Question

Give a reason for the following :

The distance between two consecutive meridians is equal to about 111 kilometers only at the equator.

Answer 1

The circumference of the Earth is approximately 40,000 km. It covers ah angle of 360 degrees. The distance between two consecutive parallels of latitude is everywhere the same. This is because the lines of latitude are parallel lines. Therefore one degree of latitude. = 40,000/360 = 111km (approximately.)
On the other hand, the distance between two consecutive meridians of longitude is 111 km only at the equator and gradually decreases with distance from the equator. This is because the meridians of longitude converge at the two poles.