II.

Degree of Latitude

If the earth were exactly spherical, a degree of latitude would be equal to 1/360 of the circumference of a circle drawn on the surface of the earth and passing through the North and South poles. The earth, however, is flattened at the poles, so that the actual length of a degree, as determined astronomically, varies from the equator to the poles. At the equator a degree of latitude is 110,568.18 m (362,756.5 ft), or about 110.57 km (about 68.7 statute mi). The length of a degree at 45° North or South, the so-called middle degree, is 111,131.9 m (364,606 ft), or about 111.13 km (about 69.13 statute mi).