{"id":2262,"date":"2026-10-13T20:56:29","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T15:26:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tiwaripedia.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/13\/latitude-and-longitude-explained\/"},"modified":"2026-10-13T21:18:31","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T15:48:31","slug":"latitude-and-longitude-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tiwaripedia.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/13\/latitude-and-longitude-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Latitude and Longitude Explained: How We Find Any Place on Earth"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last updated: October 2026 \u00b7 3 min read<\/em><\/p>\n

Just as a street address helps a courier find your home, latitude<\/b> and longitude<\/b> help us pinpoint any place on Earth. Together they form a grid of imaginary lines called coordinates<\/b>, used by maps, ships and the GPS in your phone.<\/p>\n

\"Infographic:
Latitude and Longitude Explained: How We Find Any Place on Earth \u2013 infographic by Tiwaripedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Latitude: lines that run east-west<\/h2>\n

Latitude measures how far north or south a place is from the Equator<\/b> (0\u00b0). Lines of latitude, called parallels, run east to west and go up to 90\u00b0N at the North Pole and 90\u00b0S at the South Pole.<\/p>\n

Longitude: lines that run north-south<\/h2>\n

Longitude measures how far east or west a place is from the Prime Meridian<\/b> (0\u00b0) passing through Greenwich, London. Lines of longitude, called meridians, run from pole to pole and go up to 180\u00b0E and 180\u00b0W.<\/p>\n

Important lines<\/h2>\n
Line<\/th>Degree<\/th>Note<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Equator<\/td>0\u00b0<\/td>Divides Earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres<\/td><\/tr>
Tropic of Cancer<\/td>23.5\u00b0N<\/td>Passes through 8 Indian states<\/td><\/tr>
Tropic of Capricorn<\/td>23.5\u00b0S<\/td>Southern limit of the tropics<\/td><\/tr>
Arctic and Antarctic Circles<\/td>66.5\u00b0N and S<\/td>Midnight sun and polar night<\/td><\/tr>
Prime Meridian<\/td>0\u00b0<\/td>Greenwich, UK<\/td><\/tr>
International Date Line<\/td>About 180\u00b0<\/td>The date changes when you cross it<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n

India’s location<\/h2>\n

India lies roughly between 8\u00b04’N and 37\u00b06’N latitude<\/b> and 68\u00b07’E and 97\u00b025’E longitude<\/b> (mainland). The Tropic of Cancer cuts through Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram. Indian Standard Time is based on the 82.5\u00b0E<\/b> meridian near Mirzapur.<\/p>\n

How to read coordinates<\/h2>\n

The Taj Mahal is at about 27.17\u00b0N, 78.04\u00b0E<\/b>: 27 degrees north of the Equator and 78 degrees east of Greenwich. Coordinates can also be written in degrees, minutes and seconds, such as 27\u00b010’N.<\/p>\n

Longitude and time<\/h2>\n

Earth turns 360\u00b0 in 24 hours, so every 15\u00b0 of longitude equals one hour of time difference. That is why Indian time is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.<\/p>\n

Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n

Which line divides India almost into two halves?<\/h3>\n

The Tropic of Cancer (23.5\u00b0N) passes through the middle of India.<\/p>\n

How many lines of latitude and longitude are there?<\/h3>\n

Conventionally 180 parallels (90 north, 90 south, plus the Equator) and 360 meridians at one-degree spacing, though any number can be drawn.<\/p>\n

Why is IST 5:30 hours ahead of GMT?<\/h3>\n

IST is based on 82.5\u00b0E; 82.5 \u00f7 15 = 5.5 hours.<\/p>\n

Keep exploring<\/h2>\n