Longitude

Longitude is an angular distance, measured in degrees along the equator east or west of the Prime meridian. On the globe longitude is shown as a series of semi-circles that run from pole to pole passing through the equator. Such lines are also called meridians. Unlike the equator which is centrally placed between the poles, any meridian could have been taken to begin the numbering of longitude. It was finally decided in 1884, by international agreement, to choose as the zero meridian the one which passes through the Royal Astronomical Observatory at Greenwich, near London. This is the Prime Meridian from which all other meridians radiate eastwards and westwards up to 180 degree. Since the earth is spherical and has a circumference calculated at 25,000 miles, in linear distance each of the 360 degree of longitude is 25,000^360 or 69.1 miles. As the parallels of latitude become shorter polewards, so the meridians of longitudes, which converge at the poles, enclose a where it measures 69.172 miles.There is so much difference in the length of degrees of longitude outside the tropics that they are not used for calculating distances as in the case of latitude. But they have one very important function, they determine local time in relation to G.M.T. or Greenwich Mean Time, which is sometimes referred to as World Time.