Absolute and Relative Location Explained
Location is the position of a place on Earth: absolute location gives its exact position using a fixed system such as latitude and longitude or a street address, while relative location describes where it is in relation to other places, using direction, distance or travel time. In brief: absolute location is precise and does not change (for example, 45° N, 10° E); relative location is flexible and depends on the reference point (for example, “30 km north of the river crossing”). Geographers use both: absolute location to find a place exactly, and relative location to understand its connections and surroundings.
Describing where something is comes before any other geographic question. This guide explains absolute and relative location, shows how each is expressed, compares them in a table, works through an example with distances from coordinates, outlines how location systems developed and corrects common mistakes.
What is location?
Location answers the question “Where is it?” and is the first of the five themes of geography. Two kinds are used. Site refers to the physical characteristics of the place itself (for example, a city on a hill or at a river bend). Situation refers to its position in relation to the surrounding area (for example, close to a port, on a trade route or near mountains). Absolute location is a type of exact position, and relative location is a type of situation.
What is absolute location?
An absolute location is a precise position that can be given by a fixed reference system and is the same for everyone. The main forms are:
- Geographic coordinates: latitude (angle north or south of the equator, 0° to 90°) and longitude (angle east or west of the Prime Meridian, 0° to 180°), such as 45° N, 10° E. One degree of latitude is about 111 km everywhere; one degree of longitude is about 111 km at the equator and becomes shorter toward the poles (about 79 km at 45° latitude).
- Grid references: numbers on a map grid, such as the six-figure grid reference used on topographic maps.
- Addresses and postal codes: a street, a number and a city.
Absolute location does not say anything about the surroundings, and it only has meaning if one knows the system used.
What is relative location?
Relative location describes a place by its relationship to other places, using direction (north-west of), distance (80 km from), travel time (two hours by train from), connections (on the main road between), or landmarks (next to the cathedral). It changes with the reference point and with the means of travel: a town may be 100 km from a city, but only an hour away if there is a motorway. Relative location explains why places grow or decline: a settlement at a river crossing or a mountain pass benefits from its situation. Directions are given as cardinal (N, E, S, W) and intermediate (NE, SE, SW, NW) directions, or as a compass bearing in degrees.
Absolute and relative location compared
| Feature | Absolute location | Relative location |
|---|---|---|
| Based on | Fixed system (coordinates, grid, address) | Other places and landmarks |
| Changes? | No | Yes, with the reference point and transport |
| Precision | Exact | Approximate |
| Shows connections? | No | Yes |
| Example | 45° N, 10° E | 110 km north of town B |
Worked example: describing a location
- Given: town A at 45.0° N, 10.0° E and town B at 46.0° N, 10.0° E (hypothetical places).
- Absolute locations: these are the coordinates themselves, each fixed and unambiguous.
- Direction: the longitudes are equal and B has the higher latitude, so B is due north of A.
- Distance: the difference in latitude is 1.0°. At about 111 km per degree, the distance is about 111 km.
- Relative location of B: “about 110 km due north of A”. If a motorway connects them and the average speed is 90 km/h, the travel time is 111 ÷ 90 ≈ 1.2 hours, so B is “about 75 minutes from A by road” (assuming a straight route).
- Situation: if a mountain range lay between A and B and the road took a 150 km detour, the relative location would change (a longer travel time), but the absolute locations would stay the same.
How did location systems develop?
Eratosthenes and Hipparchus in ancient Greece used lines of latitude and longitude to describe positions, and Ptolemy’s Geography (2nd century CE) listed the coordinates of many places. Latitude could be found from the height of the Sun or the Pole Star, but longitude was a problem until John Harrison’s marine chronometers in the 18th century allowed ships to know the time at a reference meridian. The Prime Meridian through Greenwich was adopted internationally in 1884. Since the 1990s the Global Positioning System (GPS) has given absolute locations to within meters for ordinary users.
Which mistakes are common?
Mistake 1: Thinking relative location is imprecise and unimportant
Relative location explains why places are important (trade, defense, access), which coordinates cannot show.
Mistake 2: Mixing up latitude and longitude
Latitude (north–south) is stated first, then longitude (east–west). Remember to include the N/S and E/W.
Mistake 3: Assuming a degree of longitude is always 111 km
It shrinks with latitude. A degree of latitude is always about 111 km.
Mistake 4: Using vague words as if they were absolute
“Near the coast” or “in the north” are relative descriptions and depend on the reference.