Coordinate Directions Defined
Coordinate directions refer to latitude and longitude values, which can pinpoint any location on Earth. You can plug latitude and longitude values into a global positioning system (GPS) or into services, such as Google Maps or MapQuest, to pinpoint any location.
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Latitude
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Lines of latitude run east to west across the globe, parallel to the Equator. The Equator has a latitude value of 0 degrees, while the North and South Poles both have latitude values of 90 degrees. Lines of latitude vary in length, shortening as they near the North and South Poles.
Longitude
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Lines of longitude, also called meridians, run North to South and intersect lines of latitude at right angles. The longitude line through Greenwich, England, is used as the 0-degree line of longitude. 360 degrees of longitude also exist, since the Earth is spherical. All lines of longitude have an equal length.
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Terms
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Latitude and longitude are typically measured in degrees, which measure up to 69 miles each. Seconds and minutes are smaller units of latitude and longitude. Each degree has 60 minutes, and each minute contains 60 seconds. The single apostrophe (') is used to indicate minutes, while quotation marks (") are used to indicate seconds. Minutes measure up to 1.15 miles, and seconds measure up to 100 feet, allowing coordinate directions a high level of precision.
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