GLOBE - LATITUDES AND LONGITUDES

The earth is the third nearest planet to the Sun. In size, it is the fifth largest planet. Conditions favorable to support life are probably found only on the Earth . The Earth is neither too hot nor too cold. It has air and water, which are very essential for the survival of all living beings.

The air has life supporting gaseous like Oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Because of these reasons, the earth is a unique planet in the solar system. From the outer space, the earth appears blue because two-thirds of its surface is covered by water. It is , therefore, called a 'blue planet'. The earth is round in shape. It is slightly flattened at the top and the bottom.

long ago, people believed that the earth was flat. they thought that they would fall off if they travelled to far to its edges. in 1519, a famous explorer, ferdianand magellan, started his journey around the world. he kept on sailing westwards. after three years in 1522, his ship returned to the same place from where he had started his journey this is possible only on a round surface magellan thus proved that the earth is round today, satellite photographs of the earth also confirm that it is round.earth. 

A GLOBE IS A TRUE MODEL (MINIATURE FORM) of the earth.

Globes may be of varying sizes and types – big ones, which cannot be carried easily , small pocket globes and balloon-like , which can be inflated. 

Nicholas Copernicus                                    Fredinand Magellan

Nicholas Copernicus (1473-1547) was the first who suggested that the earth is round and the sun is in the centre of the Solar System.

Fredinand Magellan had 277 men under his command when he set sail in 1519. Only 19 men returned home in 1522 after the historic round - the - world voyage.

GLOBE

The globe is not fixed. It can be rotated the same way as a top spins or a potters wheel is rotated. On the globe, countries, continents and oceans are show in their correct size. It is difficult to describe the location of a point on a round  surface like the earth. Now the question arises as to how to locate a place on the globe? We need certain points of reference and lines to find out the location of places on the globe. If you look at the globe, you will find that a needle is fixed through its middle in a tilted manner. this is called its axis. Two points on the globe through which the needle passes are two poles: the North Pole and the South Pole. The globe can  be moved around this needle from West to East just as the Earth moves around the Sun. But remember there is a major difference. The real earth has no such needle. It moves round its axis, which is an imaginary line. another horizontal imaginary line running on the globe divides it into two equal parts. this line is know as the equator. the northern half of the earth is known as northern hemisphere and the southern half is known as the southern hemisphere.

look at the globe further. you will see a network of lines running on it horizontally and vertically. these lines are called latitudes and longitudes. they help us to locate places correctly on the globe. let us learn about these lines in detail. 

LATITUDES

The lines that run parallel to the equator are called latitudes. they are also known as parallels of latitudes. The length of these latitudes keeps decreasing as we go away from the equator towards the poles. The equator the longest latitude, while the poles are the shortest. The equator is also called the great circle. The latitudes are parallel and are exactly at the same distance from each other. The latitudes are marked in degrees (°). The Equator is marked 0°. The other latitudes and either side of Equator are marked between 0° and 90°. 

The latitudes on the north of the Equator are labelled as N(north), and those on south as S(south). For example, the latitude of the North Pole is 90°S. 

Besides the Equator and the Poles, there are four other important latitudes. they have been given special names. They are: 

1. The Tropic of Cancer -23.5°N

2. The Tropic of Capricorn - 23.5°S

3. The Arctic Circle - 66.5°N

4. The Antarctic Circle - 66.5°S. Below Image shows Clear Points about Latitudes.

LONGITUDE:

The Lines that run vertically through the poles are called longitudes or