Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Write down the default latitude and longitude
• Method 2 of 4: Using degrees, minutes, and seconds
• Method 3 of 4: Using degrees and decimal minutes
• Method 4 of 4: Using decimal degrees

Latitude and longitude are points on the globe that help you find a specific location. When writing the latitude and longitude, you want the formatting to be correct and to use the correct symbols so that you are understood. You can recognize and note different latitude and longitude points on maps. Latitude and longitude can be written using a longitude line and a latitude line. For more specific latitude and longitude points, coordinates can be noted using degrees, minutes, seconds and decimal places.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Write down the default latitude and longitude

1. Recognize the meridians. The meridians are vertical lines that extend around the world, from the North Pole to the South Pole. The prime meridian divides the meridians. This is the zero degree mark. When indicating the meridians, use the symbol "°" for the degrees.
   • You count the meridians from east to west. Moving east increases each line of longitude by one degree. The letter "OL" indicates the line east of the prime meridian. For example, the line 30 ° E.
   • If you go west, the longitude also increases by one degree per line. You indicate the longitude west of the prime meridian with the symbol "W" to indicate West. For example, the line 15 ° W.
2. Recognize the parallels. The parallels are the horizontal lines distributed around the world. You count them from north to south, starting at the equator. The equator is marked by 0 degrees in latitude. When noting latitude and longitude, also use the "°" symbol to indicate degrees.
   • If you move north of the equator, the latitude increases by one degree until 90 degrees is reached. The 90 degree mark is the North Pole. The longitude above the equator is marked with the letter "NB" for north. For example: the latitude 15 ° N.
   • As you move south of the equator, the latitude increases again by a single degree for each line, until you reach 90 degrees. This is the South Pole. You use the symbol "ZB" south to indicate this. For example, the longitude is 30 ° S.
3. Write down the longitude and latitude coordinates. Find a location and see where the latitude and longitude lines intersect. For example, you find a location along latitude 15 ° N and longitude 30 ° E. When writing latitude and longitude, write the latitude first, followed by a comma, then the longitude.
   • For example, the above latitude and longitude are written as "15 ° N, 30 ° E."

Method 2 of 4: Using degrees, minutes, and seconds

1. Recognize the latitude and longitude. Sometimes you need a more precise location than the broad lines of latitude and longitude. The latitude and longitude can be divided into minutes and seconds. However, you have to decipher the broad outlines of the latitude and longitude coordinates first. First find out which latitude and longitude a location falls on.
   • For example, suppose your location falls on the line of longitude 15 ° N and longitude 30 ° E.
2. Determine the number of minutes between each longitude and latitude. The space between each longitude and latitude is divided into one degree. This degree can be further divided into minutes. The distance between each latitude and longitude line is divided into 60 pieces, the minutes. You can find maps online that accurately indicate the exact number of minutes for your location along any line of latitude or longitude. An apostrophe must be used to indicate the number of minutes between the lines.
   • For example, if you know that there are 23 minutes between the determined location on the lines of latitude, write this as 23 ".
3. Find the number of seconds between each minute. Minutes are further divided into second intervals. There are 60 seconds in every minute. Again, an online map makes it easier to determine the exact number of seconds between each minute for a location. A quotation mark is used to indicate the number of seconds.
   • For example, if for a location there are 15 seconds between the longitudes, write this as 15 ".
4. Write down the degrees first, then the number of minutes and then the seconds. After finding the precise coordinates in minutes and seconds for the latitude and longitude, write them in the correct order. Start with the longitude, then the degrees, then the minutes and finally the seconds. Then add the north or south as the direction. Then comes a comma followed by the longitude, followed by the minutes and seconds. Then you add OL or WL as the direction.
   • For example, suppose you have a latitude at latitude 15 ° N, 24 minutes and 15 seconds. You also have a degree of longitude at 30 ° E, 10 minutes and 3 seconds.
   • You then write this latitude and longitude as: 15 ° 24'15 "N, 30 ° 10'3" E.

Method 3 of 4: Using degrees and decimal minutes

1. Determine the point of the latitude and longitude. You can also use minutes followed by decimal points to indicate latitude and longitude. However, you have to start over with determining the broad lines of latitude and longitude. Try to identify where the latitude and longitude lines intersect to determine your location.
   • For example, say your location falls on latitude 15 ° latitude, 30 ° latitude.
2. Determine the number of minutes, including decimal places. Some cards indicate minutes followed by decimal points, instead of minutes followed by seconds. An online map should be able to provide you with minutes split into decimals, for any latitude and longitude. For example, a degree of longitude could be something like 23.0256 minutes.
3. Determine whether numbers are negative or positive. When using the degrees and decimal minutes system, you are not using the north, south, east, and west directions. Instead, you use positive and negative numbers to determine where the locations fall on a map.
   • Do not forget that the latitude is north or south of the equator. If you use decimals to indicate latitude and longitude, the positive numbers fall to the north and the negative numbers to the south of the equator. So the number 23.456 falls north of the equator, while the -23.456 falls south.
   • The degrees of longitude fall to the east or west of the prime meridian. Positive numbers fall to the east of the prime meridian, while negative numbers fall to the west of it. For example, the number 10.234 falls east of the prime meridian, while the number -10.234 falls west of the prime meridian.
4. Write down the latitude and longitude. To write out the full location, start with the latitude. Follow this by the coordinates using minutes and decimals. Add a comma and then write the longitude followed by the minutes and the decimal places. Don't forget to use positive and negative numbers to indicate the direction of the coordinates. You do not use the degree sign with this notation.
   • For example: the location 15 ° N, 30 ° W. Determine the number of minutes and decimal places and then work out the coordinates.
   • In the example above, this can be written as 15 10.234, 30 -23.456.

Method 4 of 4: Using decimal degrees

1. Determine the longitude and latitude. Latitude and longitude are often divided into decimal places. Instead of minutes and seconds, lines each representing one degree are divided into decimal places to pinpoint an exact location. First, find the correct number of degrees for the latitude and longitude.
   • Suppose you have the location 15 ° N, 30 ° W.
2. Determine the number of decimal places. An online map can divide latitude and longitude into decimal points. Usually, decimal points are made up of five digits.
   • For example, your location might be 15.23456 NB and 30.67890 WL.
3. Determine whether numbers are positive or negative. Instead of using the words north, south, east, and west to indicate the direction, you can use positive or negative numbers. For latitude, the lines north of the equator are positive and those south of the equator are negative. For longitude, lines east of the prime meridian are positive and those west of the prime meridian are negative.
   • For example, the latitude 15.23456 is then north of the equator, while the line -15.23456 is south of the equator.
   • The longitude 30.67890 is then east of the equator, while the longitude -30.67890 is west of the equator.
4. Write down the latitude and longitude, including decimal places. It is easy to use the decimal degrees. You just write down the latitude, including decimal places, followed by the longitude, including decimal places. You use positive or negative numbers to indicate the direction.
   • For example, suppose you have the point 15 ° N, 30 ° W. Using the decimal system, you can write this as: 15.23456, -30.67890.