How to gift the coordinates of a place that matters
Obiblion · updated
Find the place on a map, copy its latitude and longitude, and present them as a gift: engraved, printed on a map, or attached to a named parcel on a planet. In Google Maps, right-click the spot on desktop, or press and hold on a phone, and the coordinates appear.
Finding the coordinates
Open a map service, zoom in on the exact spot and drop a pin. On a computer, a right-click shows the latitude and longitude in decimal degrees; on a phone, pressing and holding the map does the same.
Zoom in as far as you can. Coordinates to four decimal places point to within about 10 metres, which is enough to tell one bench from the next.
How to write them
Decimal degrees look like 48.8584°N 2.2945°E, the Eiffel Tower. Degrees, minutes and seconds look like 48°51′30″N 2°17′40″E. Both are correct; decimals are easier to type and to search.
Other examples: the Statue of Liberty is near 40.6892°N 74.0445°W, and the Sydney Opera House near 33.8568°S 151.2153°E. South and west are sometimes written as negative numbers instead of letters.
Ideas for turning coordinates into a gift
Classic options are engraved jewellery, a framed map with the point marked, or a print that pairs the coordinates with a date. They work best with a short note about what happened there.
A digital option is a named parcel. Obiblion's Earth parcels sit on a real-coordinate grid; each parcel page shows the country or sea underneath and the nearest named landmark, plus a name and dedication chosen by the holder.
Make it personal
What turns coordinates into a gift is the story behind them. Write the date, one sentence about the moment, and why you chose to mark it.
If you want the recipient to be surprised, choose when they find out. Obiblion lets you schedule the reveal of a gift for an exact moment, such as midnight on an anniversary.
Questions
How do I find the coordinates of a place?
Drop a pin in a map app and read the latitude and longitude. On desktop, right-click; on a phone, press and hold.
What is the difference between decimal degrees and DMS?
Decimal degrees express a position as one number per axis, like 48.8584°N. DMS splits it into degrees, minutes and seconds. They describe the same point.
How accurate are four decimal places?
About 10 metres at the equator, which is enough to identify a specific spot such as a bench or a doorway.
Can I give a place on Earth as a digital parcel?
Yes. Earth parcels on Obiblion sit on real coordinates, and the parcel page shows the real country or sea beneath it, with a name and dedication you choose.