Geographic longitude and latitude are used to accurately determine the physical location of any object on the globe. The most in a simple way Finding geographic coordinates is using a geographic map. This method requires some theoretical knowledge to implement it. How to determine longitude and latitude is described in the article.

Geographical coordinates

Coordinates in geography are a system in which each point on the surface of our planet is assigned a set of numbers and symbols that allows the precise location of that point to be determined. Geographic coordinates are expressed in three numbers - latitude, longitude and altitude above sea level. The first two coordinates, that is, latitude and longitude, are most often used in various geographical problems. The origin of the report in the geographic coordinate system is at the center of the Earth. To represent latitude and longitude, spherical coordinates are used, which are expressed in degrees.

Before considering the question of how to determine longitude and latitude by geography, you should understand these concepts in more detail.

The concept of latitude

The latitude of a specific point on the Earth's surface is understood as the angle between the equatorial plane and the line connecting this point with the center of the Earth. Through all points of the same latitude, you can draw a plane that will be parallel to the plane of the equator.

The equatorial plane is the zero parallel, that is, its latitude is 0°, and it divides the entire globe into the southern and northern hemispheres. Accordingly, the north pole lies at the parallel of 90° north latitude, and the south pole lies at the parallel of 90° south latitude. The distance that corresponds to 1° when moving along a particular parallel depends on what kind of parallel it is. As latitude increases, moving north or south, this distance decreases. Therefore, is 0°. Knowing that the circumference of the Earth at the latitude of the equator has a length of 40075.017 km, we obtain the length of 1° along this parallel equal to 111.319 km.

Latitude shows how far north or south a given point on the Earth's surface lies from the equator.

The concept of longitude

The longitude of a specific point on the Earth's surface is understood as the angle between the plane passing through this point and the Earth's axis of rotation, and the plane of the prime meridian. According to the settlement agreement, the zero meridian is the one that passes through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, located in the southeast of England. The Greenwich meridian divides the globe into eastern and

Thus, each line of longitude passes through the north and south poles. The lengths of all meridians are equal and amount to 40007.161 km. If we compare this figure with the length of the zero parallel, we can say that geometric shape planet Earth is a ball flattened at the poles.

Longitude shows how far west or east of the prime (Greenwich) meridian a specific point on Earth lies. If latitude has a maximum value of 90° (the latitude of the poles), then the maximum value of longitude is 180° west or east of the prime meridian. The 180° meridian is known as the International Date Line.

One might wonder interesting question, the longitude of which points cannot be determined. Based on the definition of a meridian, we find that all 360 meridians pass through two points on the surface of our planet; these points are the south and north poles.

Geographical degree

From the above figures it is clear that 1° on the Earth’s surface corresponds to a distance of more than 100 km, either along a parallel or along a meridian. For more accurate coordinates of an object, the degree is divided into tenths and hundredths, for example, they say 35.79 north latitude. This type of information is provided by satellite navigation systems such as GPS.

Conventional geographic and topographic maps represent fractions of degrees in minutes and seconds. Thus, each degree is divided into 60 minutes (indicated by 60"), and each minute is divided into 60 seconds (indicated by 60"). An analogy can be drawn here with the idea of ​​measuring time.

Getting to know the geographic map

To understand how to determine geographic latitude and longitude on a map, you must first become familiar with it. In particular, you need to understand how longitude and latitude coordinates are represented on it. Firstly, top part The map shows the northern hemisphere, the lower part shows the southern hemisphere. The numbers that are on the left and right of the edge of the map indicate latitude, and the numbers located at the top and at lower parts maps are longitude coordinates.

Before determining the latitude and longitude coordinates, you need to remember that they are presented on the map in degrees, minutes and seconds. This system of units should not be confused with decimal degrees. For example, 15" = 0.25°, 30" = 0.5°, 45"" = 0.75".

Using a geographic map to determine longitude and latitude

We will explain in detail how to determine longitude and latitude by geography using a map. To do this, you first need to purchase a standard geographical map. This map can be a map of a small area, a region, a country, a continent, or the entire world. To understand which card you are dealing with, you should read its name. At the bottom, under the name, the limits of latitude and longitude that are presented on the map can be given.

