coordinateslatitude

Latitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the north–south position of a point on the Earth’s surface. It measures angular distance from the equator, which is defined as 0 degrees. Latitudes range from +90 degrees at the North Pole to −90 degrees at the South Pole (often written with N or S, e.g., 37.5° N or 23.4° S). Latitudes and longitudes together form a coordinate system used to locate any point on the globe.

Lines of constant latitude, called parallels, run east–west and are parallel to the equator. They become smaller as they approach the poles, but remain parallel to each other. Latitude is typically expressed in degrees, with optional minutes and seconds for greater precision. In digital systems, decimal degrees are common (for example, 37.7749° for latitude).

Latitude is used in navigation, mapping, GIS, and geolocation to identify locations and to calculate distances and routes. In computer and map applications, latitude is paired with longitude to form a geographic coordinate pair. The exact latitude value depends on the reference model or datum used (such as WGS84); different datums can yield slightly different coordinates for the same physical location.

The concept of latitude originates from measurements of angular distance from the equator and is foundational to global coordinate systems, cartography, and geoscience.