Latitude & Longitude: The Foundation of Spatial Data

Despite advances in 3D GIS, lidar, and complex projections, latitude and longitude coordinates remain at the heart of almost every spatial dataset. They provide a universal, human-readable reference that helps tie together disparate data sources.

Universality and Interoperability

Using lat/long helps avoid projection confusion when sharing data across systems. Whether for geocoding, GPS navigation, or online mapping, these coordinates provide a common baseline understood globally.

Limitations Worth Recognizing

Simple as they are, lat/long coordinates do not carry information about scale, projection distortion, or suitability for metric analysis — for tasks like distance measurement or area calculation, a proper projected CRS remains necessary.

In many GIS workflows, latitude and longitude serve as the starting point. But for accurate spatial analysis, we must know their limits — and complement them with appropriate spatial references and metadata.