How can longitude be both east and west

Meridians or "Lines of Longitude" and degree readings for longitudes in increments of 30 degrees. Parallels or "Lines of Latitude" and degree readings for latitudes in increments of 30 degrees. Note that the lines are parallel when we look at the earth from the equator.

If we look at them from the poles, they appear circular. The latitude is the angle formed by a line going from the center of the earth to the equator at the point on the equator that is closed to the point of interest and another line that goes from the center of the earth to the parallel that goes through the point of interest. Geospatial Activities. Latitude and Longitude When we describe the Earth in spherical coordinates it is called Geographic, or Un-projected.

Brazil and Ecuador are the only two South American countries that are partially located in the Northern Hemisphere. About 32 African countries are wholly or partly located in the Northern hemisphere, along with about 54 Asian countries. About The only ocean that is completely located in this hemisphere is the Arctic Ocean.

The other oceans, namely the Pacific , Atlantic , and the Indian Ocean have portions both in the Northern as well as in the Southern hemisphere. This hemisphere includes the entirety of Australia , New Zealand , and Antarctica as well as major parts of South America, about one-third of Africa, and some islands of mainland Asia. Major portions of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans are located in the Southern hemisphere.

In addition to this, the only ocean that is entirely located here is the Southern Ocean. The Southern Hemisphere experiences a milder climate compared to the Northern Hemisphere and experiences the summer season from December to February and the winter season from June to August. Finally, a sense of place is the emotions someone attaches to an area based on their experiences. Place can be applied at any scale and does not necessarily have to be fixed in either time or space.

Additionally, due to globalization, place can change over time as its physical setting and cultures are influenced by new ideas or technologies. Learn more about the physical and human characteristics of place with this curated resource collection. Students look at lines of latitude and longitude on United States and world maps, discuss why these lines are helpful, and identify landmarks with similar latitude and longitude. The prime meridian is arbitrary, meaning it could be chosen to be anywhere.

Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary. All lines of longitude are measured from the prime meridian. Photograph by Bruce Dale. International Date Line. East of this line is one day earlier than west. Media Credits The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.

Media If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. Text Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Interactives Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. Related Resources. Concept of Place. View Collection. Introduction to Latitude and Longitude. View leveled Activity.