What does a geographic coordinate consist of?

A geographic coordinate consists of a pair of numerical values that pinpoint a specific location on the Earth's surface. These values are latitude and longitude, expressed in degrees. Latitude indicates how far north or south a point is from the equator, measured in degrees north (N) or south (S). Longitude indicates how far east or west a point is from the Prime Meridian, measured in degrees east (E) or west (W). This system allows us to accurately locate any point on the globe.

The choice that states latitude in degrees north or south and longitude in degrees east or west effectively captures the essential components of geographic coordinates, making it the correct answer. Other options do not provide an accurate or complete representation of the components that make up geographic coordinates. For example, altitude refers to elevation but does not factor into latitude and longitude; direction alone does not define a geographic location; and representing latitude and longitude in meters is incorrect, as geographic coordinates are conventionally given in degrees.