LATITUDES & LONGITUDES

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These are angular distances of a point on the earth’s surface, measured in degrees from the center of the earth.
Due to the Earth's geoid shape, which is slightly flattened at the poles, the length of a degree of latitude varies.
It is slightly shorter at the equator (0°) at 68.704 miles, increases to 69.054 miles at 45°, and is longest at the poles at 69.407 miles
On average, the degree of latitude is approximately 69 miles or 111 kilometers (1 mile = 1.607 km).

These are angular distances, measured in degrees along the equator east or west of the Prime (or First) Meridian.
On the globe longitude is shown as a series of semi-circles that run from pole to pole passing through the equator.
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 (0°) from which all other meridians radiate eastwards and westwards up to 180°.
As the parallels of latitude become shorter poleward, so the meridians of longitude, which converge at the poles, enclose a narrower space.
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.

Since the Earth completes a full 360° rotation in 24 hours, moving at 15° per hour or 1° every 4 minutes.
Rotation direction: West to East.
Moving eastward: Local time advances by 1 hour for every 15°.
- Locations east of Greenwich experience sunrise earlier and gain time.
Moving westward: Local time is delayed by 1 hour for every 15°.
- Locations west of Greenwich see the sun later and lose time.
To calculate local time from GMT:
Add the time difference for locations east of Greenwich.
Subtract the time difference for locations west of Greenwich.