The maximum number of degrees of latitude possible is 90 degrees. This is because the North Pole has a latitude of 90 degrees North, and the South Pole has a latitude of 90 degrees South. Latitude lines start at 0 degrees at the equator and end at 90 degrees at the poles, with each degree of latitude covering about 111 kilometers on the Earths surface. Unlike longitude lines, which converge at the poles, latitude lines are parallel and equidistant from each other.