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What is a line of longitude?

 A line of longitude, also known as a meridian, is an imaginary vertical line that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole on the Earth's surface. It is one of the two primary components used to define geographic coordinates, along with lines of latitude.


Lines of longitude are used to measure distances east or west of the Prime Meridian, which is the reference meridian from which all other longitudes are measured. The Prime Meridian, located at 0 degrees longitude, passes through Greenwich, London, and is commonly used as the starting point for measuring longitudes.


The Earth is divided into 360 degrees of longitude, with each degree further divided into 60 minutes and each minute divided into 60 seconds. Longitudes to the east of the Prime Meridian are assigned positive values, ranging from 0 to 180 degrees, while longitudes to the west are assigned negative values, ranging from 0 to -180 degrees.


Lines of longitude intersect lines of latitude at right angles, forming a grid-like pattern that allows for precise location identification on Earth's surface. By using the combination of latitude and longitude coordinates, one can determine the exact position of a specific location anywhere on the planet.

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