Coordinate System Quiz

Understanding the Coordinate System: Latitude, Longitude, Equator, and Prime Meridian

• The coordinate system is used to locate places on the earth's surface with lines of latitude and longitude forming a giant grid over the earth.
• Latitude lines measure north or south of the equator, which splits the earth into the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere, and are also known as parallels of latitude.
• The equator is the center between north and south, splitting the earth into two hemispheres, and is located at 0° latitude.
• Longitude lines extend north and south, are imaginary, and are measured in degrees from the Prime Meridian, which serves as a reference point for measuring distance east or west.
• The Prime Meridian is an arbitrary line, agreed upon by international agreement as the line running through Greenwich, England, separating the Western Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere.
• To describe the location using the coordinate system, latitude is written or given first, followed by longitude.
• GPS devices use data from satellites orbiting the Earth to locate places on our planet and describe the location using latitude and longitude coordinates.
• The climate of a country is affected by its latitudinal position, with countries closer to the equator having a warmer climate and those farther away having a colder climate.
• Countries within the tropical zone, bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, have a warm climate.
• Countries in the Polar Regions, within the Arctic Circle and Antarctic Circle, have a cold climate.
• Countries between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle, and between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle, have a temperate climate.
• The intersection of latitude and longitude coordinates determines the location of a place on the earth's surface.

Test your knowledge of the coordinate system with this quiz! From understanding latitude and longitude lines to the equator and prime meridian, this quiz will challenge your understanding of the grid used to locate places on Earth. Learn about the impact of latitudinal position on climate and how GPS devices use this system to locate places. Take this quiz to test your knowledge and become a geography whiz!