Name ______________________________________
Date __________________
You’re in Europe
The Prime Meridian runs through the site of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich,
England, which is near London. Which other European countries does the Prime Meridian
run through?
WESTERN EUROPE
30°W
20°W
0°
10°E
20°E
30°E
MAP KEY
City
Capital city
Border between
countries
60
10°W
°N
FINLAND
SWEDEN
N
NORWAY
Oslo
W
Helsinki
Stockholm
E
S
50°
N
DENMARK
Dublin
IRELAND ENGLAND
Berlin
NETH.
London
GERMANY
BELG.
LUX. SWITZ.
Paris
AUSTRIA
FRANCE
ITALY
40°N
Lisbon
Madrid
Rome
SPAIN
GREECE
Athens
PORTUGAL
10°W
Directions
Use the map to answer the questions.
1. What is the national capital of Greece?
________________________________
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20°E
5. Which city is located on the Prime
Meridian?
________________________________
2. What is the national capital of Sweden?
________________________________
3. You travel from Germany to Spain.
Which direction do you go?
________________________________
4. What city is located at 60° N, 25° E?
________________________________
6. What are the latitude and longitude of
Oslo, Norway?
________________________________
7. What are the latitude and longitude of
Madrid, Spain?
________________________________
Name ______________________________________
Date __________________
Longitude
You have learned about lines of latitude. There are also imaginary lines that circle
the Earth from north to south. These are called lines of longitude. These lines also help
you to locate places on the Earth.
Each line of longitude is named with a number of degrees. The Prime Meridian
is 0°. All the other lines of longitude are east or west of the Prime Meridian. They go
up to about 179° E (east) and 179° W (west). There is only one 180° line of longitude.
Like the Prime Meridian, it does not have a direction.
Look at the map of Portugal and Spain. Do you see the lines that go north and south
across the countries? Those are lines of longitude. You can see that Portugal and Spain
are between 4° E and 10° W. The Prime Meridian runs through the eastern part of Spain.
Find the Prime Meridian on the map. Follow it with your finger from north to south.
If a place falls between two lines of longitude, you must estimate its line of
longitude. Look at Lisbon on the map. It falls between 8° W and 10° W. You could
estimate that its line of longitude is 9° W.
10°W
8°W
6°W
4°W
2°W
0°
2°E
4°E
Bay of Biscay
Prime Meridian
Lalín
Portugal
and Spain
León
Porto
Spain
Portugal
Madrid
Map Key
National
capital
B ale
Córdoba
Málaga
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Directions
a
iterr
Med
6°W
ar
sl
ic I
an
d
N
North Atlantic
Ocean
8°W
City
s
Valencia
Lisbon
Seville
International
boundary
Barcelona
4°W
2°W
n
nea
Se
NW
NE
SW
SE
W
a
E
S
0°
2°E
4°E
Study the map. Use the map to answer the questions.
1. Find the national capital of Spain. What is its name? ________________________
What line of longitude is it near? ________________________________________
2. Which city in Spain is nearer to the Prime Meridian, Valencia or Barcelona?
___________________________________________________________________
3. Find the national capital of Portugal. What is its name? ______________________
Estimate its line of longitude. ___________________________________________
Name ______________________________________
Date __________________
Latitude and Longitude
You have learned that lines of latitude run east and west around the Earth.
Lines of longitude run north and south. Together, the lines of latitude and
longitude form a grid on maps and globes. By using lines of latitude and
longitude, you can find any place on the Earth.
Look at the map of South Dakota. Rapid City and Philip are both near 44° N
latitude. Of course, they are not in the same place. By adding the longitude of
each place, you can
show exactly where
Lemmon
it is. The latitude of
Mobridge
Aberdeen
a place is written
first. The longitude
Belle
Watertown
is written next to it.
Fourche
Look at Watertown.
Pierre
Brookings
Rapid
We can say that
City
Philip
Watertown is near
Mitchell
Sioux Falls
45° N, 97° W.
104°W
103°W
102°W
101°W
100°W
99°W
98°W
97°W
46°N
96°W
46°N
N
45°N
NW
NE
SW
SE
W
45°N
E
S
44°N
44°N
Pine
Ridge
43°N
SOUTH DAKOTA
43°N
Legend
City
104°W
Directions
103°W
102°W
100°W
State capital
97°W
Study the map. Use the map to answer the questions.
1. Which city in South Dakota is
located closest to 46° N?
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101°W
___________________________
2. Which city in South Dakota is
located near 44° N, 98° W?
3. What is the state capital of South
Dakota? What is its approximate
latitude and longitude?
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
Activity
Find a map of the United States or of your state. Find where you live on
the map. If you cannot find your town, find a city near it. Find the lines of
latitude and longitude near where you live. Write them down. Remember to
write latitude first. Don’t forget to include the directions of N, S, E, or W.
Name __________________________________ Date ________________
Latitude and Longitude
There are imaginary lines that circle the Earth. Some lines circle the Earth
from east to west. These are called lines of latitude. Some lines circle the
Earth from north to south. These are called lines of longitude. Both kinds of
lines are numbered in marked degrees. By using lines of longitude and latitude,
you can find any place on Earth.
120°W 115°W 110°W 105°W 100°W 95°W 90°W 85°W
130°W 125°W
45°
80°W
75°W
70°W
65°W
CANADA
N
MN
Minneapolis
40°N
Pittsburgh
PA
Philadelphia
Denver
35°N
CA
N
CO
E
TN
Memphis
Los Angeles
30°N
TX
PACIFIC
OCEAN
25°N
W
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
LA
Houston
MEXICO
S
New
Orleans
FL
Miami
Gulf of Mexico
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Use the map to answer the questions.
1. What city is located at 40° N and 75° W?
2. What two cities are located at 90° W longitude?
3. What city is at the same longitude as Miami?
4. Draw a mountain beside the city located at 40° N and 105° W.
Location: Latitude and Longitude