Absolute location

Absolute Location is a term used in geography to describe the exact geographic coordinates of a place on the Earth's surface. It is often expressed in terms of latitude and longitude.

Definition

The absolute location of a place refers to its exact position on the Earth's surface. This is usually given in terms of degrees of latitude, which range from 0° at the Equator to 90° at the poles, and degrees of longitude, which range from 0° at the Prime Meridian to 180° east or west.

Use in Geography

In geography, the absolute location is used to provide precise mapping and navigation. It is also used in geographic information systems (GIS) to analyze patterns and relationships between different locations.

Comparison with Relative Location

Absolute location is different from relative location, which describes a place's location in relation to other places. For example, while the absolute location of New York City might be given as 40.7128° N, 74.0060° W, its relative location could be described as "on the East Coast of the United States".

Importance

Understanding the absolute location is important in a variety of fields, including cartography, navigation, geology, and urban planning. It allows for precise mapping and navigation, and can also be used to analyze patterns and relationships between different locations.

See Also

• Geographic coordinate system
• Latitude
• Longitude
• Relative location
• Geographic information system