What is Latitude and Longitude?

Understanding Latitude and Longitude

The latitude-longitude coordinate system provides a universal method for specifying locations on Earth's spherical surface. Imagine Earth divided by horizontal lines (parallels of latitude) running east-west and vertical lines (meridians of longitude) running north-south. The intersection of these lines creates a grid system enabling precise location specification. This coordinate system, refined over centuries of navigation and cartography, now powers GPS, mapping applications, and location-based services used by billions daily.

Latitude lines are parallel circles running horizontally around the globe. The Equator at 0° latitude divides Earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Moving north or south from the Equator, latitude increases to 90° at the North and South Poles. Key latitude lines include the Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N), Tropic of Capricorn (23.5°S), Arctic Circle (66.5°N), and Antarctic Circle (66.5°S). All locations on the same latitude line (like 40°N) are equidistant from the Equator.

Longitude lines (meridians) run vertically from pole to pole, converging at the poles. The Prime Meridian at 0° longitude passes through Greenwich, England, dividing Earth into Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Longitude extends 180° in each direction - 180°E and 180°W meet at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean. Unlike latitude lines which are parallel, longitude lines converge at the poles, meaning the distance between meridians decreases from Equator to poles.

Modern digital applications primarily use decimal degrees format for coordinates: 40.7128°N, 74.0060°W (New York City) or simplified to (40.7128, -74.0060) where negative indicates west longitude or south latitude. Each decimal place represents approximately: 1° ≈ 111 km, 0.1° ≈ 11 km, 0.01° ≈ 1.1 km, 0.001° ≈ 111 m, 0.0001° ≈ 11 m. Six decimal places provide approximately 0.1 meter (10 cm) precision - more than adequate for most applications including delivery routing and property mapping.

The business applications of latitude-longitude coordinates are extensive and growing. GPS navigation relies on coordinates for routing and turn-by-turn directions. E-commerce platforms use coordinates from geocoding to calculate shipping distances and delivery zones. Real estate applications map properties precisely. Fleet management tracks vehicle locations in real-time. Emergency services (911) use smartphone GPS coordinates to dispatch help to exact locations. Food delivery apps coordinate driver and customer positions. Location-based marketing targets customers within specific geographic areas. Any application involving "where" benefits from coordinate-based geospatial data.

How Latitude and Longitude Work

Key Benefits of Latitude-Longitude Coordinates

Common Use Cases

Coordinate Format Comparison

How to Work with Coordinates using Sthan.io

Sthan.io provides geocoding and reverse geocoding to convert between addresses and coordinates. Here's how:

POST https://api.sthan.io/v1/geocode
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

{
  "address": "1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043"
}

{
  "status": "success",
  "results": [{
    "latitude": 37.4224764,
    "longitude": -122.0842499,
    "formattedAddress": "1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA",
    "precision": "rooftop"
  }]
}

GET https://api.sthan.io/v1/reverse-geocode?lat=37.4224764&lng=-122.0842499
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

Response:
{
  "status": "success",
  "result": {
    "formattedAddress": "1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA",
    "city": "Mountain View",
    "state": "CA",
    "postalCode": "94043",
    "country": "United States"
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Terms