What Does Absolute Location Mean
A location is a particular place on the surface of the earth where a feature or object exists. There are different means that can be used to locate an object. When we say an absolute location of a place, we refer to the location of a place in relation to its latitudinal and longitudinal positions. It is the description of a place or the location of a feature or an object using the coordinates. To effectively describe a location using the absolute location, a Cartesian coordinate grid comes in handy.
Introduction To World Regional Geography
When identifying a region or location on the earth, the first step is to understand its relative and absolute locations. Relative location is the location on the earths surface concerning other places, taking into consideration features such as transportation access or terrain. Relative location helps one compare the advantages of one location with those of another. Absolute location, on the other hand, refers to an exact point on the earths surface without regard to how that point is related to any other place. Absolute location is vital to the cartographic process and to human activities that require an agreed-upon method of identifying a place or point.
The earth has 360 degrees, and they are measured using a grid pattern called the graticule. Lines of latitude and longitude allow any absolute location on the planet to have an identifiable address of degrees north or south and east or west, which will enable geographers to locate, measure, and study spatial activity accurately.
Geographers and cartographers organize locations on the earth using a series of imaginary lines that encircle the globe. The two primary lines are the equator and the prime meridian. From these lines, the systems of longitude and latitude are formed, allowing users to locate themselves anywhere on the planet. The line is the longest when one travels along in an east-west direction. At the equator, the sun is directly overhead at noon on the two equinoxes, which occur in March and September.
What Is Absolute Location And Can You Find Yours
- M.A., Geography, California State University – Northridge
- B.A., Geography, University of California – Davis
Absolute location refers to a specific, fixed point on the Earth’s surface as expressed by a scientific coordinate system. It is more precise than the relative location, which describes where a place is located using other places nearby. A relative location can be as general as “west of the highway” or as specific as “100 North First Street.”
Absolute location is typically described using the longitude and latitude system. Geographically speaking, latitude represents points on the Earth’s surface from north to south, ranging from 0 degrees at the equator to 90 degrees at the North and South Poles. Meanwhile, longitude represents points on the Earth’s surface from east to west, ranging from 0 to 360 degrees.
Absolute location is important for geolocation services, such as Google Maps and Uber. App developers have even called for an added dimension to absolute location, giving height to help specify between different floors of buildings at the same longitude and latitude.
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Limitation Of Absolute Location
Despite being accurate, many people still do not prefer absolute location. Ask any person on the streets for directions, you will notice that they will use relative location. This is simply because utilization of absolute location is quite complex, especially in casual contexts. Therefore, its utilization is more understandable in official contexts.
What Is Absolute Location In Geography
A places absolute location is its exact place on Earth often given in terms of latitude and longitude. For example the Empire State Building is located at 40.7 degrees north 74 degrees west . That is the buildings absolute location. Location can sometimes be expressed in relative terms.Nov 6 2012
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What Is Absolute Location
Absolute location describes the location of a place based on a fixed point on earth. The most common way is to identify the location using coordinates such as latitude and longitude or by the use of a street address when available.
Absolute location can also be the name of the city or region or postal code a point is located in although this is less precise than using coordinates or an address.
Latitude is used to mark the north-south position of a location on the Earths surface and ranges from 0 degrees at the equator to 90 degrees at the North and South Poles. There are 180 degrees of latitude and the distance between each degree of latitude is roughly 69 miles .
Longitude lines run north-south and indicate the location of a point east-west. Latitude is therefore the angular distance east or west of the Prime Meridian. There are 360 degrees of longitude .
Lines of longitude and latitude crisscross the Earth. A location that is being described using latitude and longitude will have a set of coordinates. Latitude is always written first and latitude and longitude are composed of degrees, minutes, and seconds . Latitude and longitude coordinates can also be written as decimal degrees.
What Is Relative Distance And Absolute Distance
The location could also be desired in terms of how long it would take to travel to the U.S. Capitol Building along specific routes. For example, the U.S. Capital Building is a roughly six minute walk southwest from the Russell Senate Office Building using Constitution Avenue.
As with absolute location, absolute distance involves describing the distance from one point to another using units of measurements. For example, the U.S. Capitol is 0.3 miles from the The location could also be desired in terms of how long it would take to travel to the U.S. Capitol Building. For example, the U.S. Capital Building is a roughly six minute walk southwest from the Russel Senate Office Building walking along NE Constitution Avenue.
