Latitudina

Latitudina is a term that refers to the angular distance, measured in degrees, of a point on the Earth's surface north or south of the Equator. It is one of the two coordinates used in the geographic coordinate system, the other being longitude. Latitude lines, also known as parallels, run east-west and are parallel to the Equator. The Equator itself is designated as 0 degrees latitude. Latitudes north of the Equator are called northern latitudes and are assigned positive values, ranging from 0 to 90 degrees North. Latitudes south of the Equator are called southern latitudes and are assigned negative values or designated with "S," ranging from 0 to 90 degrees South. The North Pole is at 90 degrees North latitude, and the South Pole is at 90 degrees South latitude. Degrees of latitude are further divided into minutes and seconds for more precise location. The distance represented by one degree of latitude is approximately constant, about 111 kilometers or 69 miles, because the Earth is nearly spherical. This concept is fundamental for navigation, cartography, and understanding global climate patterns.