There are two different types of location that we will study:

• ABSOLUTE LOCATION
• RELATIVE LOCATION

ABSOLUTE LOCATION: Every point on Earth has a specific location that is determined by an imaginary grid of lines called  latitude and longitude. If you ask someone, "Where is Marshall Elementary School?" Chances are they'd say, "It's in Manassas, Virginia, right off of Hoadly road. This is Relative Location. Most people wouldn't say, "It's Lat: 38 45 00 N and Long: 077 28 00 W."

Relative to Absolute locations can be seen like the nesting dolls...you can go from relative to exact degree of Longitude and latitude on a map to saying...

Manassas, Virginia, that's on Planet Earth, North American Continent, United States, Virginia, Manassas,  down Hoadly road, off of Kahns to the exact place on Earth the school is located.

Lines of latitude measure distances north and south of the line called the Equator. The lines of latitude are found going horizontal across a map from left to right.  
 (notice the lines of latitude are horizontal)
 

Lines of longitude measure distances east and west of the line called the Prime Meridian.  The lines of longitude are found vertically on a map going up and down.
 (notice the lines of longitude are vertical)
 

Geographers use latitude and longitude to pinpoint a place’s absolute, or exact, location.

RELATIVE LOCATION: It is also important to know how one place is related to other places—in other words, to know that place’s relative location. Relative location deals with the interaction that occurs between and among places. It refers to the many ways—by land, by water, even by technology—that places are connected.

You may ask, "Where is Myrtle Beach?" and most likely, people will give you a Relative Location as an answer. "It's in South Carolina, about 97 miles north of Charleston."