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What Is A Geography Location Example
To pinpoint a location, latitude and longitude can be used. New Orleans, Louisiana, for example, is located 30 degrees north and 90 degrees west.
The first step in geographic research is to determine absolute location. The relationship between a location and other locations is known as relative location.
What Is Relative Location
Relative location refers to the position of a place or entity based on its location with respect to other locations. Relative location, unlike absolute location is not a fixed reference. Relative location will therefore change based on the secondary location.
For example, the United States is located south of Canada. If the location of the United States is described based on its relative location to Venezuela, then it would be described as being north of that country.
In the map below, a person would describe the relative location of Broad River, which flows through North Caroline and South Carolina, differently.
A person living in Hickory, North Carolina would describe the location of Broad river as flowing south and slightly west of them. A person in Charlotte, North Carolina would describe the river as flowing west of them. A person living in Spartanburg, South Carolina would describe the river as being located north and east of them.
Relative location can also be expressed in terms of distance, travel time, or cost.
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About Juan Ramos Pro Investor
Juan has been writing about science for over a decade and regularly keeps up with technological and scientific advancements. Juan is known for taking complex research and technology and presenting it in an easily digestible form for education. Juan holds a Master’s degree from The Open University in the UK.
Which Is An Example Of An Absolute Location
Absolute Location. Absolute Location refers to a fixed place on the earths surface. An absolute location is determined by the geographic coordinates given in latitudes and latitudes. With reference to the previous example, St. Louis is located 38°43 North 90°14 West. Absolute locations can also be given in the form of fixed addresses.
How is the absolute location of the Earth determined?
Absolute Location refers to a fixed place on the earths surface. An absolute location is determined by the geographic coordinates given in latitudes and latitudes.
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What Is A Coordinate In Geography
A geographic coordinate system is a system that uses a three-dimensional spherical surface to determine locations on the Earth. Any location on Earth can be referenced by a point with longitude and latitude coordinates. It is equal in distance from each of the poles and the value of this latitude line is zero.
An Example Of Absolute Location
An example of an absolute location using latitude and longitude is the United States Capitol in Washington D.C. which is located at 38° 53 35 N, 77° 00 32 W. In decimal degrees, the absolute location of the U.S. Capital Building is 38.89012259750874, -77.00907196001525.
Absolute location can also refer to an address, the street address of the US State Capitol is First St SE in Washington, DC 20004. In both instances, absolute location refers to a fixed point based on an abstract network of imaginary locations.
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Strengths Of Absolute Location
Imagine an individual wants to locate building X in a city. They ask for the directions and they are told the building is a 10-minute walk from building Y or it is two blocks away from building Y. When they get to building Y, they could probably get lost, or they will need to ask for direction again. This is not the case with absolute location. Absolute location is more accurate than relative location. In fact, it is very accurate since it gives the fixed, exact position of an object on the earths surface. For this reason, the errors are reduced and very minimal whenever an absolute location is used to locate an object or a place.
Since absolute location is highly accurate, it is utilized in geolocation services and other applications that are dependent on the location of places such as Uber and Google Maps.
Whats An Example Of Absolute Distance
An absolute distance is the exact measurement of the physical space between two places. Using the amount of miles that separates two places is an example of absolute distance. Saying that something is about 20 minutes away from another place is using the relative distance.
What is the absolute location of Canada?
56.1304° N, 106.3468° WCanada/Coordinates
Why is absolute direction important?
From knowing where exactly to meet up with a friend to locating buried treasure, absolute location is important for locating oneself in the world at any given time. However, sometimes a person only needs to use relative location to describe a particular place to another person.
What is the difference between an absolute and a relative location?
The absolute location of a place doesnt change such as the address of a place or the latitude and longitude of a place. Relative location will change depending on the person describing the location. When giving the absolute location of a place, you need only to provide either the coordinates or the address.
Is there such a thing as absolute direction?
Absolute Direction is a mundane mental physical advantage that grants an excellent sense of direction. Absolute Direction : Always know which way is north and retrace paths you made less then a month ago.
