A(H1N1)2009A(H1N1)2009A(H1N1)2009EQUATOR PASSES THROUGH 13 COUNTRIES THESE ARE:-

1. Sao Tome and Principe

2. Gabon
3. Republic of The Congo
4. Democratic Republic of The Congo
5. Uganda
6. Kenya
7. Somalia
8. Maldives (the equator passes through the territory but not on dry land)
9. Indonesia
10. Kiribati (the equator may or may not touch dry land)
11. Ecuador
12. Colombia
13. Brazil

Three of the most significant imaginary lines running across the surface of the Earth are the
equator, the Tropic of Cancer, and the Tropic of Capricorn. While the equator is the longest line
of latitude on the Earth (the line where the Earth is widest in an east-west direction), the tropics
are based on the sun's position in relation to the Earth at two points of the year. All three lines of
latitude are significant in their relationship between the Earth and the sun.

The Equator

The equator is located at zero degrees latitude. The equator runs through Indonesia, Ecuador,
northern Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Kenya, among other countries. It is
24,901.55 miles (40,075.16 kilometers) long. On the equator, the sun is directly overhead at
noon on the two equinoxes - near March and September 21. The equator divides the planet into
the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. On the equator, the length of day and night are equal
every day of the year - day is always twelve hours long and night is always twelve hours long.

The Tropic of Cancer and The Tropic of Capricorn

The Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorneach lie at 23.5 degrees latitude. The Tropic of
Cancer is located at 23.5° North of the equator and runs through Mexico, the Bahamas, Egypt,
Saudi Arabia, India, and southern China. The Tropic of Capricorn lies at 23.5° South of the
equator and runs through Australia, Chile, southern Brazil (Brazil is the only country that passes
through both the equator and a tropic), and northern South Africa.

The tropics are the two lines where the sun is directly overhead at noon on the two solstices -
near June and December 21. The sun is directly overhead at noon on the Tropic of Cancer on
June 21 (the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of winter in
the Southern Hemisphere) and the sun is directly overhead at noon on the Tropic of Capricorn on
December 21 (the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of summer
in the Southern Hemisphere).

The reason for the location of the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.5° north and
south respectively is due to the axial tilt of the Earth. The Earth is titled 23.5 degrees from the
plane of the Earth's revolution around the sun each year.

The area bounded by the Tropic of Cancer on the north and Tropic of Capricorn on the south is
known as the "tropics." This area does not experience seasons because the sun is always high in
the sky. Only higher latitudes, north of the Tropic of Cancer and south of the Tropic of Capricorn,
experience significant seasonal variation in climate.

Prime Meridian

While the equator divides the Earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, it is the Prime
Meridianat zero degrees longitude and the line of longitude opposite the Prime Meridian (near
the International Date Line) at 180 degrees longitude that divides the Earth into the Eastern and
Western Hemispheres. The Eastern Hemisphere consists of Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia
while the Western Hemisphere includes North and South America. Some geographers place the
boundaries between the hemispheres at 20° West and 160° East so as to not run through Europe
and Africa. The Prime Meridian and all lines of longitude are completely imaginary lines and have
no significance with regard to the Earth or to its relationship with the sun.

The earth is home to two North Poles located in the Arctic region - a geographic North Pole and a
magnetic North Pole.

Geographic North Pole

The northernmost point on the earth's surface is the geographic North Pole, also known as true
north. It's located at 90° North latitude and all lines of longitude converge at the pole. The
earth's axis connects the north and south poles, as its the line around which the earth rotates.

The North Pole is about 450 miles (725 km) north of Greenland in the middle of the Arctic Ocean
- the sea there has a depth of 13,410 feet (4087 meters). Most of the time, sea ice covers the
North Pole but recently, water has been sighted at the exact location of the pole.

If you're standing at the North Pole, all points are south of you (east and west have no bearing).
Since the earth's rotation takes place once every 24 hours, if you're at the North Pole your speed
of rotation is quite slow at almost no speed at all, compared to the speed at the equator at about
1,038 miles per hour.
The lines of longitude that establish our time zones are so close at the North Pole, the Arctic
region uses UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) when local time is necessary at the North Pole.
The North Pole experiences six months of daylight and six months of darkness.

Robert Peary, his partner Matthew Henson, and four Inuit are generally credited with being the
first to reach the North Pole on April 9, 1909 many suspect that they missed the pole by a few
miles. In 1958, the United States nuclear submarine Nautilus was the first vessel to
cross the North Pole. Other attempts to reach the North Pole have been quite interesting.
Today, dozens of planes fly over the North Pole using great circle routes between continents.

