Grids And Coordinates

Latitude lines run east-west and are parallel to each other. If you go further north north, latitude values increase. Finally, latitude values (Y-values) range between -90 and +90 degrees

But longitude lines run north-south. They converge at the poles. And its X-coordinates are between -180 and +180 degrees.

Latitude and longitude coordinates make up our geographic coordinate system.

Map Coordinate Systems You can give anything on Earth latitude and longitude coordinates.

The field of study that measures the shape and size of the Earth is geodesy. Geodesists use coordinate reference systems such as WGS84, NAD27 and NAD83. In each coordinate system, geodists use mathematics to give each position on Earth a unique coordinate.

A geographic coordinate system defines two-dimensional coordinates based on the Earth’s surface. It has an angular unit of measure, prime meridian and datum (which contains the spheroid).

As shown in the image below, lines of longitude have X-coordinates between -180 and +180 degrees.

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