纬度(φ)是一个地理坐标，用以确定一点在地球表面上的南北位置。纬度是一个角度，其范围从赤道的0度到南北极的90度。纬度相同的连线或其平行线，是一个与赤道平行的大圆。纬度通常与经度一起使用以确定地表上某点的精确位置。在定义经纬度的时候，做了两个抽象假设。第一，以大地水准面来代替地球的物理表面，大地水准面是一个假想的由地球上静止平衡的海平面延伸到陆地内部而形成的闭合曲面。第二，用一个数学上简单的参考表面来作为大地水准面的近似。最简单的参考表面为球面，但是用旋转椭球面来模拟大地水准面要更为准确些。经纬度在这个参考表面上的定义将在下文中详细说明，经度相同和纬度相同的点的连线共同构成了这个参考表面上的经纬网。地球真实表面上一点的纬度和其在参考表面上的对应点一致，过地球真实表面上一点作参考表面的法线，该法线与参考表面的交点即为真实表面上那一点的对应点。纬度，经度和遵循某种规范的高度共同组成了 ISO 19111 标准中所定义的地理坐标系统。

In geography, latitude (φ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the north–south position of a point on the Earth's surface. Latitude is an angle (defined below) which ranges from 0° at the Equator to 90° (North or South) at the poles. Lines of constant latitude, or parallels, run east–west as circles parallel to the equator. Latitude is used together with longitude to specify the precise location of features on the surface of the Earth. Two levels of abstraction are employed in the definition of these coordinates. In the first step the physical surface is modelled by the geoid, a surface which approximates the mean sea level over the oceans and its continuation under the land masses. The second step is to approximate the geoid by a mathematically simpler reference surface. The simplest choice for the reference surface is a sphere, but the geoid is more accurately modelled by an ellipsoid. The definitions of latitude and longitude on such reference surfaces are detailed in the following sections. Lines of constant latitude and longitude together constitute a graticule on the reference surface. The latitude of a point on the actual surface is that of the corresponding point on the reference surface, the correspondence being along the normal to the reference surface which passes through the point on the physical surface. Latitude and longitude together with some specification of height constitute a geographic coordinate system as defined in the specification of the ISO 19111 standard.