Located hundred of miles south of the geographic North Pole lies the magnetic North Pole at
approximately 82.7° North and 114.4° West (2005), northwest of Canada's Sverdrup Island.
However, this location is not fixed and is moving continually, even on a daily basis.

The earth's magnetic pole is the focus of the planet's magnetic field and is the point that
traditional magnetic compasses point toward. Compasses are also subject to magnetic
declination which is a result of the earth's varied magnetic field. Each year, the magnetic North
Pole and the magnetic field shift, requiring those using magnetic compasses for navigation to be
keenly aware of the difference between magnetic north and true north. The magnetic pole was
first determined in 1831, hundreds of miles from its present location.

The National Geomagnetic Program of Geological Survey of Canada monitors the movement of the
north magnetic pole and most recently determined its precise location in a 2001 survey. They've
determined that the pole is moving at approximately 25 miles (40 kilometers) each year.

The north magnetic pole moves on a daily basis, too. Every day, there's an elliptical movement
of the magnetic pole about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from its average center point

SOUTH POLE

Definition: The southernmost point of the earth's surface. Located at 90 degrees south latitude
in the middle of Antarctica; the lines of longitude converge here so the South Pole has no
longitude.

Examples:

The South Pole is dark for several months of the year, during the Southern Hemisphere's winter,
from June through September.

Northern Hemisphere

The Northern Hemisphere is the northern half of the Earth (map). It begins at 0° or
the equator and continues north until it reaches 90°N latitude or the North Pole. The word hemisphere
itself specifically means half of a sphere, and since the earth is considered an oblate sphere, a
hemisphere is half.

Geography and Climate of the Northern Hemisphere

Like the Southern Hemisphere, the Northern Hemisphere has a varied topography and climate.
However, there is more land in the Northern Hemisphere so it is even more varied and this plays
a role in the weather patterns and climate there. The land in the Northern Hemisphere consists
of all of Europe, North America and Asia, a portion of South America, two-thirds of the African
continent and a very small portion of the Australian continent with islands in New Guinea.

Winter in the Northern Hemisphere lasts from around December 21 (the winter solstice) to the
vernal equinox around March 20. Summer lasts from the summer solstice around June 21 to the
autumnal equinox around September 21. These dates are due to the Earth's axial tilt. From the
period of December 21 to March 20, the northern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun, and
during the June 21 to September 21 interval, it is tilted toward the sun.
To aid in studying its climate, the Northern Hemisphere is divided into several different climatic
regions. The Arctic is the area that is north of the Arctic Circle at 66.5°N. It has a climate with
very cold winters and cool summers. In the winter, it is in complete darkness for 24 hours per
day and in the summer it receives 24 hours of sunlight.
South of the Arctic Circle to the Tropic of Cancer is the Northern Temperate Zone. This climatic area
features mild summers and winters, but specific areas within the zone can have very different
climatic patterns. For example, the southwestern United States features an arid desert climate
with very hot summers, while the state of Florida in the southeastern U.S. features a humid
subtropical climate with a rainy season and mild winters.

The Northern Hemisphere also encompasses a portion of the Tropics between the Tropic of
Cancer and the equator. This area is usually hot all year and has a rainy summer season.

The Coriolis Effect and the Northern Hemisphere

An important component of the Northern Hemisphere's physical geography is the Coriolis
Effect and the specific direction that objects are deflected in the northern half of the Earth. In the
northern hemisphere any object moving over the Earth's surface deflects to the right. Because of
this, any large patterns in air or water turn clockwise north of the equator. For example, there
are many large ocean gyres in the North Atlantic and North Pacific- all of which turn clockwise. In
the Southern Hemisphere these directions are reversed because objects are deflected to the left.
In addition, the right deflection of objects impacts the flows of air over the Earth and air
pressuresystems. A high pressure system for example is an area where the atmospheric pressure
is greater than that of the surrounding area. In the Northern Hemisphere, these move clockwise
because of the Coriolis Effect. By contrast, low pressure systems or areas where atmospheric
pressure is less than that of the surrounding area move counterclockwise because of the Coriolis
Effect in the Northern Hemisphere.
Population and the Northern Hemisphere
Because the Northern Hemisphere has more land area than the Southern Hemisphere it should
also be noted that the majority of Earth's population and its largest cities are also in its northern
half. Some estimates say that the Northern Hemisphere is approximately 39.3% land, while the
Southern half is only 19.1% land.

Latitude

Latitude is the angular distance of any point on Earth measured north or south of the equator in
degrees, minutes and seconds.

