Find where you are!
All maps indicate specific locations. But what is location?
A location is a specific place where something exists, is situated, or is found. It can be a precise point or a more general area, like a city or a region. (Location, encyclopedic entry from the National Geographic).
Key aspects of location
- Absolute Location refers to a precise location using coordinates like latitude and longitude, or a specific address (ibid.).
- Relative Location describes a location in relation to something else, like “next to the library” or “two blocks south” (ibid.).
- Location Factors comprise the various influences that impact the attractiveness of a location for a business or activity, such as access to resources, labor, and markets (Basic Location Factors, The Geography of Transport Systems, Jean-Paul Rodrigue (2024), New York: Routledge, 402 pages. ISBN 9781032380407, Sixth Edition, DOI: 10.4324/9781003343196).
- Location Strategies are the choices a business or individual makes about where to locate a facility or activity, based on factors like cost, accessibility, and market demand (Basic Location Strategies, ibid).
In the context of modern technology, location also relates to:
- Geolocation: Using technology like GPS or IP addresses to determine the location of a device or person (Geolocation: What it is, How it Works, Examples, By The Investopedia Team, Updated January 25, 2021).
- Location-Based Services: Services that utilize location data to provide information, like navigation apps or social networking features (Bridwell, S.A., Miller, H.J. (2009). Location-Based Services. In: LIU, L., ÖZSU, M.T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Database Systems. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-39940-9_494).
- Location Tracking: Monitoring the movement and location of devices or people over time.
For more information on location technology, you may also read A beginner’s guide to location technology, by Lucy Bragg, February 13, 2024.
Many maps, especially, web mapping services on smart phones such as Google maps, but also in situ tourist information maps provide infomation about one’s current location.
Some ressources to use in the classroom:
- The webpage Where Am I: What is my current location? by Woosmap, a company that provides a mapping and geolocation platform, allow users to find their location in terms of (a) address and (b) geographic coordinates (φ, λ).
- The What3Words app, let’s you find your location with just 3 words. The website landing page can also provide this information. The concept behind this application is being able to telling friends exactly where to meet, easily entering a precise destination into a ride-hailing app, and giving their precise location over the phone to emergency services. The world has been divided into 3 metre squares and given each one was give a unique identifier made from three words. Have your students enter the following combination ///safely.living.debit to the mobile app or website to see where it will lead them to. Since the what3words project is well documented you can find other examples of its use.
- The artcile on How to Get Current Location on Google Maps, by Nicole Levine, last Updated: March 10, 2025 can guide your students into finding their current location on Google Maps.
Finally, you can encarouge your students to find more geolocation tools available on line.