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Presentation On Theme: Basic Geography Review Absolute & Relative Location Presentation Transcript:
1 Basic Geography Review Absolute & Relative Location
2 Lines of Latitude Lines are flat Flatitude Measure 0° at equator to 90°N at North Pole to 90° S at South Pole Run parallel to the Equator 0°0° 90 ° N 90 ° S
3 Lines are long, Measure from 0° at Prime Meridian to 180° W and 180°E Run parallel to the Prime Meridian 0°0° 180 ° E180 ° W
4 Absolute Location Found by intersecting latitude and longitude lines Splits the world into hemispheres = SE hemisphere = = = Tips for success: Follow the curve of the lines It often requires you to use more than one page in the atlas Start on the world map, then move to the appropriate continent Example
5 Relative Location Describing a place in relation to another Use of landmarks, street signs, towns 1/2 easy mile south of Suppesville
Difficulties Of Using Absolute Locations
Use of an absolute location is both a precise and accurate manner of communicating exactly where a particular object or place is situated. Despite this accuracy, actually using absolute locations can be difficult in practice. This measurement of location is ideal for smaller buildings, objects, or other monuments. However, objects that cover a larger area are less suited for the use of absolute locations. Examples of objects that cover large areas include states, provinces, regions, countries, rivers, oceans, and seas. In these cases, the absolute location would be too exact and only mark a point within a much greater territory. Most individuals resort to using relative locations in these instances, as it provides an easier to understand measurement of location. For example, to describe the relative location of the country of Peru, one might offer the following description: a nation located on the Pacific coast of South America, where it shares borders with Chile, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, and Bolivia. A specific monument within the country, like Machu Picchu, could then be found with the help of an absolute location.
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An Example Of Relative Location
We can again look at this map of the area around the U.S. Capitol. The north arrow in the upper right hand corner lets the user know the cardinal directions. As a relative location, the U.S. Capitol can be described as being due west of the U.S. Supreme Court or southwest from the Russell Senate Office Building.
What Is My Location
Finding your absolute location at any given time can be done using geolocation software, which is found in most smartphones. This software uses the Global Positioning System , a satellite navigation system run by the U.S. government, to deliver precise information about the location of any GPS receiver on Earth. The GPS system is accurate within five meters .
Relative location can be described in a variety of ways. For example, if you are meeting a friend somewhere at the mall, you could tell them that you’re near a certain store. You could also specify that you’re near the mall’s north entrance. Alternatively, you could tell your friend that you’re standing near a woman with purple hair. This may not be the most helpful direction, but it is a relative location. To describe your relative location, all you have to do is notice what is around you.
Because of advances in technology, it is sometimes easier to locate your absolute location than your relative location, especially if you are in a rural area without any notable landmarks nearby.
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What Is Absolute Location Mean
A places absolute location is its exact place on Earth, often given in terms of latitude and longitude. For example, the Empire State Building is located at 40.7 degrees north , 74 degrees west . Location can sometimes be expressed in relative terms.
How is absolute direction measured?
Absolute location describes the location of a place based on a fixed point on earth. The most common way is to identify the location using coordinates such as latitude and longitude or by the use of a street address when available. There are 360 degrees of longitude .
Latitude And Parallel Lines
The equator is the largest circle of latitude on Earth. The equator divides the earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and is called 0 degrees latitude. The other lines of latitude are numbered from 0 to 90 degrees, going toward each of the poles. The lines north of the equator toward the North Pole are north latitude, and each of the numbers is followed by the letter N. The lines south of the equator toward the South Pole are south latitude, and the letter S follows each of the numbers. The equator is the only line of latitude without any letter following the number. Notice that all lines of latitude are parallel to the equator and that the North Pole equals 90 degrees N, and the South Pole equals 90 degrees S. Noted parallels include both the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, which are 23.5 degrees from the equator. At 66.5 degrees from the equator are the Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle near the North and South Pole, respectively.
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What Is An Absolute Location
An absolute location is an exact and precise point that indicates the specific location of a particular object or place. Absolute locations are often expressed in terms of longitude and latitude, which are also known as geographic coordinates. Geographic coordinates provide the absolute location of a particular object in relation to the prime meridian and the equator. Lines of latitude indicate how many degrees north or south of the equator a position is situated . On the other hand, lines of longitude indicate how many degrees east or west of the prime meridian a particular place is located . These lines cross each other, creating a grid-like pattern, across the face of the globe. The absolute location of the Taj Mahal, for example, is 27° 10 N and 78° 2 E.
Absolute locations may also be given as an expression of an exact address. When an individual is unfamiliar with longitude and latitude, exact addresses are far more helpful. In this case, one would provide the street number, street, city, state or district, and country as a means of offering an absolute location. In contrast, a relative location, for example, could be something as simple as the pharmacy in New York City that is located near Central Park.” The absolute location of that same place would be expressed in the following way: 1245 Fifth Ave, New York City, New York, US.