Short answer
Latitude tells how far north or south a place lies from the equator. Longitude tells how far east or west it lies from the reference meridian. Together they locate a position on Earth using angles, commonly written in degrees. 1 2
Complementary geographic coordinates: latitude locates north-south position and longitude locates east-west position.
On this page
At a glance
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| Question | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|
| Reference | Equator | Prime/reference meridian |
| Position measured | North or south | East or west |
| Lines on a globe | Parallels run east-west | Meridians run pole to pole |
The table summarizes the cited definitions and the article’s stated scope. 1 2
What each thing is
Latitude. Angular geographic position north or south of the equator. 1
Longitude. Angular geographic position east or west of a reference meridian. 2
Key differences
The line direction can mislead: a latitude line runs east-west but reports north-south position. A longitude line runs north-south but reports east-west position. Latitude ranges from 0° at the equator to 90° at a pole; longitude is commonly reported to 180° east or west. 1 2
The equator is the zero line for latitude; moving toward a pole changes latitude. A chosen prime/reference meridian anchors longitude; moving east or west changes longitude. Each coordinate describes an angle rather than a flat-map distance, so equal changes in longitude cover different ground distances at different latitudes. 1 2
How to tell them apart
Read the directional letter or sign. N and S belong to latitude; E and W belong to longitude. When entering coordinates into a map, verify the expected order—many systems use latitude first, but data formats can differ. 1 2
Where they overlap
Both are angular coordinates in one geographic system. Neither coordinate alone generally identifies a unique point away from special cases. 1 2
Edge cases
At the poles, meridians meet and longitude does not give a unique directional location. Map datums and reference meridians affect precise positions; a coordinate without its reference system can be insufficient for survey-grade work. 1 2
A coordinate pair is meaningful only with a specified geographic reference system when precision matters. Everyday maps often hide this detail, but surveys and datasets cannot. At the North or South Pole, every meridian converges, making longitude an especially poor way to distinguish nearby directions. 1 2
Why the distinction exists
The pair provides a shared grid for maps, navigation and data. Separating north-south and east-west position makes a location expressible numerically. 1 2
Common misconceptions
“Latitude lines run north-south” reverses line direction and measured position. Parallels run east-west. 1 2
Examples
A location at 40° N and 75° W is north of the equator and west of the reference meridian; swapping those numbers points somewhere else. 1 2
Sources
Sources checked October 3, 2026.
- NOAA National Ocean Service — What is latitude?. Latitude overview.
- NOAA National Ocean Service — What is longitude?. Longitude overview.