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Q15 (CDS-I/2012) Geography › World Physical Geography › World physical mapping Answer Verified

The distance between two con- secutive longitudes (91° E and 92° E) at the Poles is—

Result
Your answer:  ·  Correct: A
Explanation

Longitudes, also known as meridians, are imaginary lines that run from the North Pole to the South Pole. Unlike parallels of latitude which are equally spaced, meridians converge as they move away from the equator [1]. The linear distance between two consecutive longitudes is at its maximum at the equator, measuring approximately 111.3 km (69 miles) [1]. As one travels towards the poles, this distance decreases significantly due to the spherical shape of the Earth and the convergence of these lines [1]. At 45° latitude, the distance is about 79 km, and at 75°, it drops to 29 km [1]. Finally, at the North and South Poles (90° N/S), all meridians meet at a single point, resulting in a distance of 0 km between any two longitudes, including 91° E and 92° E [3].

Sources

  1. [1] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 2: The Earth's Crust > Longitude > p. 11
  2. [2] https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-much-distance-does-a-degree-minute-and-second-cover-your-maps
  3. [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 18: Latitudes and Longitudes > 18.1. Latitude or Parallel > p. 240
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