The equator is a line going around Earth and is halfway between the North and South Poles, it is
given a latitude of 0°. Values increase north of the equator and are considered positive and
values south of the equator decrease and are sometimes considered negative or have south
attached to them. For example, if a latitude of 30°N was given, this would mean that it was
north of the equator. The latitude -30° or 30°S is a location south of the equator. On a map,
these are the lines running horizontally from east-west.

Latitude lines are also sometimes called parallels because they are parallel and equidistant from
each other. Each degree of latitude is about 69 miles (111 km) apart. The degree measure of
latitude is the name of the angle from the equator while the parallel names the actual line along
which degree points are measured. For example, 45°N latitude is the angle of latitude between
the equator and the 45th parallel (it is also halfway between the equator and the North Pole).
The 45th parallel is the line along which all latitudinal values are 45°. The line is also parallel to
the 46th and 44th parallels.

Like the equator, parallels are also considered circles of latitude or lines that circle the entire
Earth. Since the equator divides the Earth into two equal halves and its center coincides with
that of the Earth, it is the only line of latitude that is a great circle while all other parallels are small
circles.

Development of Latitudinal Measurements

Since ancient times, people have tried to come up with reliable systems with which to measure
their location on Earth. For centuries, both Greek and Chinese scientists attempted several
different methods but a reliable one did not develop until the ancient Greek geographer,
astronomer and mathematician, Ptolemy, created a grid system for the Earth. To do this, he
divided a circle into 360°. Each degree comprised 60 minutes (60') and each minute comprised
60 seconds (60''). He then applied this method to Earth's surface and located places with
degrees, minutes and seconds and published the coordinates in his bookGeography.

Although this was the best attempt at defining the location of places on Earth at the time, the
precise length of a degree of latitude was unresolved for around 17 centuries. In the middle
ages, the system was finally fully developed and implemented with a degree being 69 miles (111
km) and with coordinates being written in degrees with the symbol °. Minutes and seconds are
written with ', and '', respectively.

Measuring Latitude

Today, latitude is still measured in degrees, minutes and seconds. A degree of latitude is still
around 69 miles (111 km) while a minute is approximately 1.15 miles (1.85 km). A second of
latitude is just over 100 feet (30 m). Paris, France for example has a coordinate of 48°51'24''N.
The 48° indicates that it lies near the 48th parallel while the minutes and seconds indicate just
how close it is to that line. The N shows that it is north of the equator.
In addition to degrees, minutes and seconds, latitude can also be measured using decimal degrees.
Paris' location in this format looks like, 48.856°. Both formats are correct, although degrees,
minutes and seconds is the most common format for latitude. Both however can be
converted between each other and allow people to locate places on Earth to within inches.
One nautical mile, a mile type used by sailors and navigators in the shipping and aviation
industries, represents one minute of latitude. Parallels of latitude are approximately 60 nautical
(nm) apart.

Finally, areas described as having low latitude are those with lower coordinates or are closer to
the equator while those with high latitudes have high coordinates and are far. For example, the
Arctic Circle, which has a high latitude is at 66°32'N. Bogota, Columbia with its latitude of
4°35'53''N is at a low latitude.

Important Lines of Latitude

When studying latitude, there are three significant lines to remember. The first of these is the
equator. The equator, located at 0°, is the longest line of latitude on Earth at 24,901.55 miles
(40,075.16 km). It is significant because it is the exact center of the Earth and it divides that
Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. It also receives the most direct sunlight on
the two equinoxes.
At 23.5°N is the Tropic of Cancer. It runs through Mexico, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India and
southern China. The Tropic of Capricorn is at 23.5°S and it runs through Chile, Southern Brazil,
South Africa and Australia. These two parallels are significant because they receive direct sun on
the two solstices. In addition, the area between the two lines is the area known as thetropics. This
region does not experience seasons and is normally warm and wet in its climate.
Finally, the Arctic Circle and Antarctic Circle are also important lines of latitude. They are at
66°32'N and 66°32'S. The climates of these locations is harsh and Antarctica is the largest desert
in the world. These are also the only places that experience 24 hour sunlight and 24 hour darkness in the
world.

Importance of Latitude

Besides making it easier for one to locate different places on Earth, latitude is important to
geography because it helps navigation and researchers understand the various patterns seen on
Earth. High latitudes for example have very different climates than low latitudes. In the Arctic it
is much colder and drier than in the tropics. This is a direct result of the unequal distribution of
solar insolation between the equator and the rest of the Earth.
Increasingly, latitude also results in extreme seasonal differences in climate because sunlight and
sun angle vary at different times of the year depending on latitude. This affects temperature and
the types of flora and fauna that can live in an area. Tropical rainforests for example are the most
biodiverse places in the world while harsh conditions in the Arctic and Antarctic make it difficult
for many species to survive.

