Latitude:

Definition:
It is the distance on the surface of the earth measured in degrees north and south of the equator.
The equator is at zero degree where the poles are at 90 degree. The latitude of the north pole is 900 North and that of south pole is 900 South.

Characteristics OF Lines Of Latitudes:
i) All lines of latitudes are parallel to the equator as well as parallel to one another.
ii) Parallels in the north of the equator are north latitudes while those in the south of equator are known as south latitudes.
iii) They are drawn on the globe as circles running in east to west direction.
iv) The length of the equator is the maxim um and it goes on reducing till the pole is only a point.

Longitude

Definition:
The distance on the earth’s surface measures in degrees east and west of a line joining the geographical north and south poles and passing through Greenwich in England. Greenwich is at zero degrees longitude.

The sun rays have highest altitude simultaneously on all the places at a particular line of longitude as a result of which these are also called as Meridians (Meridian is a Latin word which means Mid-way). Among the latitude, equator is the longest and is taken as reference line. But all the lines of longitude are of the same length and selecting a longitude as lines of reference is a serious problem.