In the Northern Hemisphere, latitude can be determined by the angle of the North Star (Polaris) from the horizon. (A useful tool for converting coordinates between these formats can be found at: ). However, with modern digital technology, positions are increasingly expressed as decimals, such as 36 o 15.53′ N, or 36.2589 o N. So traditionally, positions have been expressed as degrees/minutes/seconds, e.g. Each minute of latitude is further divided into 60 seconds (“). One minute of latitude equals one nautical mile, which is equal to 1.15 land miles (1.85 km). One degree of latitude is divided into 60 minutes (‘). Figure 2.1.1 The latitude of a point on the Earth’s surface is determined by the angle (ø) between the point and the equator, passing through Earth’s center (Peter Mercator, via Wikimedia Commons). However, the circles created by the parallels of latitude do get smaller as they approach the poles. Lines of equal latitude are always the same distance apart, and so they are called parallels of latitude they never converge. Thus the poles are referred to as high latitude, while the equatorial region is considered low latitude. It is expressed as degrees north or south of the equator (0 o), with the poles at a latitude of 90 o. Latitude is measured as the angle from the equator, to the Earth’s center, to your position on the Earth’s surface (Figure2.1.1). Any point on Earth can be defined by the intersection of its lines of latitude and longitude.