Please help me understand a coordinate system and how a coordinate system is relevant to a region of interest such as South Africa. I came across this term a couple of times and overlooked it because I don't really know what it refers to.
-
3en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spatial_reference_system– John PowellCommented Jun 18, 2015 at 14:20
-
possible duplicate of What's the difference between a projection and a datum?– MAJ742Commented Jun 18, 2015 at 14:20
-
Not the clearest but may give you keywords that you can search for: ngi.gov.za/index.php/technical-information/geodesy-and-gps/…– mkennedyCommented Jun 18, 2015 at 14:26
-
1In my opinion, this is a valid question. Often newcomers to geography/GIS are confused by the complementary terms "coordinate system", "projection", "spatial reference", "datum", etc...– Aaron ♦Commented Jun 18, 2015 at 14:46
-
1This question is more specific now, after editing by @Aaron, previously it was ambiguous. I agree with the sentiment of Aaron. Terminology is key and there are lots of resources here on stack as well on ESRI.– spk578Commented Jun 18, 2015 at 14:55
|
Show 6 more comments
1 Answer
A good starting place for GIS terminology is the GIS Dictionary hosted by Esri.
Coordinate System
A reference framework consisting of a set of points, lines, and/or surfaces, and a set of rules, used to define the positions of points in space in either two or three dimensions. The Cartesian coordinate system and the geographic coordinate system used on the earth's surface are common examples of coordinate systems.
-
3For new users (generally already overwhelmed by new concepts) I usually 'dumb it down' to "A coordinate system is instructions that programs understand about placing the coordinates in what units and from what starting point. After all the world is round so you have to start somewhere.". Later on, after they've got familiar with the basics, I go into which ones to use and which ones 'play nice' with each other. Commented Jun 18, 2015 at 22:43