Latitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the north-south position of a point on the surface of the Earth with respect to the line of Ecuador. Longitude is another geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the surface of the Earth with respect to Greenwich Meridian.
Latitude can range from 0 to 90 degrees north(positive) or south(negative). Longitude can range from 0 to 180 degrees east(positive) or west(negative). Every degree of latitude or longitude is sub-divided into 60 minutes, which in turn is sub-divided into 60 seconds. Sometimes, for greater accuracy, the seconds are specified with a decimal fraction. For instance, 38°54′17″N (38 degrees, 54 minutes, 17 seconds North) and 77°00′59″W (77 degrees, 0 minutes, 59 seconds West) are the geographical coordinates of Washington D.C., United States.
There are alternatives to represent the latitude and longitude. One alternative is to use degrees and minutes, where parts of a minute are expressed in decimal notation with a fraction, for example, 38°54.2833333′N and 77°0.9833333′W.
Another alternative is to use decimal degrees. For example, 38.9047222°, -77.0163889°. Note that in this case a positive latitude refers to north, and when negative it refers to south. Similarly, a positive longitude refers to east longitude, and when negative it refers to west longitude.
Convert the latitude and longitude from degrees, minutes and seconds to its equivalent notations in degrees, decimal minutes and decimal degrees.
| Latitude: | |||||
| Degrees | Minutes | Seconds | Direction | ||
| Longitude: |
Convert the latitude and longitude from degrees and decimal minutes to its equivalent notations in degrees, minutes and seconds and decimal degrees.
| Latitude: | ||
| Degrees and decimal minutes | ||
| Longitude: |
Convert the latitude and longitude from decimal degrees to its notation in degrees, minutes and seconds and degrees and decimal minutes.
| Latitude: | ||
| Decimal degrees | ||
| Longitude: |