What is the difference between relative and absolute location?

The absolute location indicates the location of a space according to the fixed point it occupies on Earth. As mentioned before, the absolute location is closely related to the geographic coordinates. The geographic coordinate system is made up of imaginary lines that were established on the earth’s surface and are used as a reference to indicate certain regions or places. These are known as latitude and longitude and are expressed in angular measurements, with degrees, minutes and seconds and the initial letter of the corresponding cardinal point.

latitude

The term “latitude” comes from the Latin latitude , which in turn is formed by latus , which means “width” and the suffix – tud , which means “state” or “quality”. In geography, latitude is the distance between a point on the earth’s surface and the equator. Latitude is an imaginary line that divides the planet into two sections, one north and one south, where there are other imaginary lines.

The main line is the equator which is at 0°. From there, there are other parallels, up to 90° north and 90° south, reaching the north and south poles, respectively. That is, in total, the latitude extends up to 180°.

The equator is perpendicular to the Earth’s axis of rotation, and divides the Earth into the northern and southern hemispheres. Parallels, as the name suggests, are imaginary lines parallel to the equator. Likewise, four main parallels stand out: the Tropic of Cancer (23° 26′ 14″ N), the Tropic of Capricorn (23º 26′ 17″ S), the Arctic Circle (66° 33′ 52″ N) and the Antarctic Circle (66° 33′ 46″ S).

The length

The longitude indicates the location of a point on the earth’s surface, according to its distance from the Greenwich meridian. This is also known as “zero meridian” and is an imaginary line at 0°.

The Greenwich Meridian divides the planet into the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere. There are also meridians that are semicircles parallel to the Greenwich meridian and perpendicular to the equator. Like latitude, it spans a full 180°, but in this case, it goes 90° East and 90° West.

Taking these concepts into account, absolute location can be defined as the intersection of longitude and latitude at a given point . For example, the absolute location of the Prado Museum in Spain is 40°24′50″N 3°41′32″W.

Another way to know the absolute location is through the address of a space. In this case, the address of the Prado Museum is Calle Ruiz de Alarcón n° 23, Madrid, Spain.

relative location

Relative location is the location of a space according to other sites, and therefore will depend on the reference point used. Due to this, it is not a fixed location, but variable and subjective. A person can consider a specific place as a destination and reach it in different ways or consider different points as a reference to guide themselves.

Relative location also allows you to locate a geographic region or large areas that cannot be indicated by latitude and longitude alone. Generally, the relative location is expressed through:

• Distance: meters, kilometers, manzanas (blocks).
• Position: corner, front, back, etc.
• Transfer time: minutes, hours of travel.
• Cardinal points: east, south, etc.

For example, the Plaza Mayor in Madrid is located southeast of the Royal Palace and west of the Prado Museum. That is, depending on the place where a person is or the point that is taken as a reference, the location of the place will be different, and therefore, relative.

Difference Between Absolute and Relative Location

Taking into account the aforementioned, the difference between the absolute location and the relative location is the precision with which the location of a given space or place is indicated. Absolute location is a specific, fixed point. Instead, the relative location is a variable and fuzzy point.

Also, to determine the absolute location, latitude and longitude or the established direction are considered. Rather, the relative location is based on the relationship to the reference point you select.

Examples of absolute and relative location

Some examples of the absolute and relative location of emblematic places are:

Bibliography

• Davis, KC What do I know about Geography: Everything you need to know about the world. (2006). Spain. Ray.
• Mason, C. Elementary Geography. (2013). Spain. IDEAnet portal.