
A projected coordinate system, also known as a projected coordinate reference system, a planar coordinate system, or grid reference system, is a type of
spatial reference system
A spatial reference system (SRS) or coordinate reference system (CRS) is a framework used to precisely measure locations on the surface of the Earth as coordinates. It is thus the application of the abstract mathematics of coordinate systems and ...
that represents locations on the Earth using
cartesian coordinates (''x'',''y'') on a planar surface created by a particular
map projection
In cartography, map projection is the term used to describe a broad set of transformations employed to represent the two-dimensional curved surface of a globe on a plane. In a map projection, coordinates, often expressed as latitude and longit ...
.
Each projected coordinate system, such as "
Universal Transverse Mercator
The Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) is a map projection system for assigning coordinates to locations on the surface of the Earth. Like the traditional method of latitude and longitude, it is a horizontal position representation, which mean ...
WGS 84 Zone 26N," is defined by a choice of map projection (with specific parameters), a choice of
geodetic datum
A geodetic datum or geodetic system (also: geodetic reference datum, geodetic reference system, or geodetic reference frame) is a global datum reference or reference frame for precisely representing the position of locations on Earth or other p ...
to bind the coordinate system to real locations on the earth, an origin point, and a choice of unit of measure.
Hundreds of projected coordinate systems have been specified for various purposes in various regions.
When the first standardized coordinate systems were created during the 20th Century, such as the
Universal Transverse Mercator
The Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) is a map projection system for assigning coordinates to locations on the surface of the Earth. Like the traditional method of latitude and longitude, it is a horizontal position representation, which mean ...
,
State Plane Coordinate System
The State Plane Coordinate System (SPCS) is a set of 124 geographic zones or coordinate systems designed for specific regions of the United States. Each state contains one or more state plane zones, the boundaries of which usually follow county l ...
, and