ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

World Geographic Reference System

The world is a big place with lots of different parts, like countries, oceans, and mountains. In order for people to understand where things are and how to get to them, we use something called a geographic reference system.

This system is like a big map that helps people locate different places on the earth's surface. It uses a special set of lines called latitude and longitude lines.

Latitude lines are imaginary lines that run horizontally around the earth, like someone hugging the earth from the side. They measure how far north or south a place is from the equator, which is the imaginary line that runs around the middle of the earth.

Longitude lines are another set of imaginary lines that run vertically around the earth, like lines slicing up a pie. They measure how far east or west a place is from the Prime Meridian, which is an imaginary line that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole and passes through a place in England called Greenwich.

Using latitude and longitude lines, people can locate any place on earth by giving its specific coordinates. For example, New York City is located at a latitude of 40.7128° N and a longitude of -74.0060° W.

This geographic reference system is used by cartographers, navigators, and people who use maps to travel and explore the world. It helps us understand where things are and how to get to them, no matter where they are located on the earth's surface.