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Latitude, Longitude, and Geospatial Data

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Every place on Earth can be found using the co-ordinates of latitude and longitude. These co-ordinates are shown on maps.

Imaginary lines

Latitude and longitude are imaginary lines that run around the earth. They help to show where we are.

Latitude: These are the lines that run across the globe. The latitude that runs through the middle of the Earth is given the number zero degrees (0°) and is called the equator. The latitude line at the north and south poles is given the number 90°.

Longitude: These vertical (up and down) lines around the Earth meet at the poles and are widest apart at the equator.

Every point on the Earth has its own latitude and longitude ‘coordinates’.

What is geospatial data?

Everybody and everything is somewhere. The ‘where’ is a location on the ground. A map shows where things on the ground are. Every day we use and collect information about where things are; this is called location-based information or geospatial data.

  • geo = earth
  • spatial = space (the space around us)
  • data = a group of facts such as numbers, words, measurements, or records of what we see.

Audio Māori keywords: 


Where am I? Use this website to find your latitude and longitude coordinates.

Latitude and longitude can be shown as imaginary lines running around the earth. Image: Public domain.

This photo shows a screen option on Andrew's 'fish finder/chart plotter'. Can you see the latitude and longitude coordinates? Image: LEARNZ.

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Maps and Mapping
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GPS Global Positioning Systems