Working of latitude and longitude

A key geographical question throughout the human experience has been, "Where am I?" In
classical Greece and China, attempts were made to create logical grid systems of the world to
answer this question. The ancient Greek geographer Ptolemy created a grid system and listed
the coordinates for places throughout the known world in his book Geography. But it wasn't until
the middle ages that the latitude and longitude system was developed and implemented. This
system is written in degrees, using the symbol °.
Latitude
When looking at a map, latitude lines run horizontally. Latitude lines are also known as parallels
since they are parallel and are an equal distant from each other. Each degree of latitude is
approximately 69 miles (111 km) apart; there is a variation due to the fact that the earth is not
a perfect sphere but an oblate ellipsoid (slightly egg-shaped). To remember latitude, imagine
them as the horizontal rungs of a ladder ("ladder-tude"). Degrees latitude are numbered from 0°
to 90° north and south. Zero degrees is the equator, the imaginary line which divides our planet
into the northern and southern hemispheres. 90° north is the North Pole and 90° south is the
South Pole.

Longitude
Longitude is the angular distance of any point on Earth measured east or west of a point on
Earth's surface.
The vertical longitude lines are also known as meridians. They converge at the poles and are
widest at the equator (about 69 miles or 111 km apart). Zero degrees longitude is located at
Greenwich, England (0°). The degrees continue 180° east and 180° west where they meet and
form the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean. Greenwich, the site of the British
Royal Greenwich Observatory, was established as the site of the prime meridian by
aninternational conference in 1884.

How Latitude and Longitude Work Together

To precisely locate points on the earth's surface, degrees longitude and latitude have been
divided into minutes (') and seconds ("). There are 60 minutes in each degree. Each minute is
divided into 60 seconds. Seconds can be further divided into tenths, hundredths, or even
thousandths. For example, the U.S. Capitol is located at 38°53'23"N , 77°00'27"W (38 degrees,
53 minutes, and 23 seconds north of the equator and 77 degrees, no minutes and 27 seconds
west of the meridian passing through Greenwich, England)

Longitude
Longitude is the angular distance of any point on Earth measured east or west of a point on
Earth's surface.

Unlike latitude there is no easy point of reference such as the equator to be designated as zero

degrees in the longitude system. To avoid confusion, the world's nations have agreed that
the Prime Meridian, which passes through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, will serve as
that reference point and be designated as zero degrees.

Because of this designation, longitude is measured in degrees west or east of the Prime Meridian.
For example, 30°E, the line passing through eastern Africa, is an angular distance of 30° east of
the Prime Meridian. 30°W, which is in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, is an angular distance of
30° west of the Prime Meridian.

There are 180 degrees east of the Prime Meridian and coordinates are sometimes given without
the designation of "E" or east. When this is used, a positive value represents coordinates east of
the Prime Meridian. There are also 180 degrees west of the Prime Meridian and when "W" or
west is omitted in a coordinate a negative value such as -30° represents coordinates west of the
Prime Meridian. The 180° line is neither east nor west and approximates the International Date Line.
On a map (diagram), lines of longitude are the vertical lines running from the North Pole to the
South Pole and are perpendicular to lines of latitude. Every line of longitude also crosses the
equator. Because longitude lines are not parallel, they are known as meridians. Like parallels,
meridians name the specific line and indicate the distance east or west of a 0° line. Meridians
converge at the poles and are farthest apart at the equator (about 69 miles (111 km) apart).

Development and History of Longitude

For centuries, mariners and explorers worked to determine their longitude in an effort to make
navigation easier. Latitude was determined easily by observing the inclination of the sun or the
position of known stars in the sky and calculating the angular distance from the horizon to them.
Longitude could not be determined in this way because Earth's rotation constantly changes the
position of stars and the sun.
The first person to offer a method for measuring longitude was the explorer Amerigo Vespucci. In
the late 1400s, he began measuring and comparing the positions of the moon and Mars with
their predicted positions over several nights at the same time (diagram). In his measurements,
Vespucci calculated the angle between his location, the moon and Mars. By doing this, Vespucci
got a rough estimate of longitude. This method did not become widely used however because it
relied on a specific astronomical event. Observers also needed to know the specific time and
measure the moon and Mars' positions on a stable viewing platform- both of which were difficult
to do at sea.

