Globe: Latitudes and Longitudes

Globe

• Globe is a true model (miniature form) of the earth. Globes may be of varying size and type – big ones, which cannot be carried easily, small pocket globes, and globe-like balloons, which can be inflated and are handy and carried with ease.
• The globe is not fixed. It can be rotated the same way as a top spin or a potter’s wheel is rotated.
• On the globe, countries, continents and oceans are shown in their correct size.

The Poles

• The top and bottom of the earth are called the Poles. They are similar to the top and bottom of the globe.
• The top is called the North Pole and the bottom is called the South Pole.

Axis

• The way a globe rotates around the pivots, the earth also rotates around an imaginary line.
• This imaginary line around which the earth rotates is called the axis of the earth.

Equator

• An imaginary line running on the globe divides it into two equal parts. This line is known as the Equator.
• The northern half of the earth is known as the Northern Hemisphere and the southern half is known as the Southern Hemisphere.

Parallels of Latitudes

• All parallel circles from the equator up to the poles are called parallels of latitudes.
• Latitudes are measured in degrees.

→ Tropic of Cancer (23½° N) in the Northern Hemisphere.

→ Tropic of Capricorn (23½° S) in the Southern Hemisphere.

→ Arctic Circle at 66½° north of the equator.

→ Antarctic Circle at 66½° south of the equator.

Heat Zones of the Earth

Torrid Zone

• The mid-day sun is exactly overhead at least once a year on all latitudes in between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
• This area receives the maximum heat and is called the Torrid Zone.

Temperate Zones

• Beyond the tropics, the mid-day sun is never overhead. This happens because the sun rays come at a slant in these areas.
• This part of the earth receives mild temperature and is called the Temperate Zone.

Frigid Zones

• Areas between the Arctic Circle and the North Pole and those between the Antarctic Circle and the South Pole receive sun rays at a big slant.
• The sun is never much above the horizon, and so this part of the earth remains very cold.
• These zones are called Frigid Zones.

Longitudes

• The imaginary lines which run from one pole to another are called longitudes.
• These are also called meridians of longitude.
• The earth has been divided into 180° longitudes towards the east and 180° longitudes towards the west.
• The Prime Meridian and 180° longitude together divide the earth into two equal halves.

→ Both 180° east and 180° west are on the same line.

Use of Latitudes and Longitudes

• Latitudes and longitudes help us in finding the exact location of a place on the earth.

Longitude and Time

• We know that the earth takes about 24 hours to make one rotation on its axis.

→ Thus, the sunrise and the sunset easily tell us about morning and evening times.

• When the sun is directly overhead, it is mid-day and you can match your watch to 12 noon at this time.
• The sun casts the smallest shadow when it is directly overhead.

→ But the relative position of the sun in sky keeps on changing as we move across the globe either from east to west or vice-versa.

MCQs

1. The 0 degree Meridian is also known as

(a) Prime Standard

(b) Prime Meridian

(c) Equator Prime

(d) Greenfield

► (b) Prime Meridian

2. The distance between the longitude

(a) Decreases towards Poles

(b) Increases towards Poles

(c) Decreases towards North Poles only

(d) Decreases towards South Poles only

► (a) Decreases towards Poles

3. The total number of meridians across the globe is

(a) 180

(b) 360

(c) 90

(d) 181

► (b) 360

4. Days and nights are equal throughout the globe when the sun is above:

(a) Poles

(b) Equator

(c) Tropic of Cancer

(d) Tropic of Capricorn

► (b) Equator

5. Dibrugarh is located in

(a) Assam

(b) Nagaland

(c) Arunanchal Pradesh

(d) Mizoram

► (a) Assam

6. This marks the location of the equator on Earth

(a) 20 degree

(b) 90 degree

(c) 180 degree

(d) 0 degree

► (d) 0 degree

7. Equator is an

(a) Imaginary rectangular line

(b) Imaginary circular line

(c) Imaginary straight line

(d) Imaginary triangular line

► (b) Imaginary circular line

8. _____ Lines run from east to west. They measure the distance north and south of the Equator

(a) Primary

(b) Longitude

(c) Standard

(d) Latitude

► (d) Latitude

9. The tropic of cancer and tropic of Capricorn are of

(a) Equal length

(b) Capricorn is shorter than the Cancer

(c) Capricorn is bigger than the Cancer

(d) Vey big difference between these two

► (a) Equal length

10. Two end point of the axis are called

(a) Grid

(b) Poles

(c) Equator

(d) Axis

► (b) Poles

11. IST stands for

(a) Internal Specific Time

(b) Internal Standard Temperate

(c) Indian Standard Time

(d) Indian Specific Time

► (c) Indian Standard Time

12. The line which cut the world into north and south latitude

(a) Equator

(b) Latitude

(c) Longitude

(d) Prime meridian

► (a) Equator

13. What are meridian of longitude?

(a) The lines running from north pole to the south poles

(b) The lines running from north pole to the east poles

(c) The lines running from north pole to the west poles

(d) The lines running from east pole to the south poles

► (a) The lines running from north pole to the south poles

14. The Frigid Zone lies near

(a) The Poles

(b) The Tropic of Capricorn

(c) The Equator

(d) The Tropic of Cancer

► (a) The Poles

15. The Prime Meridian passes through

(a) Greenwood

(b) Greenfield

(c) Greenwhich

(d) Greenwich

► (d) Greenwich

16. The total number of parallels across the globe is

(a) 181

(b) 360

(c) 80

(d) 90

► (a) 181

17. What are latitude and longitude lines?

(a) Thick and thin line that divide the Earth

(b) An imaginary line that divide the Earth

(c) A real line that divides the Earth

(d) Long and short line that divide the Earth

► (b) An imaginary line that divide the Earth

18. The Standard Meridian of India is

(a) 88°30' E

(b) 86°30' E

(c) 82°30' E

(d) 84°30' E

► (c) 82°30' E