Latitude and Longitude: The System Hasn't Changed

The concepts of latitude and longitude remain unchanged since their formalization. Latitude measures north-south position from the Equator (0°); longitude measures east-west from the Prime Meridian at Greenwich, England (0°). Both use degrees, minutes, and seconds.

While GPS and satellite technology have vastly improved coordinate precision, the fundamental reference framework is identical. There is no "new" latitude/longitude system—only more accurate measurements.