After this, you need to select a certain point on the map, some object that needs to be marked in some way, for example, with a pencil. How to determine the longitude of an object located at a selected point, and how to determine its latitude? The first step is to find the vertical and horizontal lines that lie closest to the selected point. These lines are latitude and longitude, the numerical values ​​of which can be seen at the edges of the map. Let's assume that the selected point lies between 10° and 11° north latitude and 67° and 68° west longitude.

Thus, we know how to determine the geographic latitude and longitude of the object selected on the map with the accuracy that the map provides. In this case, the accuracy is 0.5°, both in latitude and longitude.

Determining the exact value of geographic coordinates

How to determine the longitude and latitude of a point more accurately than 0.5°? First you need to find out what scale the map you are working with is on. Typically, a scale bar is indicated in one of the corners of the map, showing the correspondence of distances on the map to distances in geographic coordinates and in kilometers on the ground.

After you have found a scale ruler, you need to take a simple ruler with millimeter divisions and measure the distance on the scale ruler. Let, in the example under consideration, 50 mm correspond to 1° latitude and 40 mm correspond to 1° longitude.

Now we position the ruler so that it is parallel to the lines of longitude drawn on the map, and measure the distance from the point in question to one of the nearest parallels, for example, the distance to the 11° parallel is 35 mm. We make a simple proportion and find that this distance corresponds to 0.3° from the 10° parallel. Thus, the latitude of the point in question is +10.3° (the plus sign means north latitude).

Similar steps should be done for longitude. To do this, place the ruler parallel to the lines of latitude and measure the distance to the nearest meridian from the selected point on the map, let’s say this distance is 10 mm to the meridian 67° west longitude. According to the rules of proportion, we find that the longitude of the object in question is -67.25° (the minus sign means western longitude).

Converting the received degrees into minutes and seconds

As stated above, 1° = 60" = 3600". Using this information and the rule of proportion, we find that 10.3° corresponds to 10°18"0". For the longitude value we get: 67.25° = 67°15"0"". In this case, the proportion was used for translation once for longitude and latitude. However, in general case When, after using the proportion once, fractional minutes are obtained, you should use the proportion a second time to obtain the value of incremental seconds. Note that the accuracy of determining coordinates up to 1" corresponds to an accuracy on the surface of the globe equal to 30 meters.

Recording received coordinates

After the question of how to determine the longitude of an object and its latitude has been answered, and the coordinates of the selected point have been determined, they should be written down correctly. The standard form of notation is to indicate longitude after latitude. Both values ​​must be specified with as many decimal places as possible, since this determines the accuracy of the object's location.

Defined coordinates can be represented in two different formats:

1. Using only the degree icon, for example +10.3°, -67.25°.
2. Using minutes and seconds, for example 10°18"0""N, 67°15"0""W.

It should be noted that in the case of representing geographic coordinates using degrees only, the words “north (south) latitude” and “east (west) longitude” are replaced by the corresponding plus or minus sign.

Each point on the planet's surface has a specific position, which corresponds to its own latitude and longitude coordinates. It is located at the intersection of the spherical arcs of the meridian, which corresponds to longitude, with the parallel, which corresponds to latitude. It is denoted by a pair of angular quantities expressed in degrees, minutes, seconds, which has a definition of a coordinate system.

Latitude and longitude are the geographic aspect of a plane or sphere translated into topographic images. To more accurately locate a point, its altitude above sea level is also taken into account, which allows it to be found in three-dimensional space.

The need to find a point using latitude and longitude coordinates arises due to the duty and occupation of rescuers, geologists, military personnel, sailors, archaeologists, pilots and drivers, but it may also be necessary for tourists, travelers, seekers, and researchers.

What is latitude and how to find it

Latitude is the distance from an object to the equator line. Measured in angular units (such as degrees, degrees, minutes, seconds, etc.). Latitude on a map or globe is indicated by horizontal parallels - lines that describe a circle parallel to the equator and converge in the form of a series of tapering rings towards the poles.

Therefore, they distinguish between northern latitude - this is the entire part of the earth's surface north of the equator, and also southern latitude - this is the entire part of the planet's surface south of the equator. The equator is the zero, longest parallel.

