Reducing the Risk. A lack of answers is part of what makes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) so frightening. SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants 1 month to 1 year old, and claims the lives of about 2,500 each year in the United States. It remains unpredictable despite years of research. Even so, the risk of SIDS can be greatly reduced.
Using the Latitude Longitude Coordinate System. The latitude longitude coordinate system uses angular measurements to describe a position on the surface of the earth. The system has been in use, with little change, since the astronomer Ptolemy used them in his first world atlas in A.D. 150. Mariners and aviators have been the primary users of latitude/longitude in the past. The system is used on a world wide basis and many different types of maps have lat/lon markings.
Reading Latitude and Longitude on a map If you look at the picture above you will notice the latitude and longitude in the upper right hand corner of the map. You would read it as 35 degrees 22 minutes 30 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 30 minutes west longitude. Below the title you will notice the words 7.5 minute map. This means that the map covers an area of 7.5 minutes of latitude and longitude. Lets look at how we can determine location in terms of latitude and longitude from a topographic map. The diagram below is a very simplified version of a topographic map.