in Geographical sense, meridians are great circles which are not parallel to each other but intersect each other at the North and the South Poles. Same stands true of the longitudes. All longitudes are great circles which meet at the Poles.
Are latitudes parallel to each other?
Unlike longitude lines, which get closer to each other at the poles, latitude lines are parallel. No matter where you are on Earth, latitude lines are the same distance apart.
What is the difference between parallels and meridians?
Complete answer: Parallels of latitude are the circles which are parallels from the equator to the poles whereas the lines of reference running from the North Pole to the South Pole are called meridians of longitude.
Why are parallels and meridians important?
The combination of meridians of longitude and parallels of latitude establishes a framework or grid by means of which exact positions can be determined in reference to the prime meridian and the Equator: a point described as 40° N, 30° W, for example, is located 40° of arc north of the Equator and 30° of arc west of
Which two meridians are on the same line?
It is, however, interesting to note that 180° East and 180° West meridians are on the same line. Now look at the grid of the parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude on the globe (Figure 2.6). You can locate any point on the globe very easily if you know its latitude and longitude.
Is the equator a parallel or a meridian?
Equator is parallel line.
What are the parallels of the Earth?
It is measured with 180 imaginary lines that form circles around the Earth east-west, parallel to the Equator. These lines are known as parallels. A circle of latitude is an imaginary ring linking all points sharing a parallel. The Equator is the line of 0 degrees latitude.
At which two parallel do all the meridians converge?
All parallels are not of equal length while all meridians converge at the poles and are thus of equal length. Parallels don’t intersect. All meridians intersect at two places; the North Pole and the South Pole.
What are called parallels of latitude?
– Parallels of Latitude: All imaginary parallel circles from the equator to the poles are called Parallels of Latitude.
Why are latitudes parallel?
Circles of latitude are often called parallels because they are parallel to each other; that is, planes that contain any of these circles never intersect each other. A location’s position along a circle of latitude is given by its longitude.
Are lines of longitude parallel to each other?
Lines of Longitude are referred to as Meridians of Longitude. These lines are not parallel to each other. They come closer and closer to each other as they approach the north and south poles, where they all meet. Zero degrees longitude is referred to as the Prime Meridian, and it passes through Greenwich England.
Which is the longest longitude?
The equator
Answer: The equator is the longest, with a latitude of zero, while the rings decrease to a point just at the poles, with spaces of 90° south and 90° North.
What are lines of longitude called?
Lines of longitude, also called meridians, are imaginary lines that divide the Earth. They run north to south from pole to pole, but they measure the distance east or west. The prime meridian, which runs through Greenwich, England, has a longitude of 0 degrees.
What is difference between parallel of latitude and meridian of longitude?
All parallel circles from the equator to the poles are known as parallels of latitudes. The lines of reference running from the North Pole to the South Pole are known as meridians of longitude.
Which is the largest parallel of latitude?
The equator
The equator is centred at the latitude of 0 degrees which means that it is centred at the circumference of the earth. As the sphere is in the shape of the earth, this is the reason why the equator is the longest parallel of latitude.
Why Equator is called Great Circle?
The Equator is another of the Earth’s great circles. If you were to cut into the Earth right on its Equator, you’d have two equal halves: the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The Equator is the only east-west line that is a great circle. All other parallels (lines of latitude) get smaller as you get near the poles.