Esri ArcGIS Pro Foundation Certification Practice Test

What does a geographic coordinate system use to identify location on a globe?

1. Linear measurements

2. Angular degrees

3. Decimal format

4. Raster coordinates

The correct answer is: Angular degrees

A geographic coordinate system identifies locations on a globe using angular degrees. This system is based on the concepts of latitude and longitude, where latitude measures how far north or south a point is from the equator, and longitude measures how far east or west that point is from the prime meridian. By using angular degrees, the geographic coordinate system allows for the precise identification of any point on the earth's surface. Other methods such as linear measurements apply to flat, two-dimensional maps rather than the three-dimensional nature of the globe, and while decimal formats can represent coordinates, they still express locations in terms of angular degrees. Raster coordinates, on the other hand, pertain to grid or tessellated formats in data representation and do not describe geographic positions in a global context. Understanding that the foundational aspect of a geographic coordinate system lies in its use of angular degrees is critical for spatial analysis and mapping in GIS applications.