What is Latitude?

Latitude is the angular distance measured north and south of the equator (which represents 0 degrees of latitude).

• As you go north from the equator, the north latitude increases to 90 degrees when you arrive at the North Pole.
• As you go south of the equator, the south latitude increases to 90 degrees at the South Pole.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the latitude is always given in degrees north; in the southern hemisphere, it’s given in degrees south.