These parallels run horizontally around the earth, parallel to the equator. 90 of them are north of the equator, while the other 90 are south of it.
[header] How to read latitude and longitude on a map [title] Get familiar with the concept of latitude. [step] Latitude is a measure of distance north or south of the equator, which is an imaginary horizontal line around the exact mid-point of the earth between the 2 poles. The earth is divided up into 180 latitude lines on either side of the equator, called parallels.