Lines that run east and west on a globe are called what?

• A. Lines of longitude
• B. Equator lines
• C. Lines of latitude
• D. Prime meridians

Answer: (C)

Lines that run east and west are lines of latitude. These circles around the globe measure how far north or south you are from the Equator and they run horizontally, parallel to the Equator. The Equator itself is the 0-degree line of latitude, and latitude numbers increase as you move toward the North or South Poles.

Longitude lines, in contrast, run north-south and measure distance east or west from the Prime Meridian. The term “equator lines” isn’t used, and the Prime Meridian refers to a specific north-south line, not the east-west set. So lines of latitude are the ones that run east and west.