Absolute location is the exact position of a place on Earth. It is expressed by latitude and longitude. Latitude measures north-south position. Longitude measures east-west position. Together they pinpoint any place on the globe. The coordinates are unique. No two places share the same latitude and longitude.

Latitude lines run east-west. They are parallel. The equator is 0 degrees latitude. The poles are 90 degrees north and south. Longitude lines run north-south. They converge at the poles. The prime meridian is 0 degrees longitude. It passes through Greenwich, England. The opposite meridian is 180 degrees. It is the international date line.

Absolute location examples

• New York City: 40.7 degrees north, 74.0 degrees west.
• London: 51.5 degrees north, 0.1 degrees west.
• Sydney: 33.9 degrees south, 151.2 degrees east.
• The equator: 0 degrees latitude.
• The prime meridian: 0 degrees longitude.

Absolute location is precise. It does not change. It is the same today as it was a hundred years ago. That makes it useful for navigation, mapping, and science. GPS receivers use absolute location. They triangulate signals from satellites to determine latitude, longitude, and altitude. The coordinates are then displayed on a map. Absolute location is different from relative location. Relative location describes a place in relation to other places. It is subjective and changeable. Absolute location is objective and fixed. It is the grid that covers the globe. Every place has one. Every place can be found. That is the power of absolute location.