the distance of a region north or south of the equater in degrees is called?

Distance north or south of the equator is measured by latitude. On a map, those are the horizontal lines.

http://geography.about.com/cs/latitudelongitude/a/latlong.htm

The distance of a region north or south of the equator in degrees is called latitude. To find the latitude of a specific region, you can use various methods:

1. Maps or GPS: Look up the coordinates or use a map or GPS device to find the latitude of a particular location. The latitude value will be provided in degrees.

2. Online maps: Many online maps, such as Google Maps, display latitude information. You can search for a location, and it will show you the latitude along with the longitude.

3. Latitudinal lines: On maps, there are horizontal lines called latitudinal lines that run parallel to the equator. The equator itself is at 0 degrees latitude, while the North Pole is at 90 degrees north latitude, and the South Pole is at 90 degrees south latitude. You can estimate the latitude of a region by visually comparing its position relative to these lines.

Remember, when stating latitude, you need to specify whether it is north or south of the equator. For example, the latitude of New York City is approximately 40.7 degrees north.