How do latitude and longitude help identify your exact location on earth?

Answer 1

Latitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the north-south position of a point on the Earth's surface, while longitude specifies the east-west position. Lines of latitudes are horizontal lines parallel to the equator and longitude (or meridians) are vertical lines. Latitude and longitude are used in a map grid system.

Latitude and longitude are similar to large cities having streets running in one direction (e.g., East-West) and avenues running perpendicular (e.g., North-South) such that if you know a street number and avenue intersection you can find any places relative to any intersection (e.g. 5th Avenue and East 75th Street).

Latitude and longitude use the same concept such that knowing the coordinates can locate an exact point on the planet. Latitude and longitude is easier than streets and avenues because latitude and longitude is consistent across the planet, while streets and avenues are not. In addition, you can add decimal places to the coordinates to get more a precise location to map down to a single point plus or minus a centimeter or even smaller if needed.