What type of coordinate system is represented by the vertical and horizontal lines on a map?

Answer 1

On a map that shows only a small part of the Earth's surface, the coordinate grid

looks like Cartesian " X and Y " coordinates. But as the map shows more and more

of the Earth, it starts to become apparent that the "lines" of latitude and longitude

actually represent polar coordinates on a sphere of constant radius.

On a map that's sufficiently accurate, your first clue is this: Carefully measure the

distance between two of the 'vertical' lines, at the bottom of the map, and then

measure the distance between the same two lines at the top of the map. The two

measurements are slightly different, because on a map of the full Earth, the 'vertical'

lines all meet, at the north and south poles.