How to Locate Countries Using Coordinates
Latitude and longitude coordinates provide an exact and easy-to-read description of where something is. Thanks to modern mapping software, all you have to do is enter the coordinates of a location, and you can immediately see where that location is. Countries are no exception to this. Each country in the world has its own coordinates (see Resources) which tell you that country's distance from the equator (latitude) and from the prime meridian (longitude).
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Click the desktop icon of your mapping software to launch it. Alternatively, click "Start," then "All Programs," and select your mapping software from the programs list. If you are using a web-based mapping tool, launch a web browser and type its URL in the "Address" bar, then press "Enter."
-
2
Click "Edit," then "Find," then select the "Lat/Long" tab.
-
-
3
Type the exact latitude of the place you are searching for in the text box next to "Latitude." If your coordinates are in "Degrees Minutes Seconds" format, then use the format "dd.mm.ss.sD" where "dd" is number of degrees, "mm" is number of minutes, "ss.s" is number of seconds expressed as a decimal, and "D" is direction "N," "S," "E," or "W." If your coordinates are in decimal format, then simply enter the decimal number, preceded by a "-" sign for locations south of the equator or west of the prime meridian.
-
4
Type the exact longitude of the place you are searching for in the text box next to "Longitude." Use the same format as that used for latitude.
-
5
Click "Find," then click "OK."
-
1
Tips & Warnings
If you are using Google Maps, simply enter the coordinates into the "Search" box, separated by a space.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit analoges gps image by Uwe Landgraf from Fotolia.com