In the early 1600s, a new idea to measure longitude was developed when Galileo determined
that it could be measured with two clocks. He said that any point on Earth took 24 hours to
travel the full 360° rotation of Earth. He found that if you divide 360° by 24 hours, you find that
a point on Earth travels 15° of longitude every hour. Therefore, with an accurate clock at sea, a
comparison of two clocks would determine longitude. One clock would be at the home port and
the other on the ship. The clock on the ship would need to be reset to local noon each day. The
time difference would then indicate the longitudinal difference traveled as one hour represented
a 15° change in longitude.

Shortly thereafter, there were several attempts to make a clock that could accurately tell time on
the unstable deck of a ship. In 1728, clockmaker John Harrison began working on the problem
and in 1760, he produced the first marine chronometer called Number 4. In 1761, the
chronometer was tested and determined to be accurate, officially making it possible to measure
longitude on land and at sea.

Measuring Longitude Today

Today, longitude is more accurately measured with atomic clocks and satellites. The Earth is still
A(H1N1)2009divided equally into 360° of longitude with 180° being east of the Prime Meridian
and 180° wesAt. Longitudinal coordinates are divided into degrees, minutes and seconds with 60
minutes makin(H1N1 is 116°23'30"E. The 116° indicates that it lies near the 116th meridian
while the minutes an)d seconds indicate just how close it is to that line. The "E" indicates that it
is that distance east o2009f the Prime Meridian. Although less common, longitude can also be
written in decimal degrees. Beijing's location in this format is 116.391°.

In addition to the Prime Meridian, which is the 0° mark in today's longitudinal system, the
International Date Line is also an important marker. It is the 180° meridian on the opposite side
of the Earth and is where the eastern and western hemispheres meet. It also marks the place
where each day officially begins. At the International Date Line, the west side of the line is
always one day ahead of the east side, no matter what time of day it is when the line is crossed.
This is because the Earth rotates east on its axis.
Longitude and Latitude

Lines of longitude or meridians are the vertical lines running from the South Pole to the North
Pole. Lines of latitude or parallels are the horizontal lines running from the west to the east. The
two cross each other at perpendicular angles and when combined as a set of coordinates they
are extremely accurate in locating places on the globe. They are so accurate that they can locate
cities and even buildings to within inches. For example, the Taj Mahal, located in Agra, India, has
a coordinate set of 27°10'29"N, 78°2'32"E.

Prime meridian
The prime meridian is the zero degree line of longitude that passes near London. The prime
meridian was officially established as zero degrees longitude at an international conference in
1884. While latitude has its zero degree line along the equator, an actual physical feature,
longitude is not based on any physical feature of the earth and is not impacted by the sun or the
earth’s orbit.

Prior to 1884, some countries utilized local “prime meridians” to establish their coordinate
systems within their country and around the world. In order to have any x,y system of
coordinates, as latitude and longitude are, there must be a starting place for both the north-
south and the east-west axes.

In the case of latitude, the choice is easy, zero degrees from the plane of the earth through its
circumference is the equator and ninety degrees from the equator are the poles. All other degrees
of latitude are actual degrees between zero and ninety based on the arc from the plane along the
equator (imagine a protractor with the equator at zero degrees and the north pole at ninety
degrees).
However, for longitude there is no plane or place to start the counting of longitude so prior to
1884 some countries established their own local prime meridian. The United Kingdom and its
former colonies established the Royal Observatory at Greenwich just outside of downtown London in
1675. This national observatory was established as the starting location for longitude or the y-
axis for the British coordinate system.

Since the United Kingdom was a major colonial power and a major navigational power of the
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, their maps and navigational charts with the prime meridian
passing through Greenwich were promulgated and many other countries adopted Greenwich as
their prime meridians.

By 1884, international travel was commonplace and the need for a standardized prime meridian
became readily apparent. Forty-one delegates from twenty-five "nations" met in Washington
D.C. for a conference to establish zero degrees longitude and the prime meridian.

Greenwich was selected as the prime meridian by a vote of twenty-two in favor, one against
(Haiti), and two abstentions (France and Brazil). By the time of the conference, the United
Kingdom and its colonies as well as the United States of America had already begun using
Greenwich as the prime meridian; this weighed heavily on the selection process.

With the establishment of the prime meridian and zero degrees longitude at Greenwich, the
conference also established time zones. By establishing the prime meridian and zero degrees
longitude in Greenwich, the world was then divided into 24 time zones (since the earth takes 24
hours to revolve on its axis) and thus each time zone was established every fifteen degrees of
longitude, for a total of 360 degrees in a circle.
The establishment of the prime meridian in Greenwich in 1884 permanently established the
system of latitude and longitude and time zones that we use to this day. Latitude and longitude
is used in GPS and is the primary coordinate system for navigation on the planet.