Latitude is an angular measurement that signifies the distance of a location on the earth's surface either north or south from the equator. It is expressed and recorded in degrees and ranges from 0° at the equator to 90° (north or south) at the poles. This imaginary horizontal geo-coordinate system is used in geography and navigation to precisely indicate and track locations on the Earth's surface. Degrees of Latitude are parallel to each other, hence they are often referred to as parallels. The specific latitudinal measurement of a location can greatly impact its climate, daylight hours, and many other significant environmental aspects.

1) New York City, USA is situated at approximately 40.7 degrees north latitude, meaning it is located roughly 40.7 degrees north of the equator. 2) Sydney, Australia is located at 33.9 degrees south latitude, which indicates that it is 33.9 degrees to the south of the equator. 3) The city of Quito in Ecuador is at 0 degrees latitude because it rests directly on the equator. 4) Paris, France sits at approximately 48.9 degrees north latitude, indicating it is situated 48.9 degrees above the equator. 5) Buenos Aires, Argentina is at roughly 34.6 degrees south latitude, signifying that it is located about 34.6 degrees south of the equator.

Did you know that latitude lines, also known as parallels, are not equally distant from each other? While it's true that they're all parallel and run horizontally around the Earth, the physical distance between them varies depending on where you are on the planet. Here's why: Earth is not a perfect sphere but an oblate spheroid, meaning it's slightly flattened at the poles and slightly bulging at the equator. Therefore, one degree of latitude represents approximately 69 miles (111 kilometers) at the equator, but as you move towards the poles, the distance between degrees of latitude gets shorter, until it becomes zero at the poles. This change is because latitude lines curve towards the poles to match the curvature of the Earth.