The equator goes around the middle of Earth like a belt. It divides our planet into the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. The equator is a line of latitude . The other lines of latitude are north and south of the equator. They are parallel to the equator.
Parallel lines run in the same direction and are an equal distance apart at all points.
They never meet. Thus, lines of latitude are also called parallels . They run east-west around the globe. Parallels measure distance north or south of the equator. This distance is measured in degrees .