Definition
Latitude is the angular distance, measured in degrees, minutes, and seconds, of a point north or south of the equator. The equator is 0° latitude; the North Pole is 90° N and the South Pole is 90° S. Lines of latitude (parallels) run east-west around the Earth and are used together with longitude to specify any position on the Earth's surface.
Plain English
Latitude tells you how far north or south of the equator a place is. It is one of the two numbers used to pinpoint any spot on Earth.
Context Anchor
Pilots see latitude in airport location data, charts, GPS displays, flight planning, weather information, and NOTAMs.
Derivation
From the Latin latitudo, meaning 'breadth' or 'width.' Early mapmakers thought of the known world as wider east-to-west than north-to-south, so the north-south measurement became the 'breadth' of the map — the latitude.
Why Pilots Care
Accurate latitude fixes your north-south position for navigation, route planning, and regulatory compliance.
Intuition Check
Do not confuse latitude with longitude. Latitude tells north or south; longitude tells east or west.
Example Sentence 1
The pilot confirmed the destination airport's latitude and longitude before loading it into the GPS.
Example Sentence 2
Flight plans list the latitude and longitude of each waypoint along the route.