An imaginary circle passing through the North and South poles is known as what?

A circle that passes through the North and South poles is referred to as a meridian. Meridians are lines of longitude that run from pole to pole and are used in the geographic coordinate system to determine a location's east-west position. Each meridian is defined by its angle relative to the Prime Meridian, which is set at 0 degrees longitude.

In contrast, latitude refers to lines that run parallel to the equator and measure how far north or south a location is from it. The equator itself is specifically the line of latitude at 0 degrees, serving as the primary reference for latitude measurements. Parallels are lines of latitude that lie parallel to the equator and do not pass through the poles; they maintain equal distance from each other.

Understanding these terms and their definitions is crucial in geography, as they are foundational for mapping the Earth and navigating.