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Geographic coordinates

Lessons 11 · 1 lessons · P. Gulyamov, R. Qurbonniyozov, M. Avezov, N. Saidova. Geography (Introductory Course of Physical Geography), Grade 5. Revised and expanded 5th edition. “Mitti yulduz”, Tashkent, 2020
11

Geographic coordinates

Textbook: §11, pp. 38–40
GoalDetermine geographic latitude, longitude and coordinates on a map.
New words
degree grid · daraja to‘rigeographic latitude · geografik kenglikgeographic longitude · geografik uzunlikgeographic coordinates · geografik koordinata
Explanation

Meridians and parallels on globes and maps cross to form the degree grid; with it any point on the Earth can be located. Geographic latitude is the size in degrees of the meridian arc from the equator to a given point: the equator is 0°, the poles 90°; north of the equator it is north latitude and south of it south latitude. Geographic longitude is the size in degrees of the parallel arc from the Prime Meridian to a given point: from 0° to 180°, east longitude to the east of the Prime Meridian and west longitude to the west. The latitude and longitude of a point together are its geographic coordinates. For example, Tashkent lies at about 41° N and 69° E, and Rome at about 42° N and 12° E. Today coordinates are also found by GPS devices that work with Earth’s artificial satellites.

Worked examples
Tashkent: 41° N, 69° E – north of the equator and east of the Prime Meridian, that is, in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres.
Canberra is at about 35° S and 149° E: in the Southern and Eastern Hemispheres.
Class activity

“Battleship”: draw a 10×10 grid on squared paper, label squares with a letter and number, and find your partner’s hidden “ship” by asking coordinates. It prepares you for geographic coordinates.

Practice
1
A point lies 30° north of the equator along a meridian. How is its latitude written? And the latitude of the North Pole?
2
A point is at 20° S and 60° W. In which hemispheres is it?
3
Termez is at about 37° N. If 1° of a meridian arc is about 111 km, about how many km is Termez from the equator?
4
Why is latitude alone not enough to locate a point?