Question

Explain the reason for having an Equator and a Prime Meridian. How do these two lines help us to navigate our world?

Answer 1

The equator is 0 degree latitude. This imaginary line, which runs through parts of South America, Africa, and Asia, is officially the halfway point between the North Pole and the South Pole.

The prime meridian is 0 degrees longitude. This imaginary line runs through the United Kingdom, France, Spain, western Africa, and Antarctica.

By using the equator and prime meridian, we can divide the world into four hemispheres, north, south, east, and west. For instance, the United States is in the Western Hemisphere (because it is west of the prime meridian) and also in the Northern Hemisphere (because it is north of the equator).

These lines are merely for the identification of where things are on a map or a globe.