Throughout the centuries, navigators have used coordinate maps that allow us to locate ourselves precisely in the world. With the irruption of technologies such as GPS outside the military field, having and knowing the coordinate maps on an iPhone can be something interesting for us.
Would you like to know more about coordinate maps? We tell you everything about them and what uses you can give them as an iPhone user.
What is a coordinate map?
The coordinate maps are graphical representations of the earth’s surface or of other celestial bodies in which a coordinate system is used to locate specific points and objects with precision.
Coordinates are unique and unrepeatable numbers that indicate the position of that place with respect to point 0 that has been established.
There are different coordinate systems used on maps, but the most common are the geographic coordinate system (latitude and longitude) and the UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) coordinate system.
Geographic Coordinate System
The geographic coordinate system is the most common and the oldest of all.
Basically, it divides the planet into two basic coordinates, latitude and longitude, and from there a value is given to a specific area.
- Latitude: It is the coordinate that indicates the north or south position of a point with respect to the terrestrial equator. It is measured in degrees, minutes and seconds, being 0° at the equator and 90° at the north and south poles. North latitude is positive and South is negative.
- Length: It is the coordinate that indicates the east or west position of a point with respect to the reference meridian, which is the Greenwich meridian. It is also measured in degrees, minutes and seconds just like Latitude. East longitude is positive and West longitude is negative.
The UTM Coordinate System
He UTM Coordinate System is a twist on the previous system, which seeks a greater precision when giving the coordinates geography of something
In this system, the earth’s surface is divided into 60 zones, each 6 degrees longitude, and assigns Cartesian coordinates (easting and northing) in meters to each point within those zones.
Unlike the geographic coordinate system, which uses a sphere to represent the Earth, the UTM system projects the Earth’s surface onto a plane, making mathematical calculations easier and allowing for more accurate measurements in small areas.
Although it is likely that you do not know it, without knowing it you will surely be a user of it. Since, due to their precision and accuracy, the traditional GPS navigation systems are based on this coordinate system.
Other uses that it has are for more specific applications, such as cartography, topography, environmental sciences or engineering, among other fields.
Why do I need to get a coordinate map with an iPhone?
As users of a smartphone there are certain situations in which we may need to know the latitude and longitude of a location:
– For share a location to someoneso that you can know where we are or where we want to meet.
– To be able to obtain addresses of placeswithout having to depend on a number of buildings or streets as reference.
– The geocaching enthusiasts They use the coordinates to search and find hidden treasures or “caches” in different parts of the world.
– Hikers, cyclists, runners, and other outdoor enthusiasts can use the coordinates to locate routes, trails and points of interest in his adventures.
– In it in case of an accident or emergencyis the most optimal way to be able to send your location to a rescue team or to the forces of order so that they can locate you.
– For tag photos and videos precisely in a specific geographic location.
– To do market studies and to be able to plan routes more efficiently in the field of business.
– Or simply, to satisfy your curiosity to know the geographic coordinates of a place that may be of interest to us.
How to get the coordinates with Apple Maps?
As iPhone users that we are, we could go to third-party applications, but Apple has taken care of pre-installing the application of maps that can be used to get the coordinates on a map.
To do this, the first thing is that we open the Maps application itself on our phone. We will search for the place using the search bar at the top of the screen, in order to locate the point that we want to know where it is.
Once you’ve found the location on the map, place your finger on the marker and hold for a few seconds. A small card will appear with information about the place.
If you scroll up you can see more details about that locationand among the data that will come out will be the Latitude and the Length.
With that value, you can already have the coordinates of a point.
You can also get coordinates using the function “Share location” in the Maps app. When we share our location or a specific one on a map with someone, we are sending them through a message the latitude and longitude of the area where we want them to go.
Conclusion: coordinate maps are more interesting than we thought
In general, as we have seen throughout this article, geographic coordinates are a versatile and valuable tool that allows smartphone users to accurately locate places, share locations, plan routes, and engage in a variety of hands-on and learning activities. leisure.
But outside of business and leisure uses, uses related to personal safety, being able to notify someone in the event of an accident, are the greatest attraction they can have for all smartphone users, whatever their operating system.
For whatever reason, we hope this article has helped you learn more about your phone and we encourage you to take a look at our Tutorials section if you’ve been wanting to learn something more about your iPhone.