• Parallels from the equator line to the north pole are considered to be a positive value from 0° to 90°, where 0° is the equator itself, and 90° is the top of the north pole. They are counted as northern latitude (N).
• Parallels extending from the equator towards the south pole are indicated by a negative value from 0° to -90°, where -90° is the location of the south pole. They are counted as southern latitude (S).
• On the globe, parallels are depicted as circles encircling the ball, which become smaller as they approach the poles.
• All points on the same parallel will be designated by the same latitude, but different longitudes.
  On maps, based on their scale, parallels have the form of horizontal, curved stripes - the smaller the scale, the straighter the parallel strip is depicted, and the larger it is, the more curved it is.

Remember! The closer to the equator a given area is located, the smaller its latitude will be.

What is longitude and how to find it

Longitude is the amount by which the position of a given area is removed relative to Greenwich, that is, the prime meridian.

Longitude is similarly characterized by measurement in angular units, only from 0° to 180° and with a prefix - eastern or western.

• The Greenwich Prime Meridian vertically encircles the globe of the Earth, passing through both poles, dividing it into the western and eastern hemispheres.
• Each of the parts located west of Greenwich (in the Western Hemisphere) will be designated west longitude (w.l.).
• Each part distant from Greenwich to the east and located in the eastern hemisphere will be designated east longitude (E.L.).
• Finding each point along the same meridian has the same longitude, but different latitude.
• Meridians are drawn on maps in the form of vertical stripes curved in the shape of an arc. The smaller the map scale, the straighter the meridian strip will be.

How to find the coordinates of a given point on the map

Often you have to find out the coordinates of a point that is located on the map in a square between the two nearest parallels and meridians. Approximate data can be obtained by eye by sequentially estimating the step in degrees between the mapped lines in the area of ​​interest, and then comparing the distance from them to the desired area. For accurate calculations you will need a pencil with a ruler, or a compass.

• For the initial data we take the designations of the parallels closest to our point with the meridian.
• Next, we look at the step between their stripes in degrees.
• Then we look at the size of their step on the map in cm.
• Using a ruler, measure the distance from given point to the nearest parallel, as well as the distance between this line and the neighboring one, we convert it into degrees and take into account the difference - subtracting from the larger one, or adding to the smaller one.
• This gives us the latitude.

Example! The distance between the parallels 40° and 50°, among which our area is located, is 2 cm or 20 mm, and the step between them is 10°. Accordingly, 1° is equal to 2 mm. Our point is 0.5 cm or 5 mm away from the fortieth parallel. We find the degrees to our area 5/2 = 2.5°, which must be added to the value of the nearest parallel: 40° + 2.5° = 42.5° - this is our northern latitude of the given point. In the southern hemisphere, the calculations are similar, but the result has a negative sign.

Similarly, we find longitude - if the nearest meridian is further from Greenwich, and the given point is closer, then we subtract the difference, if the meridian is closer to Greenwich, and the point is further, then we add.

If you only have a compass at hand, then each of the segments is fixed with its tips, and the spread is transferred to the scale.

In a similar way, calculations of coordinates on the surface of the globe are carried out.

Good day!

Almost all of us have found ourselves in a situation where we are wandering in an unfamiliar part of the city and trying to find the right address. Now, of course, technology has stepped forward and an ordinary smartphone allows you to navigate the area perfectly...

However, not everywhere and not everything is depicted on Google and Yandex maps. Not long ago I was in a new part of my city, and, as it turned out, some streets in this area were simply not shown on the map. How can you tell another person where you are and how to find you?

Actually, this short note is dedicated to coordinates and searching for a specific point on the map using map services from Yandex and Google. So...

How to determine your coordinates and how to find an address using coordinates

I'll start with Google maps, official website :

To accurately determine your coordinates, click on the “Location Determination” button; usually a small window immediately pops up in the browser asking whether to allow access (select “I allow”).

Important! By the way, in some cases different services may show you in “different places”. Therefore, double-check your coordinates using 2 maps at once.

If the street is long and there are no house numbers (or Google maps do not indicate houses in this area at all) - then left-click on the point next to the one identified by Google - a small tab should pop up at the bottom, in which your coordinates!

