Key Stage 2 geography · Locational knowledge

KS2 latitude, longitude and the Equator explained

Latitude and longitude are imaginary lines drawn on maps and globes so that any place on Earth can be described precisely. In Key Stage 2, children learn what the Equator and the hemispheres are, what latitude and longitude measure, and how to read the position of a place from an atlas or globe. It is a key piece of map knowledge that links to climate, time zones and the study of the whole world.

Latitude, longitude and hemispheres, explained

The Earth is a sphere, so geographers draw a grid of imaginary lines on it. Lines of latitude run east to west around the globe, like the rungs of a ladder. They measure how far a place is north or south of the Equator, in units called degrees (°). The Equator is the line at 0° latitude, halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole. The poles are at 90° north and 90° south. Lines of latitude are parallel and never meet.

The Equator divides the Earth into two halves, or hemispheres. North of the Equator is the Northern Hemisphere, and south of it is the Southern Hemisphere. The UK is in the Northern Hemisphere, between about 50° and 61° north. Because the Sun’s heat is strongest near the Equator, latitude has a big influence on climate: places near 0° tend to be hot, and places near 90° north or south are cold. Four other important lines of latitude, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn and the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, mark out the hot and cold zones, and are covered as a topic of their own.

Lines of longitude, also called meridians, run from the North Pole to the South Pole. They measure how far a place is east or west of the Prime Meridian, the line at 0° longitude that passes through Greenwich in London. Places east of it are given an east (E) value up to 180°, and places west of it a west (W) value up to 180°. The Prime Meridian and the 180° line on the opposite side of the world split the Earth into the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere. England lies on both sides of the Prime Meridian, so parts of it are in each hemisphere. Unlike latitude, longitude lines meet at the poles and are furthest apart at the Equator.

Together, the two numbers act as coordinates. By convention, latitude comes first and longitude second, each with its compass letter, for example 49° N, 2° E, which is close to Paris. Children first work with whole degrees on atlas or globe grids and may later meet minutes, of which there are 60 in a degree. Digital maps and satellite navigation work in the same way, which helps children see why the topic matters.

Longitude also links to time zones. The Earth turns once in 24 hours, which is 360° of rotation, so places 15° of longitude apart are about one hour apart in local time. Eastern Australia is about 150° east of the UK, roughly ten hours ahead, which is why it can be daytime there while it is night here. Children usually meet time zones after the basics of latitude and longitude are secure, and the full story of the Prime Meridian and time zones is covered as its own topic.

Words your child will hear

Latitude: How far a place is north or south of the Equator, measured in degrees.
Longitude: How far a place is east or west of the Prime Meridian, measured in degrees.
Equator: The imaginary line at 0° latitude, halfway between the poles.
Hemisphere: Half of the Earth. There are Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western hemispheres.
Prime Meridian: The line of 0° longitude, which passes through Greenwich in London.
Degree (°): The unit used to measure latitude and longitude.
Coordinates: A pair of numbers that fix a position, such as 34° S, 151° E.

What the National Curriculum says

In Key Stage 2, pupils should be taught to:

Identify the position and significance of latitude, longitude, Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic Circle, the Prime/Greenwich Meridian and time zones (including day and night)
Use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features studied

Objectives from the National Curriculum in England, © Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Try it: finding a city’s coordinates

Use an atlas or globe to give the approximate latitude and longitude of Sydney in Australia, and say which hemispheres it is in.

Find Sydney on the map of Australia. It is on the south-east coast.
Find the latitude. Follow the nearest horizontal lines. Sydney is south of the Equator, between 30° S and 40° S, a little more than a third of the way from 30° to 40°. That makes about 34° S.
Find the longitude. Follow the vertical lines. Sydney is east of the Prime Meridian and just past the 150° E line, so about 151° E.
Write the coordinates in the right order: latitude first, then longitude.
```
latitude:  about 34° S
longitude: about 151° E

34° S, 151° E
```
State the hemispheres. South of the Equator means the Southern Hemisphere. East of the Prime Meridian, and less than 180° E, means the Eastern Hemisphere.

Sydney is at about 34° S, 151° E, in the Southern and Eastern hemispheres.

Common mistakes and how to help

Mixing up latitude and longitude

The words sound similar, and both are measured in degrees on the same grid.

What helps: Latitude lines are like the rungs of a ladder (flat and parallel), and longitude lines are long from pole to pole. Say the order out loud: latitude first.

Thinking the whole UK is in one hemisphere

Children learn that the UK is in the Northern Hemisphere and assume that settles everything, but the Prime Meridian also runs through England.

What helps: Find Greenwich on a map and look at which side of 0° towns such as Norwich and Bristol lie. Most of the UK is west of the Prime Meridian.

Leaving out N, S, E or W

Numbers feel like the whole answer, but 34° without a letter could be north or south, and 151° could be east or west.

What helps: Always add the letter. Ask “Which side of the Equator?” and “Which side of the Prime Meridian?” before writing anything down.

Believing all lines on the grid are the same length

On a flat map, the grid is drawn as neat squares, so children think latitude and longitude lines are identical.

What helps: Look at a globe. Lines of longitude meet at the poles, and lines of latitude get smaller towards the poles. The Equator is the longest.

How to help at home

Draw on an orange. Draw the Equator and the Prime Meridian on an orange with a felt-tip pen, then add a few lines of latitude and longitude. You can show how longitude lines meet at the top and bottom.
Coordinates game. Draw a grid on paper, label the lines and hide counters or small toys. Take turns calling out coordinates to find them, as in a board game, and then try with letters and numbers.
Where do we live? Find your home town on a globe or digital map. Which two lines of latitude is it between, and which two of longitude? Is it east or west of Greenwich?
Guess the place. Pick a famous city and tell your child its latitude and longitude, rounded to the nearest degree. Can they find it on the globe and say which hemispheres it is in?

Builds on

Leads on to

Key Stage 3: Africa: regions, countries and cities
Key Stage 3: Russia: the world’s largest country
Key Stage 3: Asia, including China and India
Key Stage 3: The Middle East: location and landscapes