General Mathematics · Earth geometry · manipulative

Latitude and longitude as angles

Latitude is the angle up from the equator. Longitude is the angle around from Greenwich. Both live at the centre of the Earth.

equator / latitude prime meridian / longitude P

Drag P · drag elsewhere to orbit · scroll to zoom

Point P

30°N
45°E

Working

Latitude is measured from the equator at the centre; longitude from the prime meridian — they are not distances on a flat map.