Coordinates represent consists of two numbers. For example, in the screenshot below these are: 54.989192 and 73.319559

Knowing these numbers, you can transmit your location to anyone (even if he does not use Google maps, which is very convenient).

To find the desired point in Google by coordinates, simply open maps and enter these two numbers in the search bar (top left): after 1-2 seconds. A red flag will light up on the maps indicating the desired point.

Note:

1. coordinates must be indicated using a dot, not a comma (correct: 54.989192 73.319559; incorrect: 54.989192 and 73.319559);
2. indicate the coordinates in the order in which the map gives them to you: i.e. first latitude, then longitude (if you break the order, you will get a completely wrong point, perhaps even 1000 km further than the one you are looking for...);
3. coordinates can be specified in degrees and minutes (example: 51°54" 73°31").

Yandex maps

By and large, the principle of operation with Yandex maps is similar. It is worth noting that if the address is not determined for one service, try using another. Sometimes, if a street or area is not drawn in Google maps, then in Yandex, on the contrary, it is displayed quite fully, all the streets are signed, and you can easily find your way where to go and what to do.

Yandex Maps also has special ones. a tool that allows you to find out your location online (click on the arrow in the white circle on the right, see screenshot below).

To determine the coordinates - just click on the desired point on the map - a small window will pop up with addresses and two numbers - this is what they are.

You can insert both a specific address and coordinates into the search line (don’t forget that they need to be specified correctly: do not confuse the sequence, specify through a dot, not a comma!).

Addition!

I have another article of a similar nature on my blog - about determining distances between cities, choosing the optimal road and estimating travel time. It will be useful to anyone who is planning to travel to another city, I recommend:

Additions are welcome...

We suggest using a similar service from Google - + location of interesting places in the world on the Google Maps diagram

Calculation of the distance between two points by coordinates:

Online calculator - calculating the distance between two cities, points. Their exact location in the world can be found at the link above

Countries in alphabetical order:

Determining latitude and longitude on a map?

On the page you can quickly determine coordinates on the map - find out the latitude and longitude of the city. Online search for streets and houses by address, using GPS, to determine coordinates on a Yandex map, how to find a location - described in more detail below.

Determining the geographical coordinates of any city in the world (find out latitude and longitude) by online map from the Yandex service is actually a very simple process. You have two convenient options, let's take a closer look at each of them.

Fill out the form: Rostov-on-Don Pushkinskaya 10 (with the help and if you have the house number, the search will be more accurate). In the upper right corner there is a form for determining coordinates, which contains 3 precise parameters - the coordinates of the mark, the center of the map and the zoom scale.

After activating the “Find” search, each field will contain the necessary data - longitude and latitude. Look at the “Center of the map” field.

Second option: In this case it’s even simpler. Interactive world map with coordinates contains a marker. By default, it is located in the center of Moscow. You need to drag the label and place it on the desired city, for example, determine the coordinates on. The latitude and longitude will automatically match the search object. Look at the “Mark Coordinates” field.

When searching for the desired city or country, use the navigation and zoom tools. By zooming in and out +/-, also moving the interactive map, easy to find any country, search for a region on the world map. This way you can find the geographic center of Ukraine or Russia. In the country of Ukraine, this is the village of Dobrovelichkovka, which is located on the Dobraya River, Kirovograd region.

Copy geographical coordinates center of Ukraine town. Dobrovelychkovka — Ctrl+C

48.3848,31.1769 48.3848 north latitude and 31.1769 east longitude

Longitude +37° 17′ 6.97″ E (37.1769)

Latitude +48° 38′ 4.89″ N (48.3848)

At the entrance to the urban settlement there is a sign notifying about this interesting fact. It will most likely be uninteresting to examine its territory. There are much more interesting places in the world.

How to find a place on the map using coordinates?

Let's consider the reverse process, for example. Why do you need to determine latitude and longitude on a map? Let's say you need to determine the exact location of the car on the diagram using GPS navigator coordinates. Or a close friend will call on a weekend and tell you the coordinates of his location, inviting you to join him hunting or fishing.

Knowing the exact geographic coordinates, you will need a map with latitude and longitude. It is enough to enter your data into the search form from the Yandex service to determine the location by coordinates successfully. Example, enter the latitude and longitude of Moskovskaya street 66 in the city of Saratov - 51.5339,46.0368. The service will quickly determine and display the location of a given house in the city as a mark.

