Globe, Latitudes and Longitudes Class 6 – NCERT Solutions & Quick Revision

A globe is a three-dimensional model of Earth. Latitude measures how far north or south a place is from the Equator, while longitude measures how far east or west it is from the Prime Meridian. Used together, latitude and longitude create a global coordinate system for locating places accurately.

Updated for 2026–27: “Globe: Latitudes and Longitudes” belongs to the earlier Class 6 Geography sequence. NCERT’s current Class VI Social Science textbook is Exploring Society: India and Beyond, where map and location skills are organised differently. We are preserving this established page and its URL because many schools and learners still use the classic chapter sequence, while presenting the concepts in a board-neutral, globally useful way.

Watch & Learn: English + Hindi Video Lessons

English: Globe, Latitudes and Longitudes – Full Chapter

This public Magnet Brains Class 6 Geography lesson covers the globe, important parallels, heat zones, longitude, time and the classic exercise questions.

हिंदी: ग्लोब, अक्षांश और देशांतर – आसान व्याख्या

यह सार्वजनिक ASA Education वीडियो कक्षा 6 के विद्यार्थियों के लिए ग्लोब, अक्षांश, देशांतर और संबंधित भूगोल अवधारणाओं को हिंदी में समझाता है।

Key Concepts at a Glance

Concept	Meaning
Globe	A spherical model of Earth
Equator	0° latitude; divides Earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres
Latitude	Angular distance north or south of the Equator
Prime Meridian	0° longitude; reference meridian passing through Greenwich
Longitude	Angular distance east or west of the Prime Meridian
Grid	Network formed by parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude
Coordinates	A latitude-longitude pair used to identify a location

Classic Exercise Answers

1(a). What is the true shape of Earth?

Earth is not a perfect sphere. It is slightly flattened at the poles and wider around the Equator. More precisely, its shape is often described as an oblate spheroid.

1(b). What is a globe?

A globe is a three-dimensional model of Earth. It helps us understand the relative positions of continents, oceans, the poles, the Equator, latitudes and longitudes.

1(c). What is the latitude of the Tropic of Cancer?

The Tropic of Cancer lies at approximately 23.5° North latitude.

1(d). What are the three traditional heat zones of Earth?

• Torrid Zone
• Temperate Zones
• Frigid Zones

These are broad textbook zones based mainly on latitude and the angle at which sunlight reaches Earth. Actual climate is also influenced by altitude, oceans, winds and many other factors.

1(e). What are parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude?

Parallels of latitude are imaginary circles running east-west around Earth, parallel to the Equator. Meridians of longitude are imaginary semicircles running from the North Pole to the South Pole.

1(f). Why does the Torrid Zone receive more direct solar energy?

The region between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn can receive the Sun’s rays at a very high angle, including directly overhead at certain places and times of year. More direct rays concentrate solar energy over a smaller surface area than strongly slanting rays.

1(g). Why can it be 5:30 p.m. in India when it is 12 noon at Greenwich?

Indian Standard Time is UTC+5:30. India’s standard meridian is 82°30′E. Therefore, when the reference time at UTC+0 is 12:00 noon, IST is 5:30 p.m. Clock time in London itself can be UTC+0 or UTC+1 depending on the season, so “London time” and UTC are not always identical.

Multiple-Choice Answer Check

Question	Correct answer
Value of the Prime Meridian	0° longitude
The Frigid Zones lie near	The poles
Longitude covers how many degrees around Earth?	360° around the full circle
The Antarctic Circle is in	The Southern Hemisphere
A geographic grid is formed by	Parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude

Important clarification: longitude is measured from 0° to 180° east and 0° to 180° west. Together these span 360° around Earth. The 180°E and 180°W positions refer to the same meridian.

Fill-in-the-Blank Answers

• The Tropic of Capricorn is at about 23.5°S.
• India’s standard meridian is 82°30′E.
• The 0° longitude line is the Prime Meridian.
• The distance between meridians decreases toward the poles.
• The Arctic Circle lies in the Northern Hemisphere.

Latitude vs Longitude

Latitude	Longitude
Measures north-south position	Measures east-west position
Measured from the Equator	Measured from the Prime Meridian
Parallels never meet	Meridians meet at the poles
Ranges from 0° to 90° N or S	Ranges from 0° to 180° E or W
Strongly linked with solar angle and broad heat zones	Strongly linked with local solar time and time zones

How Longitude Relates to Time

Earth rotates approximately 360° in 24 hours. Therefore, a useful geographical rule is:

• 15° longitude ≈ 1 hour
• 1° longitude ≈ 4 minutes

This explains why places at different longitudes have different local solar times. Modern countries use agreed time zones, so actual clock time does not always follow longitude in exact 15° bands.

5-Minute Practice Activity

1. Open a globe or digital map.
2. Find the Equator and Prime Meridian.
3. Choose any city and note its latitude and longitude.
4. Decide whether it lies north or south of the Equator and east or west of the Prime Meridian.
5. Find another city about 15° farther east and predict how its local solar time would differ.

Quick Self-Test

1. What is 0° latitude called?
2. What is 0° longitude called?
3. Which lines meet at the poles: latitudes or longitudes?
4. At what latitude is the Tropic of Capricorn?
5. Approximately how much time corresponds to 30° of longitude?

Answers: (1) Equator. (2) Prime Meridian. (3) Longitudes/meridians. (4) About 23.5°S. (5) About two hours of local solar time.

Globe, Latitude and Longitude FAQs

Is latitude measured from the Prime Meridian?

No. Latitude is measured from the Equator. Longitude is measured east or west from the Prime Meridian.

What is the geographic grid?

The geographic grid is the network formed by lines of latitude and longitude. Their intersections help identify locations on Earth.

Why do meridians get closer near the poles?

All meridians run from pole to pole, so they converge at the North and South Poles even though they are farthest apart at the Equator.

Is this chapter still Chapter 2 in current NCERT Class 6 Social Science?

The current NCERT Class VI Social Science textbook uses a new integrated structure, so chapter names and numbering have changed. This page remains useful for students using the earlier Geography sequence and for general coordinate-learning practice.

Related Class 6 Geography Learning

• Globe, Latitudes and Longitudes Class 6 Notes
• The Earth in the Solar System – NCERT Solutions
• Motions of the Earth Class 6 Notes
• Maps Class 6 Notes
• Class 6 Notes Hub
• International Science Olympiad – School Connect Olympiad
• NCERT Textbooks

Study tip: latitude and longitude become easy when you stop treating them as definitions and start using real coordinates. Pick places you know, find their coordinates, and compare their positions on a globe or digital map.