In addition to the above, you can easily determine the coordinates on the map of any metro station in the city. After the name of the city we write the name of the station. And we observe where the mark is located and its coordinates with latitude and longitude. To determine the length of the route, you need to use the “Ruler” tool (measuring distances on the map). We put a mark at the beginning of the route and then at the end point. The service will automatically determine the distance in meters and show the track itself on the map.

It is possible to more accurately examine a place on the map thanks to the “Satellite” diagram (upper corner on the right). Look what it looks like. You can do all of the above operations with it.

World map with longitude and latitude

Imagine you are in an unfamiliar area, and there are no objects or landmarks nearby. And there is no one to ask! How could you explain your exact location so that you can be found quickly?

Thanks to concepts such as latitude and longitude, you can be detected and found. Latitude shows the location of an object in relation to the South and North Poles. The equator is considered to be zero latitude. The South Pole is located at 90 degrees. south latitude, and North at 90 degrees north latitude.

This data turns out to be insufficient. It is also necessary to know the situation in relation to the East and West. This is where the longitude coordinate comes in handy.

Cartographic data of cities in Russia, Ukraine and the world

There are many different coordinate systems, all of which are used to determine the position of points on the earth's surface. These include mainly geographic coordinates, plane rectangular and polar coordinates. In general, coordinates are usually called angular and linear quantities that define points on any surface or in space.

Geographic coordinates are angular values ​​- latitude and longitude - that determine the position of a point on the globe. Geographic latitude is the angle formed by the equatorial plane and a plumb line at a given point on the earth's surface. This angle value shows how far a particular point on the globe is north or south of the equator.

If a point is located in the Northern Hemisphere, then its geographic latitude will be called northern, and if in the Southern Hemisphere - southern latitude. The latitude of points located on the equator is zero degrees, and at the poles (North and South) - 90 degrees.

Geographic longitude is also an angle, but formed by the plane of the meridian, taken as the initial (zero), and the plane of the meridian passing through a given point. For uniformity of definition, we agreed to consider the prime meridian to be the meridian passing through the astronomical observatory in Greenwich (near London) and call it Greenwich.

All points located to the east of it will have eastern longitude (up to the meridian 180 degrees), and to the west of the initial one will have western longitude. The figure below shows how to determine the position of point A on the earth's surface if its geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) are known.

Note that the difference in longitude of two points on Earth shows not only their relative position in relation to the prime meridian, but also the difference in these points at the same moment. The fact is that every 15 degrees (24th part of the circle) in longitude is equal to one hour of time. Based on this, it is possible to determine the time difference at these two points using geographic longitude.

For example.

Moscow has a longitude of 37°37′ (east), and Khabarovsk -135°05′, that is, lies east of 97°28′. What time do these cities have at the same moment? Simple calculations show that if it is 13 hours in Moscow, then in Khabarovsk it is 19 hours 30 minutes.

The figure below shows the design of the frame of a sheet of any card. As can be seen from the figure, in the corners of this map the longitude of the meridians and the latitude of the parallels that form the frame of the sheet of this map are written.

On all sides the frame has scales divided into minutes. For both latitude and longitude. Moreover, each minute is divided by dots into 6 equal sections, which correspond to 10 seconds of longitude or latitude.

Thus, in order to determine the latitude of any point M on the map, it is necessary to draw a line through this point, parallel to the lower or upper frame of the map, and read the corresponding degrees, minutes, seconds on the right or left along the latitude scale. In our example, point M has a latitude of 45°31’30”.

Similarly, drawing a vertical line through point M parallel to the lateral (closest to the given point) meridian of the border of this map sheet, we read the longitude (eastern) equal to 43°31’18”.

Drawing a point on a topographic map at specified geographic coordinates.

Drawing a point on a map at specified geographic coordinates is done in the reverse order. First, the indicated geographic coordinates are found on the scales, and then a parallel line is drawn through them and perpendicular to the line. Their intersection will show a point with the given geographic coordinates.

Based on materials from the book “Map and Compass are My Friends.”
Klimenko A.I.